Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) appeared on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday to address criticism over her vote against a House resolution honoring Kirk’s legacy and her refusal to offer sympathy for the late Turning Point USA founder.
During the interview, Crockett described Kirk as a racist bigot who, she claimed, targeted people who did not look like him. She also criticized fellow Democrats who supported the resolution.
“The rhetoric that Charlie Kirk continuously put out there was rhetoric that specifically targeted people of color,” Crockett falsely claimed. “So it is unfortunate that even our colleagues cannot see how harmful his rhetoric was, specifically to us (people of color).”
Crockett explained her reasons for voting against the resolution. Along with her disapproval of his politics, she was also upset that Kirk had the audacity to criticize her.
“And I can tell you that a month prior to him passing away…He was talking negatively about me, directly,” she continued. “So, if there was anyone I was going to honor, somebody who decided they were just going to negatively talk about me and proclaim that I was somehow involved in the ‘Great White Replacement,’ yeah, I’m not going to honor that kind of stuff.
She then said that she was bothered by the fact that only two white lawmakers voted against the Kirk resolution.
WATCH:
A former Democratic senator shocked Fox News viewers on Friday when he suggested that President Donald Trump is the only person who can “bring this country together” following the assassination of Kirk.
His killing has drawn sharp partisan lines as Trump and Republicans accuse Democrats of inciting violence with repeated comparisons to fascism and Nazism dating back to Trump’s first term.
Democrats have countered by pointing to Trump’s own rhetoric, claiming he has encouraged a far greater degree of right-wing violence.
That argument does not hold water with Joe Manchin, the former governor and senator from West Virginia.
“President Trump is the person who can basically bring us together,” Manchin told Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum.
“I’m praying that he’s able to say ‘listen, enough’s enough. C’mon, we’re all Americans. We’ve gotta live in this world together and our country, and keep it the greatest country on earth,’” he continued.
Manchin retired from the Senate last year after serving 14 years.
During his time in Washington, he watched his coal-powered home state shift steadily Republican, leaving his seat an easy pickup for the GOP in last year’s election.
Since leaving office, Manchin has leaned into his reputation for bipartisanship and centrism, the principles that defined his time as a Senate deal-maker.
He added that Trump is the only political figure today capable of bridging a divide that has never been wider.
“I’m really hoping. I believe in him. I believe he can do that, and with that being said, he’s able to calm down all this rhetoric right now. And for those who want to still spew it? That’s fine, it’s gonna show you being on the extreme,” Manchin said.
Partisan warfare over Kirk’s death was also on display in Congress this week.
“Squad” Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., once again accused Republicans of fascism and insisted it was “not a bad word” if it was true.
That set off Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who clashed with Tlaib in a fiery back-and-forth that lasted nearly a minute as the committee chair attempted to restore order.