The White House has ramped up its vow for vengeance in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, with deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller promising to bring the resources of the federal government to bear against what he described as “terrorist networks.”
Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, argued that those identifying as liberals were largely to blame for political violence and endorsed efforts to shame and make job trouble for those publicly cheering Kirk’s death.
Their comments came Monday during an episode of Kirk’s namesake podcast, which Vance hosted from his ceremonial office at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
“It is a vast domestic terror movement,” said Miller, speaking of left-wing political organizations.
“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,” he added. “It will happen, and we will do it in Charlie’s name.”
Vance, who counted Kirk as a close friend and credited him Monday for his ascendance to the vice presidency, said he is “desperate” for unity. He also said he believes it’s impossible without pushing back on left-leaning individuals and groups that he described as being more supportive and condoning of political violence.
“When you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out,” Vance added. “And, hell, call their employer. We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility, and there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination.”
Vance cited numbers from a YouGov survey, conducted after Kirk’s assassination, in which 24% of respondents who described themselves as “very liberal” said it was “always” or “usually” acceptable to be happy about the death of a political figure they oppose. Only 3% of those who described themselves as “very conservative” answered that way.
In the same survey, 26% of liberals from the ages of 18 to 44 said political violence can sometimes be justified. (Some academic research has cast doubt on whether eye-catching opinion surveys are accurately capturing true levels of support for political violence.)
“This is not a both-sides problem,” Vance said. “If both sides have a problem, one side has a much bigger and malignant problem, and that is the truth we must be told.”
He added, a moment later: “While our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the far left.”
Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested and faces charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice in connection with last Wednesday’s shooting in Utah. Full details about a motive are not yet known, though FBI Director Kash Patel said in a Fox News interview Monday that Robinson’s actions were premeditated and based on his political, left-leaning beliefs.
Vance at one point aimed his ire The Nation, a progressive magazine that he accused of falsely smearing Kirk after his death. Vance also, as Trump has done in recent days, singled out George Soros, the 95-year-old Democratic megadonor and the founder of the Open Society Foundations, which he said has helped fund The Nation.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the magazine said that it has “never received funding from George Soros” or the Open Society Foundations. The spokesperson also said that the magazine stands by the article Vance attacked but that it has “clarified the phrasing of a quote by Kirk that Vice President Vance referenced.”
A spokesperson for the Open Society Foundations said the organization has “unequivocally condemned the horrific murder of Charlie Kirk.”
“We oppose all forms of violence and condemn the outrageous accusations to the contrary,” the spokesperson added. “Our work is entirely peaceful and lawful. It is disgraceful to use this tragedy for political ends to dangerously divide Americans and attack the First Amendment.”
At one point during Monday’s two-hour podcast, Vance spoke of the intimidation that he said a senior White House staffer who was friends with Kirk had faced since the assassination: “left-leaning” operatives circulating leaflets and encouraging the staffer’s neighbors to “harass him, or, God forbid, to do worse.”
“While he was mourning his dead friend, he and his wife had to worry about the political terrorists drawing a big target on the home he shares with his young children,” Vance said. “Are these people violent? I hope not, but are they guilty of encouraging violence? You damn well better believe it.”
Besides Miller, other guests during the program included White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Tucker Carlson, the conservative commentator who is also close with Trump and Vance. All hailed Kirk as a transformative figure in Republican politics. Some were milder in their interpretations of what his legacy should yield.
“I think it’s our mission to go out there and embolden young conservatives — young Christians, most importantly — to go out there and continue to do his work, because it’s exactly what he would want,” Kaelan Dorr, the deputy White House communications director, told Vance. “He would want you to go find five people who don’t believe in Jesus that day and give them a good lecturing, and walk them through everything in a way that is respectful and is, you know, grounded in fact. And I don’t know how we replace that, but I think the energy that I’m seeing amongst people is just palpable.”
Vance made several overtures to the many Democrats that he acknowledged do not condone such tactics or violence.
“Now I have heard many calls in the last few days for unity and for healing in the wake of Charlie’s assassination,” he said. “You have no idea how desperately I want that, how gratified I was when Democratic friends and even former Senate colleagues reached out to offer their condolences to me. I’m so thankful, and I know there are so many like them all across our great country. I am desperate to wrap my arms around them, as we all unite to condemn political violence and the ideas that cause it.”
Vance also called on the same people he urged to target those celebrating Kirk’s death to get involved in Turning Point USA, the political organization Kirk leaves behind.
“It’s the best way to honor Charlie’s legacy,” Vance said. “Start a chapter of TPUSA, or get involved in the one that already exists. If you’re older, volunteer for your local party, write an op-ed in your local paper, run for office.”
“I can’t promise you this is going to be easy,” Vance added. “Can’t promise you that all of us will avoid Charlie’s fate. Can’t promise you that I will avoid Charlie’s fate. But the way to honor him is to shine the light of truth like a torch in the very darkest places.”
