The US faces a "tipping point" after Kirk's murder **** after the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and President Donald Trump is further dividing the country instead of working to unite the nation, former President Barack Obama said, quoted by the Associated Press and BTA.
There is no doubt that "the basic premise of our democratic system is that we should be able to disagree and sometimes have really heated debates without resorting to violence", Obama said last night during an event in Erie, Pennsylvania, organized by the "Jefferson Education Society".
"And when that happens to someone, even if you think they are, quote, "on the other side of the argument", it is a threat to all of us," he said. "We all need to be clear and unequivocal in our condemnation of him".
Obama has not attracted much public attention since the end of his presidential term. In response to questions from the moderator last night, he commented on Trump's statements after the murder of Kirk, as well as other administrative actions. The Democratic ex-president emphasized that, in his opinion, the role of the US president in a crisis is "to constantly remind us of the bonds that unite us".
At the same time, the mood after the murder of Kirk among Trump and his associates, who call their political opponents "pests, enemies... speaks to a broader problem," Obama emphasized.
Kirk was a leading figure in conservative politics. He became a confidant of Trump after founding an Arizona-based political organization, one of the largest in the country. After his assassination, the US president has stepped up his threats to crack down on the "radical left", raising concerns that his Republican administration is trying to use the outrage over the killing to suppress political opposition.
The White House responded to Obama's comments by blaming him for the hostility in the country, calling him "the architect of modern political division in America".
"Obama took every opportunity to sow division and pit Americans against each other, and since his presidency, more Americans have believed that Obama has divided our country than he has united it," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement.
The former president also cited the recent deployment of National Guard troops to Washington and background checks by federal agents in Los Angeles. He urged citizens and elected officials to be wary of government decisions that violate norms.
There is a sense that "a lot of the constraints and norms that I thought I had to abide by as president of the United States, that George W. Bush thought he had to abide by as president of the United States, suddenly no longer apply," Obama warned. "And that makes this a dangerous moment."