Senior White House officials say they are preparing a sweeping crackdown on what they describe as a “vast domestic terror movement” that they claim is behind the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, even as police continue to investigate the motive.
The statements came during an emotionally charged episode of Kirk’s podcast, guest-hosted on Monday by Vice President JD Vance, and featuring appearances by top members of the Trump administration, including Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff.
“We are going to channel all of the anger that we have over the organised campaign that led to this assassination, to uproot and dismantle these terrorist networks,” Miller said. “It will happen, and we will do it in Charlie’s name.”
The Biden-appointed FBI has yet to present evidence of a broader conspiracy. Investigators say 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, arrested on Friday after a two-day manhunt, appears to have acted alone. But that hasn’t stopped top Republicans from framing Kirk’s killing as the product of a larger, dangerous ideology.
Vance echoed Miller’s tone, promising action against what he called a “NGO network that foments, facilitates and engages in violence.”
While police have not confirmed a motive, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said over the weekend that Robinson, whose family is reportedly Republican, had expressed left-wing views in recent years. Further details haven’t been released.
Still, the Trump administration is moving aggressively, using rhetoric typically reserved for foreign terror groups to describe what they say is an internal threat — even as critics warn that the approach risks criminalising dissent.
“This could be used to label activists and political opponents as terrorists,” one civil liberties attorney told Al Jazeera, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Kirk’s assassination comes amid a worrying surge in politically motivated violence across the US — affecting both the left and the right.
Last year, Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts during his campaign. In June, a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband were shot dead in Minnesota. In April, an armed man attacked the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, another Democrat.
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was a lightning rod for controversy, lauded by the right and reviled by many on the left. He was shot and killed last Wednesday during a university speaking event in Utah.
On the podcast, Vance paid tribute to his longtime ally and friend:
“He was the smartest political operative I ever met. A critical part of getting Donald Trump elected as president, getting me elected as vice president, and so much of our success over the last seven months is due to his efforts.”
Despite the outpouring of grief from Trump’s inner circle, civil rights advocates are sounding alarms.
“The rhetoric of ‘terror networks’ without hard evidence is extremely dangerous,” said one watchdog group, pointing to past examples where anti-protest laws were used to surveil or detain peaceful activists.
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