WASHINGTON — U.S. lawmakers in Washington warned against political violence, as federal agents searched on Thursday for the assassin who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, a right-wing political activist.
On Capitol Hill, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican, stood between Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar and said, “We are just here as a group to say America cannot govern itself this way!”
The lawmakers took turns during the 35-minute news conference. Blumenthal said, “We are at a precipice in this country.”
Klobuchar talked about “a madman” who killed two Minnesota lawmakers, Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman, in June at their homes. She also talked about the shooter, who had a “political” manifesto and killed 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski at Annunciation Catholic Church.
“It has to end, and we have to join together to condemn it,” Klobuchar said.
Sen. Katie Britt, a Republican, became emotional as she talked about how her two children were in pain after Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck on Wednesday in front of a crowd at Utah Valley University and cameras livestreaming.
“Talking through this with them last night is just unthinkable. The time for unity, the time for peace, it is now,” Britt said.
Also in front of a group of reporters, outside the Capitol, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “Our responsibility is to de-escalate this environment.”
During interviews with national networks, House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers and the public to “turn the volume down” and “to turn the temperature down.”
Unlike the political violence of the 1960s, social media users’ discourse reflects the country’s divisions on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, the Israel-Hamas war, and gun laws.
“The temperature is rising -- all across the board,” said Seamus Hughes, an expert on homegrown violent extremism.
Cyber investigations used social media trails to look into the burglar who injured former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, in 2022, and the shooter who injured President Donald Trump, then the Republican candidate, during a campaign event in 2024.
“This is a dangerous time to look at this,” said Hughes, of the University of Nebraska Omaha’s National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center, or NCITE.
Seamus said he has been researching extremism in the United States for 20 years and added, “This feels different than it did in the past.”
Related reports
- FBI releases photos of person of interest in Kirk shooting as investigators appeal to public
- How Charlie Kirk shaped a generation of young people into a conservative force
- Charlie Kirk’s open-air debates made him a draw on college campuses. They also made him vulnerable
- FIU Turning Point founder, now a lawmaker, says Charlie Kirk’s legacy will live on
- Sen. Rick Scott reacts after ‘very good’ friend Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah university
- Utah, where Charlie Kirk was killed, has strong pro-gun laws
- Palmetto Bay councilman urged to resign after ‘vile’ post about slain activist Charlie Kirk
- Analyst Matthew Dowd loses his MSNBC job following his Charlie Kirk commentary
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