Charlie Kirk shooting gives some Dems pause on gun control talk
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Charlie Kirk speaks at the Turning Point USA Young Women's Leadership Summit in Grapevine, Texas, on June 14. Photo: Sam Hodde for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Democratic lawmakers are at odds over whether to resurface their standard calls for stricter gun legislation following the shooting death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: While Democrats have clashed in the past over the timing of gun control conversations and the details of specific legislation, rarely has the debate revolved so much around the target of the shooting.
- Democrats have little to show for years of demanding gun control after past shootings, and some fear GOP allegations of politicization will hit extra hard given that the victim was a major figure on the right.
- Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), in an interview with Axios, said Kirk's firm opposition to gun control should give his fellow Democrats pause about how they respond to his death.
- "Given the nature of the context there, calling for policy responses that are probably the opposite of his politics is just not right," he said.
Driving the news: Almost immediately after Kirk was shot, Democrats began to agitate for a legislative response.
- In the commotion following a moment of silence for Kirk on the House floor Wednesday, Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), a deputy whip for the gun violence prevention task force, yelled out, "Pass some gun laws!"
- Rep. George Latimer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday he planned to push for gun control as well, telling Axios of his GOP colleagues, "Does it take shooting a conservative to start to realize the gun scourge? I hope they realize it."
What they're saying: "Anytime anyone calls for responsible gun efforts ... the criticism is always 'you can't even wait for the body to be cold' or 'why do you have to do this right after a tragedy,'" said Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.).
- "We have more mass shootings than we have days of the year already. The bodies are never going to be cold," said Thompson, who chairs the gun violence prevention task force.
- "Every single day there's a gun violence problem in this country, so, yeah, I'm going to continue to fight for it," said Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.).
- Several lawmakers pointed to the shooting that occurred at a high school in Colorado at roughly the same time Kirk was shot.
The other side: "There are a lot of times in this country, unfortunately, to talk about gun violence, mass shootings and all those things. ... I don't know if this is the time to pounce on that particular conversation," Golden told Axios.
- Another House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to offer candid thoughts on the matter, said the post-shooting demand for gun legislation "never really works."
- "Is it the right time to call for it? No. ... That shouldn't be our first move," the lawmaker added. "They'll say it's us playing politics."
- A senior House progressive, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, similarly warned against the appearance of trying to use the shooting to push a policy agenda: "The tweets of people trying to make it into something else just make them look stupid."
The bottom line: Many Democrats who spoke to Axios this week simply leaned on the fact that the shooting is so fresh to avoid weighing in on the gun control debate altogether.
- "Right now, I'm just expressing my condolences to his family," said Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.).
- Said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.): "Right now, it's just condemning the violence that is what's appropriate, and we'll let all the facts come out."
- "That is not the discussion for the moment," said Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.). "I think we should just be human for a minute."
