'We must be clear about who Charlie Kirk was': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reminds Congress who he really was
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'We must be clear about who Charlie Kirk was': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reminds Congress who he really was")
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Photograph: (AFP)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemns political violence in Charlie Kirk’s assassination but rejects GOP’s tribute, warning against glorifying his views or using his death to suppress dissent and media freedom
US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), a Democrat, representing New York's 14th District, strongly pushed back on Friday (September 19) against a resolution introduced by Republican lawmakers that sought to commemorate the life of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on September 10 during a public event at Utah Valley University. Ocasio-Cortez, speaking on the House floor, condemned the violence that led to Kirk’s death, calling it a “horrific and vile act of political violence.” However, she criticised efforts to recast Kirk as a unifying figure, reminding Congress of his controversial views and past statements.
“We need to be truthful about who Charlie Kirk really was,” Ocasio-Cortez said. She highlighted that Kirk had denounced the Civil Rights Act, defended the attacker of Paul Pelosi, and made inflammatory claims about Jewish influence in American culture and institutions. “These aren’t views that reflect unity or patriotism. They’re rooted in division, hate, and disenfranchisement,” she said, rejecting the resolution’s portrayal of Kirk as a tireless advocate for unity.
Posting later on X (formerly Twitter), AOC emphasised that condemning political violence does not require celebrating Kirk’s ideology. “We can reject the attack without glorifying what he stood for,” she wrote.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slams Trump administration
She also accused the Trump administration of using Kirk’s death as a political weapon. AOC criticised reported efforts to suppress free speech, citing the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show after he mocked Kirk. According to her, the administration—along with the FCC—is using the moment to intimidate media outlets and silence dissent. “It’s disgraceful,” she said, “that this tragedy is being twisted into an excuse to threaten broadcasters and muzzle critics of the administration.” Ocasio-Cortez called on ABC to stand firm against what she described as escalating censorship and not to contribute to a dangerous precedent of political interference in the media.
