The House passed a resolution on Friday honoring assassinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, with every Republican present supporting the measure and 95 Democrats joining them, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
But the vote put a spotlight on a split within the Democratic Party. Fifty-eight Democrats voted against the resolution and 38 voted present, with many citing Kirk’s past statements and resolution language that praised a man they’ve long criticized over his stances on gun control and rights for LGBTQ+ people and minorities. Twenty-two Democrats didn’t vote at all.
“Our condolences go out to the Kirk family and all that they’ve had to endure. And quite frankly, I can relate to it, because I’ve had people assassinated around me, and certainly throughout all of history, there have been political assassinations,” Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke told NOTUS. “However, I cannot herald this gentleman as a hero. He was a hero to some, but not to all. It was not universal in how this gentleman was viewed, and for many in my constituency, he was an incendiary figure who did not recognize their humanity.”