CNN claims Trump is to blame for lack of ‘unity’ after assassination of his friend Charlie Kirk

In coverage this week, CNN suggested that Trump missed his opportunity to lower the political temperature, “When it comes from the White House, this idea that there would be some sort of call for unity, some call to tone down the temperature, that moment has passed,” White House CNN correspondent Kristen Holmes said. “It is clear President Trump will continue to blame the left.” The man who has been charged with Kirk's murder was a leftist who had scrawled leftist messages on the bullet he used to fire at Kirk.

The comments came despite CNN’s own years-long record of hostile coverage toward Trump and Republicans. Prior to the attempt on Trump's life, the outlet ran an article titled “Trump’s Extreme Rhetoric Conjures The Prospect of A Presidency Like No Other," a piece that sums up the network’s practice of amplifying division and demonizing Trump.

Trump, in a phone interview with NBC over the weekend, said he wanted the nation to heal but pointed to “radical left lunatics” as the source of much of the violence.

Asked by reporters if investigations were underway into extremist groups, Trump replied, “The problem we have is on the left… If you look at the scum that speaks so badly of our country, the American flag burnings all over the place, that’s the left, that’s not the right. They’re already under investigation. They’re already under major investigation. A lot of the people that you would traditionally say were on the left.”

The White House continues to send its tributes to Kirk after his assassination. Vice President JD Vance honored Kirk by hosting a memorial discussion and full episode of The Charlie Kirk Show on Monday.