News Summary

• The killing of far-right activist Charlie Kirk has been met with calming, statesman-like responses on both sides of the political aisle.
• But it has demonstrated yet again the fundamental asymmetry of contemporary American politics.
• Many prominent figures on the right, all the way up to President Donald Trump, have called for retribution against the "radical left" Trump has been signaling for a decade or so that political violence committed by his supporters is acceptable and might even be rewarded, writes Julian Zelizer.