After Kirk’s Death, a False Social Media Post on Partisan Reaction to Violence

After the fatal shooting of blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk, societal media claims offering governmental views of the assassination and the absorption to it rapidly spread. One connection falsely claimed that “not a azygous Republican condemned” the targeted shooting of a Democratic person successful Minnesota successful June. Many Republicans, including President Donald Trump, condemned it.

Supporters stitchery extracurricular of Timpanogos Regional Hospital connected Sept. 10 to mourn Charlie Kirk. Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images.

Kirk, the laminitis of the blimpish younker governmental radical Turning Point USA and an state of Trump, was speaking astatine Utah Valley University successful Orem, Utah, connected Sept. 10 erstwhile helium was changeable and killed. He was 31 years old. The FBI said connected Sept. 11 that it had recovered what is believed to beryllium the limb used, “a high-powered bolt enactment rifle,” and instrumentality enforcement was inactive searching for a suspect. The FBI released images of a “person of interest.”

Trump and politicians of some governmental parties, including erstwhile Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, made statements condemning the sidesplitting and expressing condolences. A scholar asked america astir the validity of 1 societal media connection that highlighted the statements of Democrats and past falsely said Republicans hadn’t offered akin condemnations of governmental unit aft the execution of a Democrat a fewer months ago.

A Sept. 10 post connected X, which received much than 6 cardinal views, wrongly said: “I would similar it to beryllium noted that each Democrat connected Twitter,” including Newsom, “is condemning the shooting of Charlie Kirk but not a azygous Republican condemned the assassination of Melissa Hortman.” A station connected Threads made a astir identical claim.

Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband, Mark Hortman, were slain connected June 14, and Democratic authorities Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were besides changeable but survived an battle by the aforesaid man, who was posing arsenic a constabulary officer. Vance Boelter, 57, was indicted connected six national charges successful transportation with the execution of the Minnesota lawmaker and her spouse and the stalking and shooting of the Hoffmans.

When Boelter was captured on June 15 aft an extended manhunt, the fishy had a list of elected officials he intended to target, all of them Democrats, authorities said. Joe Thompson, acting U.S. lawyer for the territory of Minnesota, said successful a property merchandise that the shootings were “targeted governmental assassinations.”

As we said, it is not existent that Republican leaders did not respond and condemn those shootings.

The full Minnesota legislature delegation, including Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, joined successful a statement expressing “outrage, grief, and condemnation” of the attack. The lawmakers included Republicans Reps. Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber.

Lisa Demuth, the Republican talker of the Minnesota authorities House, besides praised Hortman’s accomplishments, and the authorities GOP Senate leader, Mark Johnson, condemned the violence. Former Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty paid tribute to Hortman and Hoffman.

Trump besides condemned the shootings, saying successful a statement, “Such horrific unit volition not beryllium tolerated successful the United States of America. God Bless the large radical of Minnesota, a genuinely large place.” Trump declined to telephone Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, to explicit his condolences, ABC News reported, though Vice President JD Vance did talk with the governor.

In a Truth Social station aft Kirk’s assassination, Trump said, “The Great, and adjacent Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No 1 understood oregon had the Heart of the Youth successful the United States of America amended than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, particularly me, and now, helium is nary longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies spell retired to his beauteous woman Erika, and family.”

Later connected Sept. 10, successful a video message, Trump blamed Democrats for Kirk’s death. “For years, those connected the extremist near person compared fantastic Americans similar Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst wide murderers and criminals. This benignant of rhetoric is straight liable for the coercion that we’re seeing successful our state today, and it indispensable halt close now,” the president said, going connected to mention incidents helium attributed to “radical near governmental violence,” including the assassination attempt against him successful Pennsylvania past summertime and the 2017 shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise astatine a legislature shot squad practice.

Trump didn’t notation the Hortman sidesplitting successful those remarks. Lawmakers of some parties person been targeted successful a spate of convulsive acts successful caller years, including an arson attack astatine the location of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro earlier this twelvemonth and the 2022 attack connected Paul Pelosi, the hubby of past House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan was the people of a 2020 kidnapping plot, according to national instrumentality enforcement. Two staffers astatine the Israeli Embassy successful Washington, D.C., were changeable and killed successful May. Trump besides cited the sidesplitting of United Healthcare’s CEO last year.

Editor’s note: FactCheck.org does not judge advertising. We trust connected grants and idiosyncratic donations from radical similar you. Please see a donation. Credit paper donations whitethorn beryllium made through our “Donate” page. If you similar to springiness by check, nonstop to: FactCheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center, P.O. Box 58100, Philadelphia, PA 19102. 

The station After Kirk’s Death, a False Social Media Post connected Partisan Reaction to Violence appeared archetypal connected FactCheck.org.