Democrats Were Divided Over Measure Praising Kirk as a ‘Courageous American Patriot’
A resolution passed by the House of Representatives on Friday to honor the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was met with sharp dissent from a significant number of Democrats.
The measure, which described Kirk as a “courageous American patriot” and “devoted Christian,” was approved despite opposition from within the Democratic caucus; 58 Democrats voted against it, 38 voted present, and 22 did not vote at all.
One of the most vocal opponents was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who spoke on the House floor before casting her vote. While she condemned the “horrific and vile attack” that killed Kirk, she argued that the resolution was a “reckless” attempt by Republicans to exploit the tragedy for political gain.
Ocasio-Cortez pointed to a previous bipartisan vote to condemn the assassinations of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, as an example of how Congress can unite against political violence.
“Instead of uniting Congress in this tragedy with one of the many bipartisan options to condemn political violence and Kirk’s murder, as we did with the late Melissa Hortman, the majority proceeded with a resolution that brings great pain to the millions of Americans who endured segregation, Jim Crow, and the legacy of bigotry today,” Ocasio-Cortez stated.
The resolution for Hortman, which passed 424-0 earlier this year, was in response to attacks carried out by Vance Boelter, a political appointee of Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz. Boelter, who left anti-Trump flyers at the scene, was captured after a massive manhunt.
In her remarks, Ocasio-Cortez did not shy away from criticizing Kirk’s ideology. She characterized his views as harmful and divisive, citing his past comments on the Civil Rights Act, the 2022 attack on Paul Pelosi, and Jewish donors.
“We should be clear about who Charlie Kirk was,” she said. “His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant, uneducated, and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans — far from the ‘working tirelessly to promote unity’ asserted by the majority in this resolution.”
The vote to honor Kirk comes at a time of heightened political tension across the country following his death and the arrest of the suspect, Tyler Robinson, who allegedly confessed to the killing.
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