Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton is drawing attention for saying he was “one of the only white people” in the House to vote against a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk after Kirk’s assassination. The remarks circulated as Moulton’s Democratic Senate campaign came to an unsuccessful end, with Sen. Ed Markey defeating him decisively in the September 1 primary.
The video shows Rep. Seth Moulton speaking outdoors in a parking garage during an NBC News Now interview labeled “Decision 2026.” In the clip, he says he is “not afraid to vote against the party establishment,” then adds, “When the party establishment told us to vote for the Charlie Kirk resolution, to just kind of make it go away, I was one of the only people in the House, actually one of the only white people in the House in particular, to vote against it.” The footage does not include the question that prompted the remark or the rest of the interview.
Moulton was far from alone in opposing the resolution. The measure passed 310-58, with all 58 “no” votes coming from Democrats. Another 38 Democrats voted present. Moulton’s narrower claim about being one of relatively few white lawmakers to vote against it is more difficult to assess from the official roll call, which records members’ names, parties, states and votes but does not categorize them by race.
The comments refer to H.Res. 719, the House resolution honoring Kirk after he was killed in September 2025. Moulton voted no and said at the time that he condemned political violence and mourned with Kirk’s family but could not support a resolution he argued “attempts to rewrite history.” He objected specifically to language portraying Kirk as a model of unity and respect, arguing in his statement that Kirk had instead used his platform to divide Americans and demean political opponents and minority groups.
‘And You Lost’: Critics Pounce on Moulton After Kirk Remark
Some viewers focused on the comment itself, calling it “Disgusting!” and writing, “He obviously doesn’t know anything about Charlie. Sad.”
Others tied the clip to the Senate result. “And you lost,” one user wrote. Another said, “I’m glad I voted for Markey, as difficult as that is to admit.”
A separate group described the remark as political positioning. One commenter said, “Loser. He will do and say anything to get elected.”
One commenter interpreted Moulton’s Kirk remarks through the lens of another controversy that followed him into the primary, arguing that he was “trying to atone” after previously breaking with progressives over transgender athletes. Moulton had faced criticism within his party over comments about transgender participation in girls’ sports, an issue Markey also highlighted during the campaign.
Moulton had presented his willingness to break with Democratic leadership as part of his argument for replacing Markey, and he used the Kirk vote as one example of that independence. Massachusetts Democratic voters ultimately went in another direction. Markey defeated him by roughly 30 percentage points, ending Moulton’s Senate bid just as his explanation for one of his more controversial House votes was finding a new audience online.
