The horrendous killing of the far-right activist Charlie Kirk has been met with calming, statesman-like responses on both sides of the political aisle. But it has also demonstrated yet again the fundamental asymmetry of contemporary American politics.
Many prominent figures on the right, all the way up to U.S. President Donald Trump, have called for nothing less than retribution against the “radical left” — even at a time when there was an absence of information about the killer and his motivation.
Trump has been signaling for a decade or so that political violence committed by his supporters is acceptable and might even be rewarded. Those he pardoned for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol included many convicted of violent crimes. But Trump and many of his acolytes frame such conduct not as violence, but as legitimate, even patriotic, self-defense; like other right-wing populists, they portray themselves as perpetual victims.
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