On Marxism-Leninism and Individual Terrorism

In the hours and days following the September 10 murder of far-right activist and organizer Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump and his followers wasted little time in placing blame on America’s “left.” In truth, there is no evidence linking Kirk’s alleged assassin to any coherent left political tendency.

It is not the purpose of this work to delve into individual affiliations or motivations with respect to Kirk’s murder. Rather, we take issue with the ensuing rhetoric of Trump and his followers. They continue to aggressively push the tired and untrue narrative that the American Left is responsible for rising political violence in the United States.

The Reaction

After the assassination, Trump’s response was quick and explicit. Departing for a state visit to the United Kingdom, Trump told reporters:

“The radical left has done tremendous damage to the country… But we’re fixing it.”
Megerian, Chris, et al. “Trump Vows to Hit ‘radical Left’ After Kirk’s Killing | AP News.” AP News, 17 Sept. 2025

Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged action against anyone whom the Trump administration deems responsible for political violence:

“Who killed Charlie? Left-wing radicals, and they will be held accountable,” Bondi told ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas. “So will anyone in this country who commits a violent crime against anyone. And the death penalty, thanks to Donald Trump, is on the table again.”
Barr, Luke, and Jack Date. “Attorney General Pam Bondi Claims ‘left-wing Radicals’ Killed Charlie Kirk.” ABC News, 16 Sept. 2025

However, Bondi – the chief investigator in the Kirk case – has not provided any specifics regarding her assertions about motive and conspiracy. Moreover, Trump urged Bondi to prosecute liberal and leftist organizers using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). This is one of the most powerful options available to a Federal prosecutor,

“I’ve asked Pam to look into that in terms of bringing RICO cases against them — criminal RICO,” the president said, referring to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

[…]

“What the administration is talking about is organized efforts by individuals who are not present at the protest, but they’re funding these protests, and they’re not protests. They’re inflicting damage and harm and actually assaulting officers. …That’s the conduct that we’re trying to stop,” the deputy attorney general said.
Gerstein, Josh. “Deputy AG Todd Blanche Says ‘Organized’ Trump Protesters Could Be Investigated.” Politico, 17 Sept. 2025.

Meanwhile, White House Senior Advisor Stephen Miller, the architect of some of Trump’s most sinister policies and initiatives to date, spewed vitriol while appearing on the late Charlie Kirk’s radio show, which was hosted by Vice President J.D. Vance:

“Miller alluded to his last communication with Kirk about the need for ‘an organized strategy to go after the left-wing organizations that are promoting violence in this country.’

Miller also talked about lighting ‘a focused anger, righteous anger directed for a just cause.’

He added, ‘We are going to channel all of the anger that we have over the organized campaign that led to this assassination to uproot and dismantle these terrorist networks.’

Miller made this concrete by invoking government agencies, ‘With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks and make America safe again for the American people. It will happen, and we will do it in Charlie’s name.’ ”
Graeme Demianyk. “Stephen Miller Vows to ‘Destroy’ Left-Wing ‘Terror’ Networks Following Charlie Kirk Shooting.” HuffPost, 15 Sept. 2025.

Rhetoric versus Fact

All these sentiments rest on a lie; namely, that the American left is driving rising political violence in the United States. A glance at national statistics explicitly contradicts the Trumpite line.

In recent decades, the following chart indicates the prevalence of right-wing individual terror in the United States at a rate of 19 to 1 (76% to 4%), even eclipsing incidents attributed to political Islam during the peak of anti-Muslim hysteria during the first Trump administration.

Share of domestic extremist-related killings in the United States
from 2014 to 2023, by perpetrator affiliation

One obvious example of right-wing terror was he 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing. The bombing was the work of extreme right conspirators tied to the white supremacist movement.
Linenthal, Edward. “Oklahoma City Bombing | the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.” Oklahoma Historical Society | OHS, 15 Jan. 2010.

A recent study by academic outlet The Conversation affirms that right-wing violence is a continuing trend in the present era:

But more recently, political violence in the U.S. has risen in recent months. It takes forms that go unrecognized. During the 2024 election cycle, nearly half of all states reported threats against election workers, including social media death threats, intimidation, and doxxing.

[…]

This follows other politically motivated killings, including the June assassination of Democratic Minnesota state Rep. and former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.”
 “Right-Wing Extremist Violence Is More Frequent and Deadly than Left-Wing Violence, Data Shows.” PBS News, 20 Sept. 2025.

Prior to the current Trump Administration, even the Federal Bureau of Investigation agreed with the assessment that right-wing political violence was a critical issue in America.

“Even former Republican FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that white supremacy is the ‘biggest chunk of our domestic terrorism portfolio.’ He called it a ‘national threat priority,’ the FBI designation for the highest threat possible—comparable, for example, to ISIS.”
Sims, Joe. “Did the Kirk Assassination Change Everything?” People’s World, 22 Sept. 2025.

The conservative Cato Institute was once a key influence on the Republican platform and policy. It shared the opinion of the violent threat from the far-right:

“…recent analysis of politically motivated murders in the United States over the past five decades found that 11% were committed by individuals identified with right-wing ideologies.” Murders committed by those on the left were 2%. However, the report argued that if Sept. 11th is removed from the equation, right-wing homicides rose to 63%.
Sims, Ibid.

To summarise, political violence in America is, currently and predominantly, a product of the far right. Trump and those in his orbit are the only ones refusing to acknowledge this. Spurred on by the full force of the American government, right-wing political violence continues to shape America’s future.

The Position of Marxist-Leninists

Individual terrorism is a well-established and preferred measure of the American far right, despite the Trump Administration’s claims to the contrary. Nevertheless, a fundamental question remains: What is the position of Marxists-Leninists regarding individual terrorism?

The answer to this question is uncategorical: Marxist-Leninists oppose individual terrorism.

This matter was explored extensively by Bill Bland in his 1975 work “On Terrorism.” In our 2023 updated introduction to Bland’s exposition, we noted:

“In 1975, the British Marxist-Leninist W.B. Bland reminded the movement of the dead-end and dangers of petty-bourgeois terrorist tactics.  Bland argued that it was necessary to ‘be clear on the Marxist-Leninist attitude towards terrorism.’ Moreover, he located the key motive force of terror as a ‘punishment of opportunism’ – echoing Lenin.”
“Introduction to Bland on Terrorism by Hari Kumar.” MLRG.online. 11 Jan. 2024.

To be sure, Marxists do not disavow terror “in the sense of attempting to strike terror into an enemy.” Bland explains:

Again, one of the functions of a state is to strike terror into those who might attempt to overthrow it. Thus, the dictatorship of the working class, which must be installed on the victory of the socialist revolution, has as one of its aims to strike terror into the overthrown capitalist class and its active supporters, so as to restrain their desire to overthrow the power of the working class.

Marxist-Leninists, therefore, repudiate individual terrorism not on the grounds that terrorism — in the sense of striking terror into the enemy – is unethical, but because acts of individual terrorism harm the cause they purport to serve…
Bland, W.B. “On Terrorism.” Reprinted from COMbat – Journal of the Communist League, from the archives of Alliance-ML. March 1975.

The end result of individual terror, whether in the instance of the lone assassin or organized campaigns by the likes of Germany’s Red Army Faction or Italy’s Red Brigades, precipitates exponentially repressive reprisals by reactionary forces that further victimize the working class. Legal action, mass incarceration, and mobilization and deployment of police and military are the expected responses by the forces of capital to tighten their grip on enemies – real, perceived, and collateral.

We encourage readers to review Bland’s aforementioned work, which includes extensive excerpts from the works of V.I. Lenin and J.V. Stalin on the matter of individual terrorism. In the present era of escalating political violence and the increasing rush to scapegoat those on the left, Marxists-Leninists must fully comprehend and demonstrate the ability to coherently articulate our views on these matters. What is needed is certainly not a policy of individual assassination. What is needed is a united Marxist-Leninist party.