A memorial service for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk became a political rally on Sunday, as President Trump told the crowd that unlike Kirk, he hates his opponents and blamed the “radical left” for political violence. Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid says that as influential Republicans use Kirk’s killing to demonize the left, the country is failing a crucial test: the ability to absorb political violence without discarding democratic cornerstones like free speech, respect for dissent and due process. We talk to Hamid and to New York Times reporter Jeremy Peters about this fraught political moment, and how, in Hamid’s words, we can step back from the brink.

Guests:

Shadi Hamid, columnist at the Washington Post, his forthcoming book is "The Case for American Power"

Jeremy W. Peters, national reporter focusing on free speech, The New York Times - author, "Insurgency: How Republicans Lost Their Party and Got Everything They Ever Wanted"

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