President Donald Trump has ignited a fresh wave of controversy following remarks made during a nearly hour-long appearance on Fox News, where he appeared to excuse right-wing extremism while laying the blame for political violence squarely at the feet of the so-called "radical left." The comments, made on September 12, 2025, have drawn sharp reactions from political observers, law enforcement experts, and both Democratic and Republican leaders as the nation grapples with a recent surge in high-profile acts of violence targeting public figures across the political spectrum.
"The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don’t want to see crime. They don’t want to see crime," Trump said in response to a question about what his administration was doing to curb extremism from both sides. "They’re saying, ‘We don’t want these people coming here. And we don’t want you burning our shopping centers. We don’t want you shooting our people in the middle of the street,’" he added, alluding to recent instances of right-wing vigilantism. According to The New York Times, Trump continued, "The radicals on the left are the problem, and they’re vicious and they’re horrible and they’re politically savvy."
The interview came on the heels of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which shocked the nation and prompted a swift response from law enforcement. The FBI and the governor of Utah announced the arrest of a suspect in Kirk’s killing, stating that all preliminary indications suggested the suspect acted alone. Despite this, Trump was quick to attribute the act to a broader climate of left-wing violence, telling Fox viewers that the "radical left" was responsible for much of the unrest plaguing the country. In an Oval Office address Thursday, Trump had already blamed "the radical left" for Kirk’s murder and what he termed "terrorism."
“For years those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” Trump said, according to Democracy Docket. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country.”
Trump’s tendency to downplay violence from the right, while emphasizing left-wing extremism, has become a hallmark of his rhetoric since returning to office. When pressed by Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt about extremists existing on both sides, Trump brushed off the suggestion: "I’ll tell you something that’s going to get me in trouble, but I couldn’t care less. The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don’t want to see crime." He doubled down on his assertion that the left represented the real threat, describing them as "vicious" and "politically savvy," and even invoking culture war flashpoints, claiming, "They want men in women’s sports. They want transgender for every one. They want open borders."
Luke Baumgartner, a research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, warned that Trump’s comments could embolden violent far-right radicals. "It seems like a blessing from the highest levels of government and the highest positions of power for vigilantes or those who are extremely upset about what happened to Charlie Kirk to go out and take some sort of vengeance or retribution on those that they see as responsible or implicit in what happened to him," Baumgartner said, as reported by Democracy Docket.
Political violence has been on the rise in the United States, affecting both Democratic and Republican figures. In addition to Kirk’s assassination, the country has witnessed the killing of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and the attempted assassination of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Authorities in both cases have indicated the suspects compiled lists of prominent Democratic lawmakers and advocates as potential targets. Yet, Trump’s recent comments and public statements have focused almost exclusively on violence against conservatives, omitting mention of attacks on Democrats.
Since the start of his second term, Trump has taken a series of steps that critics say reward right-wing violence and undermine the nation’s ability to track and prevent extremism. On his first day back in office, Trump granted clemency to every person charged or convicted for their actions during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including those convicted of violence against police officers. According to The New York Times, some of those pardoned have since been appointed to key positions within the federal government, including the Department of Justice.
In addition, the Trump administration has slashed funding for a national database designed to track domestic terrorism, hate crimes, and school shootings. Resources have also been shifted away from an FBI office tasked with monitoring threats posed by white supremacists and militia groups, further stoking concerns among law enforcement professionals and civil rights advocates.
Trump’s approach to political violence is not new. His comments during the recent Fox News interview echo his past reluctance to condemn right-wing extremists. During a 2020 presidential debate, Trump famously refused to denounce white supremacist and militia groups, instead framing unrest as a "left-wing" problem. In that debate, he told the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, to "stand back and stand by." After the deadly clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, Trump said there were "very fine people on both sides," a remark that sparked widespread outrage.
More recently, Trump has used the Kirk assassination to call for investigations into political opponents, a move that many see as an attempt to steer the Justice Department and FBI toward partisan ends. On September 11, 2025, he argued that George Soros, the 95-year-old philanthropist and frequent target of right-wing conspiracy theories, and his family should be investigated for "agitation." Soros has long been a major funder of liberal groups, making him a lightning rod for criticism from conservative circles.
Trump also took aim at former President Joe Biden, claiming Biden was unaware of what was happening in the country while "radical left" advisers took control. The president’s rhetoric has alarmed not only Democrats but also some Republicans, who fear that such divisive language could fuel further violence at a time when the nation is already on edge.
Despite his public calls for "nonviolence"—Trump told reporters, "we just have to beat the hell out of them," but later emphasized he wanted his supporters to respond to Kirk’s killing with nonviolence—critics argue that the president’s words send mixed signals. His repeated focus on left-wing violence, coupled with the excusing of right-wing extremism, has led to accusations that he is rewriting the narrative of political unrest in America.
In the nearly eight months since his inauguration, Trump and his allies have also sought to recast the events of January 6, 2021, granting pardons to almost all convicted individuals related to the Capitol riot and resisting calls for accountability, even for those who attacked law enforcement officers.
As America confronts the aftermath of yet another political assassination and a deeply polarized climate, the debate over the causes of political violence and the responsibility of national leaders to condemn it—no matter where it originates—shows no sign of abating. With Trump’s comments now echoing across the airwaves and social media, the question of how to foster unity and prevent further bloodshed remains as urgent as ever.
