Today's News: Trump Team Threatens Retaliation on Liberal Groups for Kirk Assassination
Administration officials vow to use federal resources, including the DOF and Homeland Security, to identify, disrupt, and dismantle what they describe as leftist “domestic terror networks.”
Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP
Overview
Date: September 15, 2025
Summary: The Trump administration, led by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Stephen Miller, has launched a campaign to blame the “radical left” for political violence and to initiate a broad crackdown on liberal organizations. Administration officials vow to use federal resources, including the Department of Justice and Homeland Security, to identify, disrupt, and dismantle what they describe as “domestic terror networks” and “institutions that promote violence,” often in Kirk’s name. They are considering actions such as revoking tax-exempt status for liberal groups and applying anti-corruption laws, despite warnings about the lack of evidence and potential for political weaponization.
Sources
The New York Times - White House Plans Broad Crackdown on Liberal Groups
CNN - Trump’s cherry-picked claims on political violence ignore his own rhetoric
NBC News - ‘We will do it in Charlie’s name’: Stephen Miller vows vengeance for Kirk’s murder
The Washington Post - JD Vance vows retribution on liberal institutions after Charlie Kirk killing
The Wall Street Journal - Trump Advisers Prepare to Target Left-Leaning Groups After Kirk Shooting
The Guardian - JD Vance threatens crackdown on ‘far-left’ groups after Charlie Kirk shooting
Note: Fox News is running multiple stories focused on specific individuals targeted for speaking out or posting on social media about Charlie Kirk, but did not appear to publish any story about messaging directly from administration members.
Key Points
Blame on the Left: President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Stephen Miller are uniformly blaming the “radical left” or “far left” for Charlie Kirk’s assassination and for political violence in the United States, asserting it is not a “both-sides problem.”
Crackdown on Liberal Groups: A central theme is the administration’s plan to initiate a broad crackdown on liberal organizations. This includes using federal resources (Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security) to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy what they refer to as “domestic terror networks” or “institutions that promote violence.”
Targeting Tax-Exempt Status and Funding: Multiple articles report that the administration is considering reviewing and potentially revoking the tax-exempt status of left-leaning nonprofit groups and investigating who is funding them. George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation are specifically named as targets by Vice President Vance.
Use of Kirk’s Legacy: The administration is explicitly using Charlie Kirk’s assassination to galvanize political momentum and justify these actions, with officials like Stephen Miller vowing to act “in Charlie’s name.” Vice President Vance hosted Kirk’s podcast from a White House office, and President Trump and other officials plan to attend Kirk’s funeral.
Call to Action for Supporters: Vice President Vance and other officials are encouraging supporters to actively respond to Kirk’s death, including calling out and contacting the employers of individuals who celebrate his murder, and getting involved in organizations like Turning Point USA.
Rhetoric and Political Violence: The administration is amplifying a law-and-order focus and highlighting what it perceives as violent rhetoric from political opponents, while often downplaying or excusing violence from the right.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times highlights intelligence official John Cohen’s statement that the administration’s claims about a coordinated left-wing network are unsubstantiated and made before the investigation into Kirk’s assassination was complete, warning against policing thought.
CNN provides an extensive list of recent violent political episodes targeting Democratic figures or perpetrated by individuals with right-wing affiliations, including the shooting of Minnesota state lawmakers, an arson attempt at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home, the Paul Pelosi attack, and the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. It also details specific instances of President Trump’s own conspicuously violent rhetoric, such as musing about Liz Cheney being fired upon and praising a congressman who assaulted a reporter.
NBC News cites specific figures from a YouGov survey conducted after Kirk’s assassination: 24% of “very liberal” respondents found it “always” or “usually” acceptable to be happy about a political figure’s death (compared to 3% “very conservative”), and 26% of liberals aged 18-44 said political violence can sometimes be justified. It also reports FBI Director Kash Patel stating that the suspect’s actions were premeditated and based on left-leaning beliefs.
The Washington Post details the Ford Foundation’s past grant to The Nation ($100,000 in 2019 for an internship program) and the fact that The Nation and Open Society Foundations deny receiving money from these groups in the past five years. It also elaborates on Vice President Vance’s potential political motivation to solidify his position as Kirk’s political heir for the 2028 Republican nomination.
The Wall Street Journal mentions a bullet casing recovered from the rifle allegedly used by the shooter had an inscription carved into it that read, “Hey fascist! Catch!” It also highlights the timing of these actions ahead of the midterm elections, with Republicans focusing on crime and Democrats on the economy.
The Guardian details Stephen Miller’s description of the “vast domestic terror movement” as involving “organized doxing campaigns, the organized riots, the organized street violence, the organized campaigns of dehumanization, vilification, posting people’s addresses, combining that with messaging designed to trigger, incite violence, and the actual organized cells that carry out and facilitate the violence.” It also includes Robert F Kennedy Jr. calling Kirk a “spiritual soulmate” and crediting Kirk for his role as Health Secretary.
Contrasting Details
Motive of the Shooter: While The New York Times and The Washington Post state that the motive for Kirk’s killing remains unclear, with Utah Governor Spencer Cox saying the suspect had a “leftist ideology” but acted alone, NBC News reports FBI Director Kash Patel stating that the suspect’s actions were premeditated and based on his political, left-leaning beliefs. The Guardian notes that the political leanings of the shooter are not yet clear, despite right-wing figures declaring war on the left.
Evidence of a “Network”: The New York Times states that the White House made “broad and unsubstantiated claims” about a left-wing network funding and inciting violence, and intelligence official John Cohen noted the administration’s claims came before the investigation was complete. The Guardian explicitly states there is “no evidence of a network supporting the shooter, and Miller did not provide substantiation of his claims that there is a ‘vast domestic terror movement’ at play.” In contrast, Stephen Miller, as quoted by The New York Times, NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian, speaks with certainty about a “vast domestic terror movement” and vows to “identify, disrupt, eliminate and destroy this network.”
Funding for The Nation: Vice President JD Vance, as reported by NBC News, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, accused George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation of funding The Nation magazine, specifically a “disgusting article” or “smear” that he claimed justified Kirk’s death. However, The Washington Post clarifies that the Ford Foundation provided a $100,000 grant in 2019 for an internship program but not since, and Bhaskar Sunkara (President of The Nation) and a spokesperson for Open Society Foundations explicitly stated that the publication had never received funds from Open Society Foundations, and OSF condemned the accusations.
Acknowledgement of Political Violence Across the Spectrum: The New York Times notes that America has seen a “wave of violence across the political spectrum, targeting Democrats and Republicans.” CNN directly refutes the administration’s “not a both-sides problem” narrative by providing numerous examples of recent violence targeting Democrats and perpetrated by right-wing individuals. In contrast, Vice President JD Vance, as quoted by NBC News, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, repeatedly asserts that political violence is “not a both-sides problem” and that the left has a “much bigger and malignant problem.” The Washington Post specifically highlights that Vance did not mention attacks on Democrats (e.g., Paul Pelosi, Josh Shapiro, Melissa Hortman) when citing examples of political violence.
Trump’s Familiarity with Hortman’s Assassination: CNN reports that when asked about the assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman three months prior, President Trump initially indicated he was “not familiar” with it. The Washington Post corroborates this, stating Trump was “not familiar” with Hortman and only said he would have ordered flags lowered if Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had asked him to, contrasting with the honors given to Kirk.
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