In the days since the assassination of prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, the White House ordered flags flown at half-staff and memorials were organised in Washington, DC and Arizona.

But what followed wasn’t just mourning. The Trump administration is urging people to report anyone who criticised or mocked Kirk’s death, and has pledged to use federal power to uproot and dismantle left-leaning groups it says foment political violence.

Today, host of the independent media podcast Lamestream, Osman Faruqi, on how Kirk’s death is being used to crack down on the administration’s enemies – and to justify a further slide towards authoritarianism.

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Guest: Journalist and host of the Lamestream podcast, Osman Faruqi

Photo: PA/Alamy