The U.S. House of Representatives found itself at the center of a fierce political storm this week, following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The fallout has exposed deep partisan divides, with lawmakers trading accusations, proposing sweeping legislative responses, and reigniting debates over civility, free speech, and the boundaries of political dissent.
On Wednesday evening, September 17, 2025, the House narrowly voted 214 to 213 to table a resolution introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) that sought to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) over her response to Kirk’s killing. Mace’s proposal didn’t stop at censure—it also called for Omar to be stripped of her committee assignments on Education and the Workforce and Budget, and even went so far as to suggest that Omar, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Somalia, should be stripped of her citizenship and deported. As reported by HuffPost, the measure’s defeat came after four Republicans broke ranks to join all Democrats in blocking it.
The resolution accused Omar of having "smeared Charlie Kirk and implied he was to blame for his own murder." But Omar, in interviews the day after Kirk’s assassination, had expressed horror at the killing and sympathy for Kirk’s family. Speaking to Zeteo’s Mehdi Hasan, Omar said, "It was really mortifying to hear the news, to see the video. You know, all I could think about was his wife, his children. That image is going to live forever. My heart does break for those babies." She reiterated similar sentiments to HuffPost the same day.
Yet, as the interviews continued, Omar also criticized some of Kirk’s past statements, including his controversial remarks about bailing out the man who attacked Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Omar argued that divisive rhetoric from figures like President Donald Trump and Rep. Mace was fueling political violence. "I just want people to live in reality and understand where the problem is, and people who, you know, are carrying out these rhetorics that are causing harm and division in our country, and not come for those of us who are just trying to tell the truth about where we are and where we need to go," Omar told Hasan.
The censure resolution did not quote Omar’s interviews directly but instead referenced an anti-Kirk video that Omar had reposted. Omar, for her part, has said that Republicans are trying to censure her over words she never said. The political tension quickly spilled over onto social media, with Mace and Omar trading sharp insults. Mace suggested Omar should be deported to Somalia, while Omar retorted that Mace should seek rehabilitation. In a particularly heated exchange with HuffPost, Mace said, "She’s a nasty human being. She hates her country. She hates our country so much she doesn’t have to be here. She’s disgusting, she’s vile. She’s literally accusing me of substance abuse. When have you ever seen me abuse any substance? She’s a liar and she’s a vile human."
The House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), condemned Mace’s comments before the vote, describing them as "racist, unhinged and xenophobic" and questioning, "Is this what civility looks like in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives?" Jeffries also pointed to the broader context of political violence, referencing not only Kirk’s assassination but also the recent killing of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman in Minnesota. "We live in an era of intense political violence as we have seen with the recent assassinations of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk," Jeffries noted, according to AP coverage.
Charlie Kirk’s influence on Capitol Hill was underscored by the outpouring of tributes following his death. A candlelight vigil was held Monday evening in the Capitol's Statuary Hall, and a resolution honoring Kirk is expected to be swiftly approved. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who credits Kirk with launching her political career, is seeking to place a statue of him in the Capitol.
The aftermath of Kirk’s assassination has also prompted a legislative flurry from Republicans, many of whom are running for higher office and eager to align themselves with Trump’s calls for action against the so-called “radical left.” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) has proposed a select committee to investigate what he characterizes as a "coordinated network of leftists attacking us." Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is promoting a bill to add rioting to the list of prosecutable offenses under racketeering laws, and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has introduced the "Charlie Kirk Act" to revive a Cold War-era law prohibiting the government from engaging in domestic political propaganda. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) has offered another resolution to reprimand Omar, while Mace has proposed stripping federal funding from schools that fail to act against staff who "excuse or glorify the murder of Charlie Kirk."
Conservative organizations have thrown their weight behind these proposals. Heritage Action, the political arm of the Heritage Foundation, declared, "In the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, policymakers must do all they can to stop radical left-wing violence," in support of Roy's select committee plan.
Democrats responded to Mace’s resolution with a censure effort of their own, targeting Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) over allegations of assault against a romantic partner, which Mills has denied and for which he has not been charged. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) introduced the Mills censure resolution, arguing, "If there’s going to be censures of anyone, it should be those folks that are actually inciting violence, or who have had very serious allegations of physical violence against them, like Congressman Mills." However, after Mace’s motion was tabled, Casar did not bring his own to a vote, and Mills ultimately joined Democrats and three other Republicans in voting against censuring Omar.
In a social media response to Mace, Mills stated, "We may not like or agree with what someone says, but that does not mean we should deny their 1A Right." His vote against the resolution, according to HuffPost, likely spared him from facing his own censure vote.
The House’s recent history is marked by a surge in disciplinary actions, with Omar herself having been stripped of her spot on the Foreign Affairs Committee in 2023. Yet, as the dust settles from this latest episode, some lawmakers appear to be cooling to the notion of using censure as a political weapon. Just this month, a resolution to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) over alleged interference with federal officers was also blocked, after several Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.
As the Capitol continues to grapple with the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, the episode has laid bare the bitter political divides and the challenges of maintaining civility and constitutional principles in an era of heightened partisanship and violence. For now, the House has opted for restraint, but the underlying tensions show little sign of abating.
