The murder of Charlie Kirk is a tragedy. A wife has lost her husband. Children have lost their father. No matter what words Kirk spoke in life, he deserved to live it out fully. Like every family shattered by political violence, the Kirks deserve prayers, compassion, and support. But truth requires something else: honesty about what is being said in America today, and who is driving this wave of violence. The MAGA Regime’s Exploitation of Tragedy Hours after Kirk’s death, Donald Trump released a four-minute video blaming “radical left Democrats” for the assassination. He promised to wield “all powers of the federal government” against dissenting voices, and to target not only individuals but also organizations that “fund and enable” them. This rhetoric is not new—it’s part of a pattern. * Fake investigations into Democratic fundraising groups, civil rights organizations, and environmental advocates, branding them as criminal conspiracies. * Weaponized prosecutions of Democratic governors, members of Congress, and state attorneys general on fabricated charges. * Extortion of universities and businesses, forcing them to purge non-MAGA employees and surrender assets for federal favors. * Media capture, dismantling outlets like CBS to be remade as pro-MAGA propaganda machines. * Militarized crackdowns on Democratic-majority cities, justified by lies of “urban crime waves.” Stephen Miller—the Trump regime’s propaganda chief—recently declared the Democratic Party itself to be a “domestic extremist organization”. Pair that with Trump’s speech after Kirk’s murder, and the regime’s strategy becomes clear: criminalize dissent, silence opposition, and brand the majority of Americans as terrorists. The Reality of Political Violence in America Let’s be clear: political violence is not equally shared between left and right. The numbers don’t lie. * Since 1994, ~75% of domestic terrorist attacks in the U.S. have been carried out by MAGA-aligned or far-right extremists * From 2015 to 2024 far-right-wing/MAGA extremists have committed the bulk of extremist-related murders: 328 of the 429 killings (76%) in the United States, with 75% of the Right-Wing/MAGA extremist-related killings being committed by White Supremacists. * White nationalist, supremacist and anti-government terrorists killed over 163 Americans and injured 329 more since 2017. * From Buffalo to El Paso, Pittsburgh to Jacksonville, Minnesota to Gilroy, the blood has been spilled almost entirely by MAGA-inspired terrorists. * From 1971 to 2024, Right-Wing/MAGA domestic extremists were responsible for 64 of the 109 police officers killed by all domestic extremists during that timeframe. And yet, Trump dares to label 164 million Non-MAGA Americans—Democrats, independents, and non-MAGA Republicans alike—as the violent threat. Meanwhile, MAGA media outlets like Fox News, The Federalist, American Spectator, PJ Media, The New York Post and Townhall pump out daily smears: Democrats “like crime and hate law and order,” “Democrats are finished if they regain power,” “Tim Walz should be burned with the flag,” “transgender Americans are diseased,” and on and on. This isn’t policy debate. This is open incitement. It dehumanizes neighbors, legitimizes violence, and provides the justification when extremists pull the trigger. Hypocrisy in Death and Silence in Life Trump claims Charlie Kirk’s murder proves Democrats are violent terrorists. But where was his compassion when: * Rep. Melissa Hortman of Minnesota and her husband were murdered? * Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was the target of a kidnapping and assassination plot? * Nancy Pelosi’s husband was bludgeoned in his own home? * 138 police officers were beaten and bloodied on January 6th? Silence. Deflection. Denial. The double standard is glaring: MAGA violence is excused, reframed, or ignored. Non-MAGA criticism, protest, or organizing is criminalized as “terrorism.” The Path Forward: Humanity and Truth We can and must pray for the Kirk family. That’s the humanity in us. But we cannot let humanity be weaponized into silence. The truth is simple: Non-MAGA America is not the primary source of political violence in this country. MAGA is. Every fact, every dataset, every law enforcement report confirms it. * Right-wing extremists are overwhelmingly responsible for fatalities. * MAGA rhetoric is openly hostile, threatening, and inciting. * Left-wing violence exists, but it is rare, less lethal, and rarely supported by Democratic officials. Our compassion does not erase our clarity. Our prayers do not erase the facts. This is the time to say: No more. No more false equivalencies. No more silence. We will not be scapegoated for the violence of MAGA extremists. And we will not let Trump’s lies rewrite reality. Conclusion The Kirks deserve prayers. America deserves truth. Trump and Miller want us to believe dissent equals terrorism. They want us to fear speaking, to fear organizing, to fear being counted among the Non-MAGA majority. But we are the majority. We are 164 million strong. And we will not be silenced by lies or by fear. Pray. Speak. Resist. Tell the truth. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ericfoster52.substack.com/subscribe
