I am sick and tired of Democrats trying to claim the moral high ground after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. For years, the left has fueled anger and hatred against conservatives, and now, another young person radicalized by left-wing rhetoric crossed the line into deadly violence.
In the days since Kirk was shot, Democrats have rushed to the cameras to lecture the country on civility. It’s a transparent attempt to rewrite the narrative and pretend they have always been the champions of open discourse. But words alone don’t erase the culture of rage they’ve created.
For example, Sen. Bernie Sanders issued a video statement condemning the murder of Kirk, but his words highlight the glaring hypocrisy of the Democratic Party. “I want to say a few words regarding the terrible murder yesterday of Charlie Kirk, someone who I strongly disagreed with on almost every issue, but who was clearly a very smart and effective communicator and organizer, and someone unafraid to get out into the world and engage the public,” Sanders said. “My condolences go out to his wife and his family.”
Sanders framed himself as a defender of free speech, lecturing, “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, without worrying that they might be killed, injured, or humiliated for expressing their political views…Freedom and democracy is not about political violence. It is not about assassinating public officials, it is not about trying to intimidate people who speak out on an issue. Political violence, in fact, is political cowardice.”
But Sanders himself is part of the problem that created the environment where Kirk became a target for assassination.
Mere days before the 2024 election, Sanders was on Meet the Press with host Kristen Welker, who pressed him on the rhetoric surrounding former President Donald Trump. “[Kamala Harris] is arguing that Donald Trump is a fascist,” Welker said. “Do you believe that Donald Trump is a fascist?” she asked directly.
Senator Sanders responded cautiously but firmly. “I don’t like using those words,” he said, “but clearly, he has a strong, strong tendency to authoritarianism and to undermining American democracy. Look, this is a guy who provoked an insurrection on January 6, 2021, to prevent, for the first time in American history, a peaceful transfer of power.” Sanders continued, regurgitating old bogus talking points about the riot.
Welker followed up, asking whether Sanders thought it was a mistake for Vice President Harris to call Trump a fascist. Sanders replied, “Well, look. He is an – call it what you want. This is a guy who does not believe in democracy, who is trying to divide us up. You can describe him as a fascist. You can describe him as an authoritarian.”
BERNIE SANDERS: TRUMP IS NOT A FASCIST BUT HE’S AN AUTHORITARIAN
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 27, 2024
"I don't like using those words, but clearly he has a strong, strong tendency to authoritarianism and to undermining American democracy."
Source: NBC News pic.twitter.com/Eg8aYaCnT5
Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, is a stark example of how such rhetoric can radicalize individuals. A family friend told authorities that Robinson had been “full of hate” in the days leading up to the shooting, and investigators noted that one cartridge at the scene was etched with the words: “Hey fascist! Catch!” His anger and violent mindset were fueled by the same culture of demonization that Sanders and other Democrats routinely promote, yet Sanders frames such acts as isolated anomalies, conveniently disconnected from the climate his own words help create.
In fact, the 2017 congressional baseball shooting was carried out by a Bernie Sanders supporter who opened fire on Republican lawmakers, gravely wounding Representative Steve Scalise and several others. Now quick to condemn violence against conservatives, Sanders conveniently sidesteps his own side’s role in cultivating a climate of hatred.
The murder of Charlie Kirk is part of a disturbing rise in political violence that threatens to hollow out our public life.
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 11, 2025
A free society relies on the premise that people can speak out without fear or humiliation.
No more political violence. pic.twitter.com/SR71FJkiDz
If anyone needed proof of how the modern left has abandoned moral authority, the reaction to Kirk’s assassination provides it. Social media users on platforms like BlueSky reportedly celebrated his death and even created hit lists for future targets, including JK Rowling, Matt Walsh, Donald Trump, Ben Shapiro, Libs of TikTok, Elon Musk, and Andy Ngo. These posts reveal something chilling: this isn’t idle chatter or fringe behavior—they genuinely feel morally justified in harming conservatives.
Related: Yes, the Left Is Evil, and We Have Receipts
It’s a vicious cycle for the left: they radicalize their base with hateful rhetoric, then feign shock when one of their own lashes out violently against the right. Democrats cannot simply issue hollow condemnations of violence while hiding behind the tired “both sides” excuse. They must confront the reality that their rhetoric is fueling this dangerous climate in the first place. For years, the left has stoked anger and resentment, turning political opponents into villains and outrage into moral justification for attacks. That is the fundamental difference between the parties. Conservatives don’t glorify political violence, elevate killers into heroes, or openly fantasize about the deaths of their opponents. The left does—and America is paying the price for it.
