President Donald Trump appeared on Fox & Friends on September 12, 2025, two days after right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk‘s assassination in Utah. And rather than take the opportunity to deliver a message of unity to an ideologically divided country, Trump blamed the “radical left” more so than the “radical right” for the country’s problems.
Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt left the door open for the president to cross party lines when she asked, “What do we do about our country? We have radicals on the right and left. People are watching videos and cheering; some people are cheering that Charlie was killed. How do we fix this country? How do we come back together?”
“Something that is going to get me in trouble”
EARHARDT: We have radicals on the right as well. How do we fix this country?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 12, 2025
TRUMP: I'll tell you something that's gonna get me in trouble but I couldn't care less. The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime. The radicals on the left… pic.twitter.com/snOESz3x5a
Trump responded to Earhardt, “I tell you something that is going to get me in trouble, but I couldn’t care less. Radicals on the right are radical because they don’t want to see crime.”
Referring to the “radical right,” he added, “We don’t want people coming in, we don’t want you burning our shopping centers, shooting our people in the street. Radicals on the left are the problem, and they are vicious and horrible and politically savvy. They want men in women’s sports, they want transgender for everyone — open borders. Worst thing that happened to this country.”
Trump’s remarks on Fox & Friends came the day after authorities arrested Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, in connection with Kirk’s assassination.
Reports say Robinson allegedly confessed or implied his involvement to a family member, leading to a tip-off to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities apprehended him in Washington County, approximately 250 miles from Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, where authorities say Robinson shot and killed Kirk.
Surveillance footage and messages from Robinson’s roommate provided further evidence linking him to the crime. Robinson faces charges including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice. Police allegedly found bullets engraved with anti-fascist and meme-culture messaging at the scene, a detail that further links the suspect to a specific political ideology. Authorities, however, have not determined a clear motive.
Before this Fox News appearance, Trump’s response to Kirk’s killing had sparked significant controversy. While condemning the act as a political assassination and pledging to investigate organizations allegedly supporting political violence, Trump also stated that the U.S. needs to “beat the hell out of radical left lunatics,” attributing the incident to left-wing extremism without providing evidence. He also announced that he would posthumously award Kirk the Medal of Freedom and directed that flags be flown at half-staff to honor him.
