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‘Page one of the authoritarian playbook’: how Trump and allies are exploiting Kirk’s killing
The Guardian ^ | Sat 11 Oct 2025 08.00 EDT | Peter Stone

Posted on 10/12/2025 9:53:22 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

The president and his Maga allies have used the rightwing influencer’s killing to justify attacks on critics, experts say

Donald Trump and Maga allies have capitalized on the killing of rightwing influencer Charlie Kirk to expand attacks on liberal groups, donors, Democrats, and others by tarring many critics as the “enemy within” and “radical left” in a move that legal scholars and historians call authoritarian and anti-democratic.

Kirk’s killing by a lone gunman spurred Trump and top allies to quickly launch conspiratorial charges against a bevy of political foes and an investigation of billionaire liberal donor George Soros. They also threatened legal action against TV network ABC after their late-night star Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension over clumsy comments about Kirk ended.

While Kirk’s murder was a big personal blow to Trump and allies, a month on from the shocking event it seems to have provided cover for a sprawling retribution drive by the president and Maga world that endangers civil liberties against an array of critics in the media, universities, non-profits and other parts of American civil society, say scholars.

At the memorial for the slain conservative leader right after Kirk’s widow movingly said she would “forgive” his killer, Trump angrily declared: “I hate my opponents and I don’t wish the best for them,” words that scholars viewed as unpresidential with the potential to fuel more violence.

Similarly, even before the suspect in Kirk’s murder was arrested, Trump posited that “radical left” language contributed to his death. He also pledged to go after those people responsible for the violence plus “organizations that fund it and support it… We have radical-left lunatics out there, and we just have to beat the hell out of them.”

Further, Trump’s escalating offensive against foes was palpable in his talk to hundreds of top military officials last...

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: astroturf; charliekirk; demagogicparty; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; guardian; guardiancrap; lyinglimeyliar; mediawingofthednc; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; peterstone; unitedkingdom
...words that scholars viewed as unpresidential with the potential to fuel more violence...

Obama on GOP: ‘If They Bring a Knife to the Fight, We Bring a Gun’

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Democrats told to "get shot" for the anti-Trump resistance

Democratic candidate’s ‘abhorrent’ texts threaten to shake up bellwether Virginia elections

1 posted on 10/12/2025 9:53:22 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Did they “pounce”?


2 posted on 10/12/2025 9:54:36 AM PDT by TigerClaws
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Quit killing conservatives and they won’t be able to ‘exploit’ the deaths.


3 posted on 10/12/2025 9:55:11 AM PDT by MMusson ( )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

From the country converting to isscam. Give US a break!!!


4 posted on 10/12/2025 9:56:25 AM PDT by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than having to WORK like the rest of US;-))
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Peter Stone at the Guardian makes the propaganda efforts of Goebeels seem amateurish by comparison.

Sudenly a cold blooded assassination of a conservative voice successfully reaching a new generation is just a pretext for a power grab.

Did Peter Stone ever write about the violence rhetoric that led to the assassination and deride it? No. Of course not. He has no journalistic integrity. He’s merely a shill for a cause and a very transparent one at that.


5 posted on 10/12/2025 9:57:03 AM PDT by WashingtonSource
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Peter Stone is a communist fed AI bot.

Hey Peter, go back and look at the gusher coming out of Charlies neck.

Red gold. Utah tea.

GFY


6 posted on 10/12/2025 9:58:02 AM PDT by WeaslesRippedMyFlesh
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To: TigerClaws

Kirk’s killing”

cute the sniveling little leftist children at The Guardian calling Charlie’s murder a “killing”.


7 posted on 10/12/2025 9:58:34 AM PDT by gibsonguy ( )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Drop dead sh*theads.


8 posted on 10/12/2025 9:59:52 AM PDT by Eli Kopter (ביחד ננצח הלב שלנו שבוי בעזה Together we will win, our heart is captive in Gaza.)
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To: MMusson

Peter should thank God that nobody started taking scalps in retaliation, as opposed to authoring such tripe


9 posted on 10/12/2025 10:00:29 AM PDT by mrmeyer (You can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him. Robert Heinlein)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Not buying your pitiful act, Guardian.
Never have.
Never will.


10 posted on 10/12/2025 10:02:47 AM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: MMusson

Does everyone remember the ‘killing’ of George Floyd. A world class POS if there ever was one. The left squeezed out maximum ‘exploitation’ over that one, didn’t they?


11 posted on 10/12/2025 10:03:15 AM PDT by fhayek
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

This is rich coming from people whose thinking leads them to believe that they should never let a crisis or tragedy go to waste. The telling thing is that nearly all the accusations that come from the left are because they had experienced or plan on experiencing it. They are always willing to stand upon someone’s downfall or life crisis to make themselves seem taller, purer and more important.


12 posted on 10/12/2025 10:10:43 AM PDT by grame (May you know more of the love of God Almighty this day!)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; BraveMan; cardinal4; ...

13 posted on 10/12/2025 10:19:43 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (NeverTrumpin' -- it's not just for DNC shills anymore -- oh, wait, yeah it is.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I think the Guardian should worry more about the 7th Century that is quickly reappearing outside it’s windows.


14 posted on 10/12/2025 10:34:42 AM PDT by servo1969
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To: TigerClaws

Even worse, they “escalated”.


15 posted on 10/12/2025 10:35:02 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (NeverTrumpin' -- it's not just for DNC shills anymore -- oh, wait, yeah it is.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Also, “killing” is funny way to spell assassination.


16 posted on 10/12/2025 10:36:30 AM PDT by servo1969
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The Guardian has always been far-left trash, but they used to stick more to their British business, I think. With the UK on the verge of collapse, I guess maybe they think they will cover the US?


17 posted on 10/12/2025 12:44:37 PM PDT by Cincinnatus.45-70 (What do DemocRats enjoy more than a truckload of dead babies? Unloading them with a pitchfork!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Bkmk


18 posted on 10/12/2025 3:05:43 PM PDT by sauropod
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