Obama Calls Charlie Kirk’s Death ‘Horrific’, Blames Trump for Dividing America
Former President Barack Obama addressed the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Tuesday night, calling the killing “horrific and a tragedy” — while using the moment to accuse President Donald Trump of fueling political division in the country.
Speaking at the Jefferson Educational Society’s annual global summit in Erie, Pennsylvania, Obama acknowledged the gravity of the moment but quickly pivoted to place blame on what he called an unprecedented political crisis in the United States.
Obama Offers Condolences, Then Blames Trump
“Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, what happened to Charlie Kirk was horrific and a tragedy,” Obama said. “Obviously I didn’t know Charlie Kirk. I was generally aware of some of his ideas. I think those ideas were wrong, but that doesn’t negate the fact that what happened was a tragedy and that I mourn for him and his family.”
Though he did not mention Trump by name, Obama went on to accuse the current administration of “putting the weight of the United States government behind extremist views,” suggesting that the White House has played a role in escalating tensions.
White House Fires Back: Obama ‘Architect of Division’
The Trump White House issued a pointed response, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson slamming Obama as “the architect of modern political division in America.”
“Barack Hussein Obama is the architect of modern political division in America — famously demeaning millions of patriotic Americans who opposed his liberal agenda as ‘bitter’ for ‘cling[ing] to guns or religion,’” Jackson said in a blistering statement.
“His division has inspired generations of Democrats to slander their opponents as ‘deplorables,’ or ‘fascists,’ or ‘Nazis,’” she continued. “If he cares about unity in America, he would tell his own party to stop their destructive behavior.”
Obama Signals Mistrust in Trump’s Response
In his remarks, Obama further criticized Trump and his allies for what he described as rhetoric that “silences discussion” following Kirk’s assassination. “When I hear not just our current president, but his aides, who have a history of calling political opponents ‘vermin,’ enemies who need to be ‘targeted,’ that speaks to a broader problem that we have right now,” Obama said.
He insisted that “extremists exist on both sides” but claimed his own administration never empowered far-left ideologues.
Obama’s Mixed Messages on Unity
While Obama initially expressed condolences for Kirk’s wife Erika and their two children — including in a social media post just hours after the Sept. 10 shooting — critics argue he’s now using the tragedy to relitigate political grievances and smear Trump ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a major force in the conservative youth movement, was shot and killed while hosting the first stop of his American Comeback Tour in Utah. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder and multiple other felonies related to the killing.
Despite the gravity of the crime, Obama’s decision to pivot from condolences to political accusations has ignited backlash from Trump allies who say the former president is using a tragedy to divide Americans once again.