ICYMI: Bipartisan Calls Against Weaponizing Government for Political Retribution
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, rightwing political actors are seeking to weaponize this moment to demand a sweeping crackdown on left-leaning civic and advocacy groups — using tragedy as a pretext to silence critics. But while those political actors moved with speed and aggression they do not represent the views of mainstream Americans, let alone their whole party in Washington.
Over the weekend, leaders from both parties pushed back on this dangerous escalation, echoing the bipartisan concern voiced last week around Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte’s reckless and dangerous abuse of power. From Senators James Lankford and Chris Coons to Utah Governor Spencer Cox, elected officials across the spectrum had a clear message: political violence must never be tolerated, and neither should exploiting that violence to justify weaponizing government against perceived opponents.
Over the past few days, both Democrats and Republicans emphasized the importance of protecting free speech and resisting the urge to punish entire groups for the actions of an individual:
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) pushed back on attempts by Stephen Miller and the White House to brand the Democratic party a “terrorist organization” and stressed that America’s strength is rooted in the First Amendment, warning that “rage or ideological outrage must not be taken out on people” with different views. He called for a lowering of the temperature and rejected attempts to exploit the moment for political advantage.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) echoed the point, noting that while he has deep disagreements with Kirk’s views, “no one should be killed for speaking.” Coons cautioned against letting political violence become an excuse to undermine civil society or speech rights.
Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) urged an “off-ramp” from escalating rhetoric, warning that politicizing the incident before facts are established only inflames division.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) went further, calling it “disgusting” and “cheap” for some to use Kirk’s death to stoke calls for political “war.”
And former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reminded people that “an overwhelming majority of Americans left, right, and center believe that the government should not be cracking down on its political opponents because they are political opponents.”
Together, these bipartisan voices reject the idea that this tragedy should be used as justification for silencing dissenting groups and serve as a reminder that those moving immediately to weaponize the government as a tool of retribution do not speak for the majority of Americans, but rather a loud minority.
