Republicans are facing heavy criticism after blaming leftists for the fatal shooting of far-right activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump and South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace claiming rhetoric from Democrats is responsible for Kirk's death.
Trump said he is filled with "grief and anger at the heinous assassination" of Kirk, adding:
“Charlie inspired millions, and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror. He’s a martyr for truth and freedom, and there’s never been anyone who was so respected by youth.”
He went on to blame the "radical left"—without any evidence—for the shooting, saying they are "directly responsible":
“It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree."
"For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Trump vowed that his administration would pursue everyone responsible for what he called “this atrocity.”
He pointed to a series of violent incidents he attributed to the left, citing the 2024 assassination attempt against him, the 2017 congressional baseball practice shooting that wounded Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise, and the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year.
Meanwhile, Mace was also quick to blame leftists for the murder, though she stopped short of accepting that Republicans bear a lot of responsibility for the killing by not working to counter an epidemic of gun violence nationwide. She said "Are you kidding me?" when asked that very question.
She added:
"Democrats own this. Democrats own this.” ...
“I mean, give me a f**king break. This guy’s talking about mass trans violence, tranny violence — I’m not going to filter myself — and got shot in the neck like that."
You can hear what she said in the video below.
Mace later told reporters:
“I’ve spoken out against violence of all kinds, when it’s been a Republican or Democrat alike, but what I don’t usually see is Democrats [speaking out] when something happens to us. They need to own the rhetoric. They need to own what’s happening in this country right now.”
Separately, House Speaker Mike Johnson called for order on the House floor after Democrats protested that Kirk wasn't the only victim of gun violence yesterday, referencing a mass shooting in Colorado that left multiple children in critical condition:
“We need every political leader to decry the violence and to do it loudly. The problem is in the human heart. It’s gotten out of hand.”
Fox News host Jesse Watters told viewers that Kirk's death would need to be "avenged":
“Everybody’s accountable. And we’re watching … the politicians, the media, and all these rats out there. This can never happen again. It ends now.”
You can hear what he said in the video below.
But Democrats were quick to point out that Republicans didn't care about political assassinations when it came to the attacks against two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers and their spouses over the summer.
In June, Representative Melissa Hortman was assassinated along with her husband at their home in Brooklyn Park. Earlier that morning, state Senator John Hoffman and his wife were shot in their home in Champlin, another Minneapolis suburb, and were hospitalized. Hoffman and his wife survived. The shooter has since been captured and charged for the murders, firearm offenses, and stalking.
In fact, shortly after the attacks, Trump even told reporters he would not be calling Minnesota Governor Tim Walz following the shootings —calling it a "waste" of time.
And let's not forget the disinterest from Republicans after an arsonist set the house of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro ablaze, forcing Shapiro, his family, and their visitors to flee over the Passover weekend.
Former GOP politician Joe Walsh—who has since joined the Democratic Party—issued this forceful statement:
"To my friends on the right: A few months after an assassination attempt on the Democratic Governor of PA, and 60 days or so after the assassination of a MN Democratic state legislator, if your reaction to yesterday’s assassination of a right wing media figure is 'screw you Joe, only the left engages in violence,' you are factually dead wrong, you’re incapable of putting your country first, and the political violence from ALL sides will only continue."
"If your reaction to yesterday is to declare 'war on the left,' shame on you. YOU are the problem. Be better. Put your country first."
You can see his post below.
Others have also called out the GOP's hypocrisy.
In separate remarks at the Pentagon, Trump said he will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Kirk, saying that Kirk "was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people."
Trump said "I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on" before promising that there would be a substantial crowd size. "Very, very big," in fact.
Figures.
@sama/X
