By A House resolution condemning the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has thrown the divide between Republicans and Democrats into sharp relief over how they respond to political violence, but also revealing not only fractures within the Democratic Party itself.
The measure, which passed the House on Friday, drew unanimous support from Republicans but encountered significant pushback from Democrats. And of course, Jasmine Crockett made the vote about race in an interview on CNN. On Sunday, the Texas Democrat noted that only two white lawmakers joined the 58 Democrats who voted against a resolution condemning political violence. Crockett, who voted no, admitted the tally “honestly hurts my heart,” adding, “when I saw the no votes, there were only two caucasians. For the most part, the only people that voted no were people of color.”
She linked the opposition to Kirk’s history of statements: “Because the rhetoric that Charlie Kirk continuously put out there was rhetoric that specifically targeted people of color… and so it is unfortunate that even our colleagues could not see how harmful his rhetoric was, specifically to us.”
Imagine going on television the same day as someone’s funeral to bash them.
Jasmine Crockett showing her true colors today.pic.twitter.com/xCspyThdAs
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) September 21, 2025
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also opposed the resolution, taking to the House floor to attack the slain conservative activist. “We should be clear about who Charlie Kirk was. A man who believed that the Civil Rights Act that granted black Americans the right to vote was a mistake,” she said, before citing his comments about Paul Pelosi’s attacker and Jews’ influence in American culture. “His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant, uneducated and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans far from ‘working tirelessly to promote unity’ asserted by the majority in this resolution,” she added.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his leadership team had endorsed the resolution, which emphasized rejecting political violence as “antithetical to the principles of a free republic.” Yet of the 58 no votes, 38 Democrats cast “present” votes and 22 abstained altogether, a striking contrast to the party’s unity on other recent tragedies, noted The Daily Caller.
In hopes of justifying their vile behavior towards the Kirks, many liberals, both elected officials and otherwise, have tried to claim that the murder of former Minnesota Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman did not receive unified condemnation from the Republicans.
It couldn’t be further from the truth.
After Hortman and her husband were murdered in a targeted political attack, the House responded differently. Every Republican and Democrat voted in favor of H.Res.519 condemning the shootings. Speaker Mike Johnson declared at the time: “Today, every House Republican and Democrat stood united in condemning the horrific, politically motivated shootings in Minnesota. We pray for the Hortman family, who mourn the devastating loss of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the Hoffman family, as their father fights to recover from the attack.”
Johnson even carried that message abroad, warning at the G7 Speakers’ Summit, just days before Kirk’s assassination, that “we do have to protect the free marketplace of ideas, but at the same time, watch out for this madness escalating into violence.” He pressed for civility, invoked Washington’s farewell address, and pointed to his own “Commitment to Civility” pledge as a model.
The different reactions speak volumes: when the victims were Democrats, both parties stood shoulder to shoulder in condemning political violence. When the victim was Kirk, a conservative, many Democrats not only broke ranks but used the occasion to relitigate his legacy. But that difference is getting noticed.
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar dismissed efforts to honor him as the work of “Dr. Frankenstein,” saying his death came at the hands of “his monster.” “I am not going to sit here and be judged for not wanting to honor any legacy this man has left behind,” she said.
Democrats spent 11 days gaslighting the nation, insisting they share none of the ideology of Charlie Kirk's assassin, only for Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to go on CNN and proudly repeat the killer's own words. What a disgrace. https://t.co/8w9CXQpcId
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) September 21, 2025
Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, responded to the hatred with a Christian message that received universal praise for class and dignity.
I’m grateful that Erika Kirk just gave us one of the finest moments in American public life by invoking Christ’s own Passion and publicly forgiving her husband’s murderer. It was such a powerful witness of faith. Our country needed that grace.
pic.twitter.com/0HX96TUrRw— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) September 21, 2025
Fox News, for example, noted that “LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson took a swipe at Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, and Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, while praising Erika Kirk for her remarks at her husband’s memorial service.
Kirk spoke about Charlie less than two weeks after he was assassinated at a Utah Valley University event. Her bravery and courage during her speech at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, sparked a ton of reaction across social media.
Mickelson was among them.
“While (Ilhan) and Jasmine are speaking hateful rhetoric, Erika Kirk is saying this. I have no words. Amazing,” he added.
On Sunday, a memorial service was held for Charlie Kirk that saw roughly 300,000 people attend.
View this post on Instagram
Kirk was 31 when an assassin shot him because of his conservative stances.
[Read More: Shock Twist In Kavanaugh Assassination Attempt Trial]
