President Donald Trump sparked outrage online after giving an address from the Oval Office following conservative activist Charlie Kirk's murder on Wednesday
Trump blamed Democrats for Kirk's murder in the address, accusing them of comparing "wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals." Trump also did not mention recent incidents of right-wing sympathizers attacking Democrats in his call to end political violence.
"This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now," Trump said.
Political commentators and analysts responded to Trump's claims on social media.
"What an absolutely disgusting speech from the Oval Office," Republicans Against Trump posted on X. "Trump is truly incapable of uniting the American people, even in times of tragedy. Disgraceful."
"In his Oval Office address on political violence, Trump lists the attempt on his life, the Scalise shooting, and attacks on ICE agents," Max Berger, co-founder of the Momentum Training Institute, posted on Bluesky. "He does not mention Jan 6th, the attack on the Pelosi family, the Hortman murders, the kidnapping attempt on Gretchen Whitmer, or the fire at Gov Shapiro’s house."
"The issue is primarily gun violence, not political violence," Alan Eyre, distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute, posted on X. "Every country has political factions, but only the US has this many deaths by guns."
"Charlie Kirk was defending political violence committed by Israel & white fundamentalist of USA," political analyst Vikas Sai posted on X. "He became a victim of the same."
"Trump lying in an Oval Office address that Charlie Kirk’s killing was caused by people comparing him and his organization to Nazis—lying because he has no idea, but declared it anyway—pairs interestingly with some prominent Trump fans saying they hope this can be their Reichstag Fire," Nicholas Grossman, international relations professor at the University of Illinois, posted on Bluesky.