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White House Plans Broad Crackdown on Liberal Groups

Some of the highest-ranking officials in the federal government used Charlie Kirk’s podcast, guest-hosted by Vice President JD Vance, to lay out their plans.

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Vice President JD Vance, wearing a blue suit and red tie, sits before a microphone at a table, gesturing with both arms.
Vice President JD Vance hosting an episode of “The Charlie Kirk Show” at the White House on Monday.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Trump and his top advisers threatened on Monday to unleash the power of the federal government to punish what they alleged was a left-wing network that funds and incites violence, seizing on Charlie Kirk’s killing to make broad and unsubstantiated claims about their political opponents.

Investigators were still working to identify a motive in the death of Mr. Kirk, a prominent conservative activist who was shot last week in Utah. The Republican governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, has said that the suspect had a “leftist ideology” and that he acted alone.

But Mr. Trump and his top allies suggested that the suspect was part of a coordinated movement that was fomenting violence against conservatives, without presenting evidence that such a network existed. America has seen a wave of violence across the political spectrum, targeting Democrats and Republicans.

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Katie Rogers is a White House correspondent for The Times, reporting on President Trump.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Trump and his administration.

A version of this article appears in print on Sept. 16, 2025, Section A, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: White House Threatens Crackdown on ‘Far Left’. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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