The death and shooting of Charlie Kirk in Utah has caused major shock throughout the country. Nobody expected him to be gunned down right in front of their eyes, and the sheer suddenness of the event left people stunned. Yet alongside the grief and disbelief, his death also triggered another round of bitter political blame shifting. Congresswoman Nancy Mace in particular seemed more than willing to turn the Utah tragedy into a political point. Speaking to reporters, she declared that Democrats own what happened today. Mace added that her children called her in a panic when they heard the news about Kirk. She also stressed that just because Kirk supported gun rights did not mean it was somehow acceptable for him to be shot. While her comments on that point were valid, her decision to pin the responsibility for the incident on Democrats struck many as deeply unfair.
Reporters quickly pressed her on the logic of her claim. One journalist asked whether, by that reasoning, Republicans would then have to “own” the shooting of two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota. Isn’t this on both sides? he asked. Nancy Mace was visibly dismissive.
She insisted that what happened in Utah was different and that Democrats bore the blame, but Republicans did not bear the same responsibility for violence against Democrats. “Some raging leftist lunatic put a bullet through his neck and you want to talk about Republicans right now?” she shot back. The comment revealed the double standard. She was fine blaming Democrats for Kirk’s death, yet rejected any suggestion that Republicans could be held to the same standard.
Her remarks quickly spread online, where reactions poured in. Many people were stunned by what they saw as blatant hypocrisy. “These folks bring up Democrats after ANYTHING bad that happens because they know the deal. Deflect at all costs. It’s never their fault. Never even a drop of accountability,” one user wrote.
Others pointed out that the right, and Republicans in particular, have long had a larger share of politically motivated violence compared to the left. Yet Mace brushed all of that aside, dumping the blame squarely on Democrats. “Republicans are more likely to commit political violence than any other group,” another commenter argued.
At the same time, some praised the reporter who pushed back against Mace’s framing. They admired his willingness to confront her head-on, even though she refused to acknowledge the inconsistency. Still others criticized her for making the entire tragedy into yet another left versus right fight. “I’m sorry, but WE DON’T KNOW THIS IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. And just because Kirk was right wing DOESN’T make the shooter left wing. FFS people,” one commenter said in frustration.
