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Ashley Hinson calls political violence ‘a left-wing problem’ in wake of Charlie Kirk assassination
Elected officials and activists from both parties have been targets amid a rise in political violence in America
Sep. 16, 2025 5:59 pm
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Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson on Tuesday said the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk underscores what she described as a troubling pattern of politically motivated attacks carried out by the left against right-leaning figures.
Speaking on a conference call with reporters, Hinson remembered Kirk as a friend and a mentor to a generation of young conservatives, while also framing his killing as part of a broader trend.
“My heart is still so heavy following that horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk,” Hinson said. “ … He dedicated his life to engaging with American youth and preserving the values that our nation was founded on. He talks to people he disagreed with. He didn't just tweet at them. He was always encouraging those real conversations about policies and the exchange of ideas in the public sector, in the public sphere.”
Hinson said she is co-sponsoring a House resolution honoring Kirk and condemning his killing.
“There is no place for politically motivated violence or any violence in our country,” she said.
But in responding to a question from a Gazette reporter about how she responds to critics who argue some of his Kirk’s rhetoric fueled polarization, Hinson went further, saying: “The truth is political violence in America is almost exclusively left-wing violence directed at people on the right.
“I don’t think it’s an American problem. I think it’s a left-wing problem,” she said.
Hinson referenced the 2017 shooting at a congressional baseball practice that injured Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and multiple assassination attempts against President Donald Trump.
The Republican congresswoman — who also is running for U.S. Senate — said she also was “disturbed” by reports that some on the political left celebrated Kirk’s death.
Asked about an Iowa State University employee who made an inflammatory online post following the assassination of the right-wing influencer, Hinson said: “I think Iowa State should fire anyone on their staff who celebrated Charlie's murder. That's pretty clear cut to me.
“And I think anyone who celebrated a death like this should face consequences,” she continued. “There's a pretty clear, I think, value system that we should hold our staff at our university who are educating our young people to.”
Hinson’s remarks come as Congress prepares to debate the resolution memorializing Kirk. She said the measure is intended not only to honor his life but also to emphasize the importance of civil debate.
Hinson praised Kirk’s approach to political debate, describing him as civil and respectful, even when confronting opposing views, and said he built his organization on engaging with critics directly rather than avoiding them.
“I think, obviously, political violence must end, and I think we need to address the root of the problem, which is by continuing to go out and have civil conversations,” Hinson said. “So when I look at this, this legislation we're bringing to the floor this week, this is about trying to encourage civil debate, and that's what I think is important about our conversation here.”
She pointed to her own legislative work aimed at encouraging civic dialogue, including proposals to direct National Endowment for the Humanities funding toward programs that teach students how to engage respectfully across political differences.
The comments highlight the political fault lines emerging in the wake of Kirk’s killing. While lawmakers in both parties have condemned the assassination, Democrats and some outside groups have emphasized that political violence has come from multiple directions, including attacks on Democratic officials and institutions.
Incidents where figures on the left and their families have been the target of political violence in recent years include:
- The 2011 shooting of former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., who suffered a serious brain injury when a man shot her point-blank in the head while she met with constituents outside a grocery store near Tucson, Arizona
- A 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in which 13 members of a militia group were arrested and charged
- The 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and pipe bombs placed outside RNC and DNC headquarters while then-Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris was inside
- An attack on former Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, who was attacked with a hammer in their San Francisco home in 2022 by a man who had broke in seeking to hold the then-speaker hostage
- A former Republican candidate is serving an 80-year prison sentence for allegedly orchestrating attacks at the homes of Democratic state lawmakers in New Mexico
- An office shared by then-Vice President Harris' presidential campaign and the Democratic Party in Tempe, Arizona, was damaged by gunfire three times in less than a month last fall
- A mechanic who repeatedly posted anti-Democrat views on social media was arrested for setting fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence in April. Shapiro and his family were inside at the time but evacuated without injury, police said. Authorities described the incident as a targeted attack.
- A masked gunman disguised as a police officer shot and killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in their home in June. Before Hortman was shot, the gunman shot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette multiple times at their home. Both lawmakers were Democrats.
Pressed on why she cast blame on the left for a rise in political violence when elected officials and activists from both parties have been targets, Hinson — in a statement responding to emailed questions from The Gazette — said: “Political violence is never the answer, no matter the beliefs of those targeted. Disagreements over politics in America are resolved at the ballot box, not with bullets.”
Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart chastised Hinson for “choosing to point fingers instead of finding ways to heal our broken political system.”
“Political violence is unacceptable. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s comments are objectively false and do nothing to lower the temperature,” Hart said in a statement.
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
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