Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said the news media is to blame for the death of the conservative activist.
"Every single one of you here, you're at fault," Van Orden told a press gaggle outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. "You are responsible for that assassination yesterday. You should be ashamed of yourself. It's disgusting."
Kirk, 31, was killed Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah, when a sniper shot him in the neck.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday night put out a video statement saying rhetoric from the "radical left" was "directly responsible for the terrorism we are seeing in our country today."
He also vowed to "find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence."
Laura Loomer, a far-right political activist, echoed a similar message as Van Orden and said Trump can reinforce Kirk's legacy "by cracking down on the left with the full force of the government.
"Every single left wing group that funds violent protests needs to be shut down and prosecuted," Loomer said.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.