Progressives Fear Backlash in Wake of Activist's Murder

[Webster]

(The Guardian) Progressive groups fear ‘McCarthy era’ attacks in wake of Charlie Kirk shooting
The president, vice-president and members of Congress have begun calling for the government to investigate progressive organizations in the wake of the Charlie Kirk murder, in terms those targeted say are reminiscent of the House Un-American Activities Committee and the “red scare” of the 1950s.

Donald Trump, speaking to Fox & Friends on Friday, presented “vicious and horrible” radicals on the left of US politics as a roadblock to the country coming together politically after the shooting. On Sunday, he amplified his attack on political enemies by declaring that “a lot of people that you would traditionally say are on the left … [are] already under investigation”.

The posture is being echoed by members of his administration. “With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the DoJ, Homeland Security, and throughout this government, to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks,” said Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, speaking to Vice-President JD Vance while Vance guest-hosted Kirk’s podcast Monday. “We will do it in Charlie’s name.”

The day after Kirk’s murder, 22 members of the House freedom caucus sent a letter to the House speaker, asking for the creation of a select committee on “the money, influence, and power behind the radical left’s assault on America and the rule of law”.

The letter, echoing commentary from the president and the right, contends that Kirk’s murder is of a pattern of “coordinated attack” by “NGOs, donors, media, public officials” and others, attempting to tie together widely distinct incidents , from the February 2024 murder of Georgia college student Laken Riley to the killing last month of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte.

None of the organizations in the letter, nor other prominent organizations on the political left, said they had been contacted by federal law enforcement or Congress in the wake of the Kirk killing. Some, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) or the Open Society Foundations – an organization closely associated with financier George Soros – have been through rounds of rightwing congressional inquiry during Trump’s first term.

Progressive groups fear ‘McCarthy era’ attacks in wake of Charlie Kirk shooting

Advocacy groups say Trump and allies’ calls for investigations represent attempt to ‘quash dissent’

www.theguardian.com

 

[gwolf666]

The aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder is taking a sharp political turn, and the language being used feels like a throwback to one of the darkest periods in American political history. The calls from Trump, his administration, and members of Congress to investigate progressive groups in sweeping, generalized terms are alarming. Comparing this to the McCarthy era and the “red scare” is not an exaggeration back then, accusations were often enough to ruin reputations, careers, and lives, regardless of evidence. It was about silencing dissent, not justice.
While the grief and anger over Kirk’s death are understandable, tying it directly to progressive organizations without clear proof risks weaponizing a tragedy for political gain. When leaders start talking about “dismantling” and “destroying” entire networks of political opponents, it becomes less about security and more about consolidating power. History has shown us how dangerous it is when governments blur the line between legitimate threats and ideological opposition.