Antifa to Be Labeled Terror Organization

However, Democrats have accused Trump and his allies of trying to exploit Kirk’s death, using it as a pretext to launch attacks on political opponents and consolidate power.

Speaking on a memorial edition of The Charlie Kirk Show – hosted by JD Vance, the vice-president – Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, vowed to “disrupt, dismantle and destroy” Left-wing groups that organise political violence

“We are going to channel all of the anger that we have over the organised campaign that led to this assassination, to uproot and dismantle these terrorist networks,” he said.

“With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the department of justice, homeland security, and throughout this government, to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks and make America safe again for the American people.

“It will happen and we will do it in Charlie’s name.”

Vance said national unity was “impossible” with those who are celebrating Kirk’s death.

“I’m desperate for our country to be united in condemnation of the actions and the ideas that killed my friend,” he said on the programme, which was broadcast from the White House.

“I want it so badly that I will tell you a difficult truth. We can only have it with people who acknowledge that political violence is unacceptable.”

‘Pretext to destroy political opposition’

Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator, raised concerns that the Trump administration was using the assassination to crack down on its critics.

He said in a video posted online that Trump could have taken the opportunity to “confront political violence”.

Instead, he said, the US president “appears to be preparing to use the shooting as a pretext to destroy his political opposition and consolidate power”.

Murphy said: “Maga just sees this as an opportunity to do what they’ve always wanted to do: use the legal system that they control to destroy opposition to Trump so that he and his allies can rule uncontested.”