Obama say US is at ‘inflection point’ after Charlie Kirk’s assassination

'The central premise of our democratic system is that we have to be able to disagree and have sometimes really contentious debates without resorting to violence'

Wed, 17 Sep, 2025 - 17:13

Meg Kinnard, Associated Press

Former US president Barack Obama has said the United States is at “an inflection point” following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and that President Donald Trump has further divided the country rather than work to bring people together.

“There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. The central premise of our democratic system is that we have to be able to disagree and have sometimes really contentious debates without resorting to violence,” Mr Obama said during an event in Erie, Pennsylvania, hosted by the Jefferson Education Society.