Overview

• On Sept. 15, Vice President J.D. Vance hosted Charlie Kirk’s memorial podcast from the White House and declared it a “statistical fact” that the left commits most political violence.
• The assertion drew immediate pushback from journalists and elected officials, even as President Trump echoed the premise by saying most violence is from the left, according to MSNBC reporting.
• Coverage cited ADL findings that all identified extremist‑related murders in 2024 involved right‑wing extremists, along with Cato data since 2020 showing right‑wing perpetrators responsible for a majority of terror‑related deaths.
• Analyses referenced CSIS reporting that recent U.S. terrorist attacks were largely carried out by violent far‑right actors, with commentators including Joe Scarborough and Mehdi Hasan calling Vance’s claim inaccurate.
• Authorities investigating the killing of Charlie Kirk have not established a motive for suspect Tyler Robinson, with forensic and digital reviews ongoing.