Political Rhetoric Under Scrutiny Following Kirk Assassination
Democrat New York Rep. Pat Ryan said Friday on CNN’s “The Arena” that he does not believe labeling Republicans as “fascist,” “Nazi” or “Hitler” contributes to the “overall problem” between the two parties.
Concerns over political violence heightened on Wednesday after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was murdered in front of a crowd of students in Utah. While discussing the assassination, CNN’s Kasie Hunt asked Ryan if he thought phrases like “Nazi” or “Hitler” used by people on the left against Republicans “contributes to the problem overall.”
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“I actually don’t think it does,” Ryan said. “I think people are trying to grapple with a really unprecedented time in our country where we’re seeing maybe history not fully repeat, but history rhyme at some of the darkest times in our world’s history and struggling in good faith to try to put some intellectual thought into that and find the right language to describe the fact that the constitution I risked my life for 27 months in combat is being tested and pushed.”
“And, in many cases, I think not being honored by this president, that’s hard to figure out how to, how to put word to that in a way that is constructive. So those are words that are more academic. I think it is the call for violence to me,” Ryan added. “That is where the calls for violence linked to that, that are, that are the problem, the idea that we’ve heard from many leaders in both parties, unfortunately, that there’s some deeper evil if you feel a certain way.”
READ: University Of Michigan Professor: Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Is A ‘Solution’ To ‘Violent Rhetoric’
On Wednesday, Kirk had been speaking and debating with students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, as he was known to do. About 20 minutes into the event, a fatal shot struck him, and security rushed him to the hospital. While Kirk was initially in stable condition, the TPUSA founder ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
During the breaking news of Kirk being shot, some Democrats suggested he was at fault for his death because of his political beliefs, while others blamed President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and Republicans for a surge in political violence. RELATED: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker Blames Trump’s ‘Rhetoric’ For Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
Since last year, tensions between Republicans and Democrats have risen during the 2024 presidential election cycle, as corporate media and former Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign escalated their rhetoric against Trump. The then-GOP presidential candidate was called a fascist by Harris, with former President Joe Biden saying he should be locked up.
READ: Fired Assistant Dean At A Tennessee University Had “Zero Sympathy” For Charlie Kirk’s Death
On July 13, 2024, the first assassination attempt against Trump occurred in Butler, Pa. During the campaign rally, Trump was speaking to a crowd when 20-year-old shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks fired multiple rounds, grazing Trump’s ear and killing volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore. Just months later, on Sept. 15, 2024, a second attempt against Trump was uncovered when Secret Service agents found would-be assassin Ryan Routh hiding in the bushes at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., with an AK-47-style rifle.
In June, Democratic Minnesota state Sen. Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot at their home. Additionally, a self-proclaimed socialist who supported the Black Lives Matter movement set fire to Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence.
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