On this edition of Your Call, we continue our new series, The Authoritarian Playbook, by discussing the Trump administration's response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Trump and his allies immediately responded to Kirk’s murder by blaming the "far-left" and left-wing extremism without knowing who did it or what the motivation was. On Monday, while hosting Kirk's podcast, JD Vance said people should tell their employers if they see someone celebrating Kirk's killing.
University faculty and teachers across the country have either been fired or placed on leave. The Pentagon is cracking down on soldiers media posts. Marco Rubio says the state department has denied visas to people celebrating Kirk’s murder. The Washington Post fired Karen Attiah, its only Black columnist.
What precedent does this set and how are people responding?
Guests:
Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Professor of African American Studies and Public Affairs at Princeton University, Board Chair of the Vera Institute of Justice, and author of The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America
Alberto Toscano, Adjunct Professor at the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University, columnist for In These Times, and author of Late Fascism: Race, Capitalism and the Politics of Crisis
Resources:
Axios: The people who have lost their jobs for posts about Charlie Kirk
CNN: Rubio says State Department has denied visas to people ‘celebrating’ Kirk’s murder
The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah: The Washington Post Fired Me — But My Voice Will Not Be Silenced
Reuters: Pentagon cracks down on troops' social media posts about Charlie Kirk
AP: Workers commenting on Kirk’s death learn the limits of free speech in and out of their jobs
The Guardian: ‘Inappropriate’ comments about Charlie Kirk shooting lead to university firings
MYSA: Abbott — Over 100 educators could be suspended for Charlie Kirk posts
The Texas Tribune: Roughly 180 complaints filed against Texas teachers for alleged comments on killing of Charlie Kirk
Vanity Fair: Charlie Kirk, Redeemed: A Political Class Finds Its Lost Cause
The Guardian: Charlie Kirk in his own words: ‘prowling Blacks’ and ‘the great replacement strategy’
In These Times by Alberto Toscana: An Authoritarian Dress Rehearsal
