AOC Condemns "Ignorant" Rhetoric of Charlie Kirk in Response to House Tribute

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted today the House resolution declaring Charlie Kirk a "courageous American patriot" who inspired a generation of conservative youth and "who boldly lived out his faith with conviction, courage, and compassion. " It also "calls upon all Americans, regardless of race, party affiliation, or creed, to reject political violence, recommit to respectful debate, uphold American values, and respect one another as fellow Americans."

In a blast email to her base, repeating her words in the chamber during the voting, the Democrat legislator accused the House of cleaning his record as lawmakers moved to honor him with a House resolution.

"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, who after the violent attack on Paul Pelosi claimed that some amazing patriot out there should bail out his assailant, and accused Jews of controlling not just the colleges, it's the nonprofits, it's the movies, it's Hollywood, it's all of it," Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

"His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans, far from working tirelessly to promote unity as asserted by the majority in the resolution voted on today," she added. "We can condemn his horrific assassination and the scourge of political violence without uplifting these ideas. In solidarity, Alexandria."

AOC's early response to Kirk's murder

Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a central figure in right-wing politics, was assassinated on September 10. His funeral is scheduled for Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other allies are expected to speak.

Moments after news of Kirk's assassination broke, Ocasio-Cortez urged Americans to reject political violence. "The shooting of Charlie Kirk is the latest incident of this chaos and it must stop. We cannot go down this road," she wrote on X.

But as tributes to Kirk grew louder in Washington, the New York Democrat drew a sharper line. In an email to supporters this week, she condemned both his assassination and what she described as the erasure of his most controversial rhetoric.

The House resolution

Republican leaders said the measure was about rejecting violence against public figures, not politics.

"Charlie Kirk represented a generation that wanted to stand up for their beliefs without fear," Speaker Mike Johnson said.

Some Democrats voted yes, citing the need for unity after the killing. Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives, however, voted no or abstained, arguing that Congress went too far in portraying Kirk as a figure of national unity.

Trump and Vance's reactions

Trump has been among the most visible mourners, repeatedly praising Kirk as a "brave and fearless leader." In an interview after the assassination, Trump said he was stunned by the news. "They said, 'Charlie Kirk is dead.' I didn't know what they meant. I said, 'What do you mean, dead?' 'Charlie Kirk was shot...'" he recalled.

While urging his supporters to respond with nonviolence, Trump also announced he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him a "great American who gave everything for his country."

Vice President J.D. Vance, who counted Kirk as a close political ally, has taken up the mantle by calling for aggressive scrutiny of progressive nonprofits and what he described as "radical left groups" in the wake of the killing. He is also scheduled to deliver remarks at Sunday's funeral.