Obama says the U.S. is at 鈥榓n inflection point鈥 after Kirk鈥檚 killing and Trump has divided the country
The sentiment among Trump and his aides following Kirk’s assassination of calling political opponents “vermin, enemies 鈥 speaks to a broader problem,” Obama said.
Former President Barack Obama says that the United States is at 鈥渁n inflection point鈥 following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and that President Donald Trump has further divided the country rather than work to bring people together.
鈥淭here are no ifs, ands or buts about it: The central premise of our democratic system is that we have to be able to disagree and have sometimes really contentious debates without resorting to violence,鈥 Obama said Tuesday night during an event in Erie, Pennsylvania, hosted by the Jefferson Education Society, according to a transcript obtained by The Associated Press.
鈥淎nd when it happens to some, but even if you think they鈥檙e, quote, unquote, on the other side of the argument, that鈥檚 a threat to all of us,” he said. “And we have to be clear and forthright in condemning them.鈥
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Obama has kept somewhat of a low profile in his post-presidency. Responding to a moderator’s questions Tuesday, he addressed after Kirk’s assassination, as well as other administrative actions.
The Democrat spoke about following the 2015 slaying of nine Black parishioners at a Charleston, South Carolina, church, as well as Republican then-President actions following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He said he sees the role of a president in a crisis 鈥渢o constantly remind us of the ties that bind us together.”
The sentiment among Trump and his aides following Kirk’s killing of calling political opponents “vermin, enemies 鈥 speaks to a broader problem,” Obama said.
Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation鈥檚 . Trump has to crack down on what he describes as the 鈥渞adical left鈥 following Kirk鈥檚 assassination, stirring fears his Republican administration is trying to harness outrage over the killing to suppress political opposition.
Trump’s White House on Wednesday responded to Obama’s remarks by blaming him for animosity in the country, calling him 鈥渢he architect of modern political division in America.鈥
鈥淥bama used every opportunity to sow division and pit Americans against each other, and following his presidency more Americans felt Obama divided the country than felt he united it,鈥 White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement.
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Obama on Tuesday also referenced in Washington and ID checks by federal agents in Los Angeles. He urged citizens and elected officials to closely monitor the norm-busting decisions.
鈥淲hat you鈥檙e seeing, I think, is the sense that through executive power, many of the guardrails and norms that I thought I had to abide by as president of the United States, that George Bush thought he had to abide by as president of the United States, that suddenly those no longer apply,鈥 Obama said. 鈥淎nd that makes this a dangerous moment.鈥
Shortly after Kirk鈥檚 death, Obama wrote in a post on X that he and his wife, Michelle, were praying for Kirk鈥檚 family, adding: 鈥淭his kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy.鈥
Obama said that he disagreed with many of Kirk鈥檚 stances, noting that his position 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 negate the fact that what happened was a tragedy and that I mourn for him and his family.鈥
Calling 鈥渁nathema to what it means to be a democratic country,鈥 Obama also mentioned the June of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home.
Obama also applauded Utah Gov. Spencer Cox鈥檚 in leading the public response to Kirk鈥檚 killing. Obama said that while he and the Republican governor 鈥渄isagree on a whole bunch of stuff,鈥 Cox’s messaging around how to respond to Kirk鈥檚 death shows 鈥渢hat it is possible for us to disagree while abiding by a basic code of how we should engage in public debate.鈥
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Just before Obama spoke, the 22-year-old suspect arrested in Kirk鈥檚 killing on . According to court documents released Tuesday, as authorities sought the person who had shot and killed Kirk at Utah Valley University last week, texted with his partner, . A judge said he would appoint an attorney to represent Robinson, whose family has declined to comment to The Associated Press.
