Ocasio-Cortez Statement on Charlie Kirk Resolution and Trump Administration’s Assault on Free Speech

Washington, D.C.- Today, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) released the following statement after opposing a resolution "honoring the life and legacy" of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk:

"House Republicans today brought to the floor a resolution 'honoring the life and legacy' of Charlie Kirk. I voted NO.

"Condemning the depravity of Kirk's brutal murder is a straightforward matter - one that is especially important to help stabilize an increasingly unsafe and volatile political environment where everyday people feel at risk. We can disagree with Charlie and come together as a country to denounce the horror of killing. That is a bedrock American value.

"It then only underscores the majority's recklessness and intent to divide by choosing to introduce this resolution on a purely partisan basis, 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. Instead, the majority proceeded with a resolution that brings great pain to the millions of Americans who endured segregation, Jim Crow, and the legacy of that bigotry today.

"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.' 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 this resolution.

"It is equally important that Congress unites to reject the government's attempt to weaponize this moment into an all-out assault on free speech across the country. All in the name of Charlie Kirk, the Trump Administration, and the FCC are now cynically threatening to shut down ABC and any outlets who give airtime to his political critics. This is a disgusting attack on the American people and the very First Amendment rights that define us as a country. It is also ABC's responsibility to refuse to participate in this corruption and escalation of censorship.

"We continue to pray for Mr. Kirk's family and loved ones in the wake of this terrible act. I'm thinking especially of his children and his wife, whose grief cannot be measured."

###