Mike Wendling
Former US President Barack Obama has warned of a "political crisis of the sort that we haven't seen before" in the wake of the killing of Charlie Kirk.
At an event in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Obama said he did not know Kirk and disagreed with many of his views, but called the killing "horrific and a tragedy".
He criticised Donald Trump's remarks towards his political opponents and pointed to previous Republican presidents who, he said, emphasised national unity in moments of high tension, US media report.
In response, the White House called Obama the "architect of modern political division".
Kirk, 31, died of a single gunshot wound while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem on 10 September.
On Tuesday, Tyler Robinson, 22, was formally charged with Kirk's murder, weapons offences and other charges. Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty.
Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray said Robinson had sent text messages which allegedly said he shot Kirk because he "had enough of his hatred".
Before Robinson was captured, top Trump allies pinned blame for the killing on left-wing activists and rhetoric from Democratic lawmakers and their supporters.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has suggested that the administration will crack down on "hate speech" – although there is no specific US hate speech law. Vice-President JD Vance has led calls to expose people who celebrated or condoned Kirk's killing or were critical of him after his slaying.
"Call them out, and hell, call their employer," Vance said as he guest-hosted Kirk's podcast.
Speaking in Erie, Pennsylvania, Obama said: "I think at moments like this, when tensions are high, then part of the job of the president is to pull people together."
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