"It took only a few hours after the shooting of Charlie Kirk for President Donald Trump to go from urging retribution against the "radical far left" to flogging his new White House ballroom on national TV."
"They unanimously agree that the livestream killing of the 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder in Utah on Wednesday has the potential to unleash a wave of further violence - especially if the White House essentially gives the green light for reprisals. A lack of focused attention, though, might inadvertently serve to lower the temperature in the country."
""If you would've asked me six months ago, I would've been much more optimistic about the risk of political violence to our country. Today, I think we are at an inflection point, potentially, where we can come together or we can further divide," says Sean Westwood, an associate professor in the Department of Government at Dartmouth College and the director of the Polarization Research Lab. "Unfortunately, because of a lot of the messaging that's coming through social media, and from leaders like Trump ... we're being nudged toward greater division.""
President Donald Trump quickly shifted from urging retribution against the "radical far left" to promoting his White House ballroom on national television. Experts warn the livestream killing of 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in Utah could unleash further violence, particularly if the White House appears to green-light reprisals. A lack of focused attention might reduce tensions and lower the temperature nationally. Sean Westwood describes an inflection point in which messaging on social media and from leaders is nudging the country toward greater division. The killing fits a trend of lone‑wolf violence without clear organizational backing.
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