Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took to X shortly after voting against a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk and condemning political violence to explain why she voted against the measure.
The resolution passed with a 310-58 vote. Ocasio-Cortez was one of 58 Democrats who did not support it. “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,’” the lawmaker wrote.
She added: “His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans – far from ‘working tirelessly to promote unity’ as asserted by the majority in this resolution.”
The lawmaker concluded by writing, “We can condemn his horrific assassination and the scourge of political violence without uplifting these ideas.”
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… https://t.co/zm6kxIxLZk
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 19, 2025
AOC’s post was met with criticism from Republicans. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) wrote a post on X saying the lawmaker was “trashing Charlie Kirk right now on the House floor” and “lying about him and again repeating the same vile garbage at the same time claiming to pray for his family and denouncing his assassination.”
AOC is trashing Charlie Kirk right now on the House floor.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 19, 2025
She is lying about him and again repeating the same vile garbage at the same time claiming to pray for his family and denouncing his assassination.
There is no way forward with these people.
The House passed the resolution despite Democrats’ efforts. While 58 voted againts it, another 22 chose to abstain from voting on the measure, which honored Kirk’s work while explicitly condemning violence.
Before the vote, other Democrats expressed their intention to vote against the measure. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) condemned the resolution, saying she is “not sure what is honorable” about Kirk.
What is interesting about AOC’s refusal to vote in favor of the measure is her excuse for doing so. The reality is that she did not want to honor Kirk because he was a Republican. After two Democratic state lawmakers were gunned down in Minnesota, AOC had no problem voting for a resolution condemning the murders and political violence in general.
This was purely a partisan move on Ocasio-Cortez’s part, showing that she is more concerned about hyperpartisanship than speaking out against political violence.