Bernie Sanders condemns 'disturbing rise in political violence' after Charlie Kirk's assassination

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., shared a nearly four-and-a-half minute video on social media following the assassination of Charlie Kirk that warned about "a disturbing rise in political violence," which the senator fears could lead to folks being afraid to participate in public life. He added that "every American" must condemn what happened to Kirk. 

Sanders has long been a staunch opponent of Republicans and conservatives like Kirk, but the progressive senator said Thursday that this disagreement is precisely what democracy and freedom are all about. He added that anyone who thinks violence is an answer is simply a coward. 

"A free and democratic society, which is what America is supposed to be about, depends upon the basic premise that people can speak out, organize and take part in public life without fear," Sanders said in the video. "Without worrying that they might be killed, injured or humiliated for expressing their political views. In fact, that is the essence of what freedom is about and what democracy is about."

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Sanders said he feared that the trend of political violence could create a chilling effect that prevents people from wanting to engage in democracy out of fear of the potential consequences that might ensue.

"Political violence, in fact, is political cowardice. It means that you cannot convince people of the correctness of your ideas, and you have to impose them through force," Sanders said. "Every American, no matter what one's political point-of-view may be, must condemn all forms of political violence and all forms of intimidation. We must welcome and respect dissenting points of view. That's what our Constitution is about, that's what our Bill of Rights is about, that, in fact, is what freedom is about."

"The murder of Charlie Kirk is part of a disturbing rise in political violence that threatens to hollow out public life and make people afraid of participating," Sanders continued. 

After Kirk's assassination on Wednesday, uproar erupted on social media as posts and other records of people celebrating his assassination went viral. However, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have roundly condemned the political violence that took Kirk's life.

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"This is beyond terrible," Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said. "Charlie Kirk was a husband, father, and son. Violence is never the answer. Sydney and I are keeping the Kirk family in our prayers." 

"I'm deeply disturbed about the threat of violence that has entered our political life, and I pray that we will remember that every person, no matter how vehement our disagreement with them, is a human being and a fellow American deserving of respect and protection," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

In a foreboding post on social media in April, Kirk himself warned about the "assassination culture" spreading on the left.

"Assassination culture is spreading on the left. Forty-eight percent of liberals say it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk. Fifty-five percent said the same about Donald Trump," Kirk wrote in his post on X, which cited data from a study completed by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI). 

"The left is being whipped into a violent frenzy. Any setback, whether losing an election or losing a court case, justifies a maximally violent response," he said.