WATCH: Rhetoric and free speech collide after Kirk assassination, lawmakers react

In the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, a debate about political rhetoric and its impact on recent spates of political violence has taken hold on Capitol Hill and across the country. 

While both Republicans and Democrats have condemned political violence of all kinds, their views vary on how much inflammatory political rhetoric plays a role. Some Republicans have accused the left’s rhetoric of fostering an “assassination culture” on the left, while Democrats have accused Republicans of attacks on free speech. 

One member of Congress, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attempted to steer the conversation towards gun control as opposed to rhetoric as the cause for the increase in political violence.

“This isn’t just about what happened to Charlie Kirk. At the same time his tragic killing was happening, three kids were getting shot in school, and that was one or two weeks after another couple of kids were getting shot, in church, at mass, at a Catholic school,” Ocasio-Cortez said. 

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., suggested gun control was more to blame than violent rhetoric when asked about the potentially growing ‘assassination culture’ in the United States.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

But GOP firebrand Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., did not mince words about those who continue to foment hatred for conservatives with inflammatory rhetoric.

“We need to shame these people out of polite society, shame them out of existence. They need to be fired from their jobs. They are putting lives in danger,” Mace said. “They are denying that they’re celebrating the political assassination and murder of Charlie Kirk, but they’re liars. They’re lying through their teeth.”

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called on others to “turn down the heat” in the wake of Kirk’s assassination. Americans from all walks of life have been facing repercussions over their decision to mock, or praise, Kirk’s death, including K-12 education officials, college professors, healthcare professionals, political pundits, writers and a list of other professionals from various sectors and major companies, such as the law firm Perkins Coie, the company behind the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and Office Depot, among others.

Memorials honoring Charlie Kirk have been held across the country and overseas, including in Berlin. Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025. ( Ilkin Eskipehlivan /Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., said that everyone should have “the right to speak freely, otherwise America’s democratic tradition could be threatened. 

“Look, there’s a limit to what Congress can do, because, you know, we have the First Amendment, which protects all forms of speech, including hate speech, but we should have a culture of condemning any rhetoric that glorifies violence. I see violence as the downfall of American democracy,” Torres said. “We all should have the right to speak freely, to think freely, without fear of harassment or intimidation or violence. And once we lose the ability to speak freely in the public square then democracy as we know it has come to an end.”

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., said political violence may become the “downfall of American democracy.” (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., suggested possible remedies Congress could take to help reduce inflammatory rhetoric and its potential impact on violence. 

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“You have to look at the role that social media companies play in allowing violent rhetoric to be on their sites. And what more can we do so that law enforcement can see these attacks sooner?” Swalwell asked. “I wait, and stand ready to learn, where there are signs that were missed by law enforcement. Because if that’s the case, we have to do better, because the temperature is only increasing.”