In the days following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett has found herself at the center of a growing political firestorm — doubling down on past rhetoric, refusing to support a congressional resolution honoring Kirk, and continuing to compare President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler.
During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, host Dana Bash asked Crockett whether she felt a responsibility to tone down her language, referencing Crockett’s past descriptions of Trump as an “enemy to the United States” and a “wannabe Hitler.” Crockett responded defiantly.
“I think that my responsibility is to be transparent and to be honest,” Crockett said. “I am using that language because it is accurate language… it’s a playbook out of Hitler and I won’t deny it.”
She added that Trump has “called specifically for violence” and claimed that his administration is not interested in educating Americans about the dangers of authoritarianism.
Comments on Charlie Kirk Ignite New Backlash
While Crockett’s remarks on Trump drew attention, her comments about Charlie Kirk during the same CNN appearance are sparking outrage — particularly because they came as Kirk’s memorial service was taking place in Arizona.
Crockett, who voted against a bipartisan resolution to honor the slain conservative activist, justified her vote by comparing Kirk to “Confederate relics” and saying he had personally criticized her.
“A month prior to him passing away, he had actually gotten out on his podcast … talking negatively about me directly,” she said.
“So to me, just like we wanted to make sure that those Confederate relics were taken down, the idea of a new age relic being propped up was something that I just could not subscribe to.”
She further claimed, without evidence, that Kirk “was saying things about who should live and who should die,” and that his rhetoric “specifically targeted people of color.”
Racial Divide in House Vote
The resolution honoring Kirk passed the House last Friday with every Republican voting in favor, joined by a majority of Democrats. However, 58 Democrats voted against it, and Rep. Crockett later expressed anguish that so few white lawmakers joined her.
“Honestly, it hurts my heart… when I saw the no votes, there were only two Caucasians. For the most part, the only people that voted no were people of color,” she said on CNN.
She argued that Kirk’s rhetoric had uniquely harmed communities of color, stating, “Even our colleagues could not see how harmful his rhetoric was, specifically to us.”
Ocasio-Cortez Joins in Opposition
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) also voted against the resolution and echoed Crockett’s sentiments in a floor speech.
“We should be clear about who Charlie Kirk was,” AOC said.
“A man who believed that the Civil Rights Act that granted black Americans the right to vote was a mistake… 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.’”
A number of conservative and independent fact-checkers have pushed back on some of the claims made about Kirk, noting that several quotes attributed to him by media outlets have been misquoted or taken out of context.
Kirk’s Legacy and Memorial
Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10 while addressing a large student audience at Utah Valley University. The suspect, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with aggravated murder. Authorities say Robinson was motivated by anti-fascist ideology, and some of the ammunition found on scene bore extremist markings.
Kirk, 31, left behind a wife and two young children. His funeral on Sunday was estimated to bring in over 300,000, including remarks from President Donald Trump, who called Kirk’s death “an act of political terror” and “a wake-up call to the nation.”
The House and Senate have each passed resolutions honoring Kirk’s service to civic engagement, with the Senate declaring October 14 — Kirk’s birthday — as National Day of Remembrance.
Political Fallout and Questions Ahead
Rep. Crockett’s remarks — both about Trump and Kirk — have drawn sharp criticism from Republicans and moderates, who argue that demonizing political opponents in the aftermath of a political assassination is dangerous and irresponsible.
Still, Crockett has shown no signs of backing down, continuing to frame her comments as a “transparent and honest” assessment of the threats she believes the nation is facing.
With political violence and polarization reaching new heights, Crockett’s unapologetic tone underscores just how fractured America’s political discourse has become — even in moments that once would have called for unity.
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Crockett is a disgrace to Texas, she needs to be removed from congress.