Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, told National Journal he “was really disgusted” by some conservatives who used Charlie Kirk’s death to say “we’re at war” to bolster support, calling it a “cheap, disgusting, awful way to pretend like you’re a leader of a conservative movement.”
Newsweek has reached out to Tillis’s press team for comment via email on Thursday.
Why It Matters
Kirk, 31, was the co-founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, a prominent conservative campus organization. He was a frequent political commentator, often speaking on college campuses and hosting media programs and conferences, as well as a close ally to President Donald Trump.
The shooting comes amid a broader climate of political violence across the United States. In June, Minnesota Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in a targeted political act.
Lawmakers and prominent figures across the aisle have condemned the violence, including members of the Trump administration as well as Democrats. Several prominent conservatives have cited his death as evidence that the party is at “war” and issued calls for vengeance, sparking concerns of rising tensions.
What To Know
Kirk was fatally shot near the neck during a student Q&A at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Moments before he was shot, Kirk was answering a question about gun violence, a topic he had been vocal on.
His assassination has drawn widespread media attention, with videos online showing the gunfire and its aftermath, and politicians, pundits, supporters and critics all weighing in.
Many across the political spectrum have offered prayers and tributes to Kirk and condemned political violence. Some on the right have described the escalating situation as “war.”
Tillis called out this rhetoric, telling National Journal reporter Nancy Vu that he was “disgusted” by the calls, saying some are using this opportunity “to say we’re at war so that they could get some of our conservative followers lathered up over this.”
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images
He continued, “There were two in particular that I found particularly disgusting.” It is not…
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