‘YOU Caused This’: Obama Blasted for Tone-Deaf Response to Charlie Kirk Assassination
Former President Barack Obama is under fire for what many on the Right are calling a dismissive and hollow response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA.
Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University in what authorities have now described as a “targeted attack.” Yet, instead of addressing the climate of hatred and demonization against conservatives, Obama offered a carefully worded message on X that many saw as an attempt to downplay the tragedy.
“We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children,” Obama wrote.
Critics quickly slammed the former president, calling his message tone-deaf and hypocritical given years of incendiary rhetoric from Democrats equating conservatives with Nazis and fascists.
During an appearance on Fox News, Outkick founder Clay Travis directly accused Obama and the Left of fueling the kind of political environment that inspired the attack.
“You can’t call the president of the United States Adolf Hitler for 10 years, and you can’t say that he’s a fascist dictator,” Travis said, responding angrily to the statement.
“You cannot say that anyone who voted for Trump or advocated for him like you, me, Riley, and Charlie Kirk are Nazis, and then when someone tries to kill us, suddenly say, ‘Oh, we condemn this violence.’ You caused it!”
Travis’ voice rose as he pointed straight ahead in the Fox studio:
“Look at me right now! You caused this! When you tell people that someone is Hitler, you are telling crazy people: Go kill them. And I am sick of pretending that is anything other than what they are doing.”
He added, “This is what they do. This left-wing violence, it’s out of control, and Charlie Kirk bore the brunt of that left-wing violence.”
Democrats, however, were quick to deflect responsibility. When asked whether her party’s rhetoric played a role, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) scoffed, “Oh, please. Why don’t you start with the President of the United States?”
Meanwhile, law enforcement continues its search for the suspect. Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason described the attack as premeditated, noting that the shooter—dressed in dark clothing—appeared to have fired from the roof of a building overlooking the student courtyard.
The FBI is leading the investigation and has urged the public to submit any videos or photos that could aid in identifying the killer. Director Kash Patel confirmed that the Bureau is “in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”
President Donald Trump released a video statement condemning the assassination and placing the blame where it belongs—on years of Left-wing demonization of conservatives.
“It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree,” Trump said.
“For years, those on the radical Left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”
Charlie Kirk dedicated his life to empowering young conservatives to speak boldly in defense of America’s founding values. His murder has left the conservative movement in mourning—yet also more determined than ever to expose the toxic rhetoric fueling left-wing violence in the United States.