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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Peter Stone in Washington

‘Page one of the authoritarian playbook’: how Trump and allies are exploiting Kirk’s killing

a person holds a sign that reads 'never surrender remember Charlie Kirk'
A memorial for Charlie Kirk in Glendale, Arizona, United States, on 21 September 2025. Photograph: Jon Putnam/Anadolu via Getty Images

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.

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