US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a democrat who represents New York’s 14th District, sought to criticise Republican members of the Congress on Friday for bringing a resolution honoring the “life and legacy” of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated earlier this month.
Kirk was shot dead while he was interacting with people during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Calling Kirk’s assassination a “horrific and vile attack incident of political violence”, Ocasio-Cortez said that people should not lose sight of who Charlie Kirk actually was.
While addressing the Congress, she said, “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”.”
She added that Kirk’s rhetoric and beliefs were “ignorant, uneducated and sought disenfranchisement of millions of Americans”, which is far from “working tirelessly to promote unity” as asserted by the majority in this resolution.
{{/usCountry}}She added that Kirk’s rhetoric and beliefs were “ignorant, uneducated and sought disenfranchisement of millions of Americans”, which is far from “working tirelessly to promote unity” as asserted by the majority in this resolution.
{{/usCountry}}She said, in a post on X, that “We can condemn his horrific assassination and the scourge of political violence without uplifting these ideas.”
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez comes in defence of Jimmy Kimmel
Ocasio-Cortez also claimed that the Trump administration was trying to “weaponise” Kirk’s death into an “assault on free speech”, in wake of ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show over his remarks about the death of the right-wing influencer and an ally of US President Donald Trump.
“It is equally important that the Congress does unite to reject the government’s attempt to weaponise this moment into an all-out assault on free speech across the country. All in the name of Charlie Kirk,” the Congresswoman said.
“President Trump and the FCC are now cynically threatening to shut down ABC and any outlets who give airtime to the administration’s political critics. This is a disgusting attack on the American people,” she added.
Ocasio-Cortez also said that it is the ABC’s responsibility “to refuse to embolden and participate in this corruption and escalation of censorship.”