The fallout from the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk continues to ripple across Washington — and now, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is at the center of the storm.
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) announced he will introduce a resolution Monday to strip Omar of her seats on the House Budget Committee and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Omar currently serves as the ranking Democrat on the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, a role that gives her influence over labor issues affecting millions of Americans.
Republicans say Omar crossed a line with her comments in the aftermath of Kirk’s killing. During an interview with progressive outlet Zeteo, Omar blasted Kirk’s record, declaring he had “downplayed slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth shouldn’t exist.” She went further, dismissing those who described Kirk as simply a man seeking civil debate: “There is nothing more effed up, you know, like, than to completely pretend that, you know, his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so.”
Omar did add that she had “empathy” for Kirk’s wife and children, but her remarks about conservatives quickly drew criticism. She also lashed out at Republicans who, she said, were “full of s—” for highlighting Democrats’ rhetoric while ignoring violence from the left.
As the backlash grew, Omar took to X to walk back parts of her comments, writing: “While I disagreed with Charlie Kirk vehemently about his rhetoric, my heart breaks for his wife and children. I don’t wish violence on anyone. My faith teaches me the power of peace, empathy, and compassion. Right-wing accounts trying to spin a false story when I condemned his murder multiple times is fitting for their agenda to villainize the left to hide from the fact that Donald Trump gins up hate on a daily basis.”
For conservatives, however, Omar’s response revealed a deeper problem. The assassination of a conservative leader at a college debate is not just about one tragic act of violence — it highlights how toxic rhetoric from the left has normalized hostility toward Americans who stand for traditional values, free speech, and limited government.
Rep. Carter minced no words. “Disparaging Charlie Kirk’s legacy, a God-fearing, honorable man, for boldly sharing his conservative beliefs is disgusting. The radical left has normalized meeting free speech with violence, and it must stop,” he told Fox News Digital. “No one who justifies the assassination of someone with different political views than them deserves to sit on a committee, and Ilhan Omar openly used language that incites violence toward her political opponents. Committees are for serious lawmakers, not hate-spewing politicians.”
The resolution, expected to spark fierce debate on Capitol Hill, comes as Democrats face growing questions over how far their party will tolerate extremist rhetoric in their own ranks. For many Americans, this is about more than committee assignments — it’s about whether Congress will continue to turn a blind eye to dangerous double standards when it comes to free speech and political violence.
