Some Democrats oppose resolution honoring Charlie Kirk and condemning political violence

WASHINGTON — In a vote that divided Democrats, the House on Friday passed a resolution honoring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk and rejecting the political violence of recent years

WASHINGTON — In a vote that divided Democrats, the House on Friday passed a resolution honoring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk and rejecting the political violence of recent years.

The vote was 310-58, with 95 Democrats joining all 215 Republicans in voting yes on the nonbinding resolution. The 58 no votes all came from Democrats — mostly members of the Congressional Black and Hispanic caucuses — and another 38 Democrats voted present. Another 22 Democrats did not vote.

The resolution passed nine days after a gunman assassinated the 31-year-old Kirk while he was speaking to a large crowd at Utah Valley University. Kirk was a co-founder of Turning Point USA, which helped turn out the youth vote for Donald Trump in 2024. The alleged shooter has been charged on seven counts, including aggravated murder.

While all lawmakers have denounced Kirk’s killing, some Democrats had wanted the party to make a more forceful stand against the Kirk resolution, which, among other things, states that his "commitment to civil discussion and debate stood as a model for young Americans across the political spectrum, and he worked tirelessly to promote unity without compromising on conviction."

Ocasio-Cortez speaks on Charlie Kirk resolution03:39While few spoke out against the resolution publicly before the vote, critics have pointed out that Kirk had disparaged Martin Luther King Jr., called the Civil Rights Act of 1964 a “huge mistake” and was a vocal opponent of transgender rights.