Members of the House of Representatives are canceling outdoor events in the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's killing on Wednesday at Utah Valley University.
Politico reported that Reps. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., moved outdoor press conferences indoors on Thursday, with a source confirming to the outlet that the California congresswoman's relocation was sparked by security concerns.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told reporters that she rescheduled a rally planned for this weekend in North Carolina out of respect for Kirk's memory and for safety.
"Even this weekend, prior to what happened, we had decided on maintaining it an indoor event because the nature of escalation has been gradually increasing," she said. "After yesterday's event, we've postponed."
According to House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., Congress needs to review its security protocols for outdoor events, given the Kirk killing and the attempt on Donald Trump's life at a Pennsylvania campaign rally in July 2024.
Comer pointed out that a rooftop was used in both cases to target the men. He also said members of Congress need to think about security in a way they may not have before.
"You could have lots of individual security and not notice someone laying down on the rooftop," he told reporters. "I mean, you look around, I've never even thought about it. … Two hundred yards away is the Library of Congress roof. That's how far away that guy was."
"I think the outdoor events, especially, members are going to really have to start thinking about security," Comer said.
Kirk's killing has fueled calls to ramp up security for members of Congress and their families, but Comer questioned whether it would actually make a difference.
"Someone said you need to increase the security budget," Comer said. "You could have had all the security in the world and not notice that [a rooftop sniper]. That's like a Secret Service kind of security, and members aren't going to have that. So, hopefully the temperature will be turned down in America, and we can have a little more civility in our political rhetoric."
On Wednesday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told Newsmax's "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" that "we have to calm down the rhetoric."
"We should be able to have this debate of ideas in our country," Stitt said.
"I've met all these people in the public eye now, and whether they're Republican or Democrat, they're still human beings, and we can talk to them and we can have conversations, and we can rise above that," he added.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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