On the evening of September 11, 2001, after evacuating the Capitol due to the threat of a hijacked plane, members of Congress united on the steps of the building. It was quite a moment for those who care about this country.
Senators stood alongside representatives, Republicans alongside Democrats. After a solemn prayer and moment of silence, they spontaneously began singing “God Bless America.” It was powerful, really—a clear message of unity amidst adversity. It reminded us that, despite our differences, we come together as Americans during tough times.
The recent killing of political activist Charlie Kirk could serve as a similar moment of significance. His tragic death—a young father with a wife and two daughters—occurred simply for exercising his right to free speech. Kirk’s murder is part of a disturbing trend of political violence that’s been growing.
This violence isn’t selective; it targets politicians across the spectrum. We remember Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) attacked in 2011 and Paul Pelosi assaulted at home in 2022, not to mention the foiled kidnapping plot against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. Just this past April, an arsonist was suspected of targeting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. In a similar vein, Minnesota Sen. Melissa Hortman and her husband were victims in their home.
Of course, the right has faced its own share of violence, like in 2017 when a gunman attacked Republicans during a baseball practice, resulting in Sen. Steve Scalise (R-La.) being shot. There were also two assassination attempts on Donald Trump before Kirk’s shooting in 2024.
This moment might have been a chance for all of us—Democrats and Republicans—to declare that the cycle of political violence needs to end. We should agree that no political disagreement justifies resorting to violence. It’s crucial that we tone down our rhetoric and avoid giving anyone the impression that violence is acceptable.
Sadly, that isn’t quite what happened. While many leaders from both parties condemned Kirk’s assassination, some prominent conservative voices used it as a platform to spread more political divisiveness. “Left political violence must stop now,” tweeted Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) even before the suspect was identified. Elon Musk remarked on social media before the perpetrator’s identity was revealed, and other right-wing commentators echoed similar sentiments, suggesting a pervasive threat.
In the aftermath of Kirk’s murder, it’s alarming to see how quickly Trump labeled it the doing of a “radical left madman,” condemning the left as responsible for current societal violence. He even ordered an investigation into leftist organizations that he claims promote violence while downplaying any threats from the right.
At one point, Trump suggested that the response to Kirk’s murder should be aggressive, coming from a man who often characterizes his political adversaries in extreme terms. There’s a strong sense that he’s using this tragedy to strengthen his political agenda against opponents. As law enforcement continued to pursue the suspected killer, Trump aimed his ire at liberal philanthropist George Soros, calling for him to be restrained from financing violence.
This rift in our country runs deep, and the president should be working to calm tensions. Instead, it seems Trump is fanning the flames.
