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WATCH: Lawmakers wrestle with how to approach hateful political rhetoric in wake of Kirk assassination
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In the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, a debate about political rhetoric and its impact on recent spates of political violence has taken hold on Capitol Hill and across the country.
While both Republicans and Democrats have condemned political violence of all kinds, their views vary on how much inflammatory political rhetoric plays a role. Some Republicans have accused the left’s rhetoric of fostering an «assassination culture» on the left, while Democrats have accused Republicans of attacks on free speech.
One member of Congress, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attempted to steer the conversation towards gun control as opposed to rhetoric as the cause for the increase in political violence.
«This isn’t just about what happened to Charlie Kirk. At the same time his tragic killing was happening, three kids were getting shot in school, and that was one or two weeks after another couple of kids were getting shot, in church, at mass, at a Catholic school,» Ocasio-Cortez said.
EXPERTS WARN LEFTIST CELEBRATIONS OF CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH SIGNAL A DANGEROUS MAINSTREAM SHIFT IN POLITICS
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., suggested gun control was more to blame than violent rhetoric when asked about the potentially growing ‘assassination culture’ in the United States. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
But GOP firebrand Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., did not mince words about those who continue to foment hatred for conservatives with inflammatory rhetoric.
«We need to shame these people out of polite society, shame them out of existence. They need to be fired from their jobs. They are putting lives in danger,» Mace said. «They are denying that they’re celebrating the political assassination and murder of Charlie Kirk, but they’re liars. They’re lying through their teeth.»
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called on others to «turn down the heat» in the wake of Kirk’s assassination. Americans from all walks of life have been facing repercussions over their decision to mock, or praise, Kirk’s death, including K-12 education officials, college professors, healthcare professionals, political pundits, writers and a list of other professionals from various sectors and major companies, such as the law firm Perkins Coie, the company behind the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and Office Depot, among others.
Memorials honoring Charlie Kirk have been held across the country and overseas, including in Berlin. Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025. ( Ilkin Eskipehlivan /Anadolu via Getty Images)
FOLLOWING KIRK’S ASSASSINATION, LAWMAKERS REACT TO LETHAL POLITICAL CLIMATE: ‘VIOLENT WORDS PRECEDE VIOLENT ACTIONS’
Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., said that everyone should have «the right to speak freely, otherwise America’s democratic tradition could be threatened.
«Look, there’s a limit to what Congress can do, because, you know, we have the First Amendment, which protects all forms of speech, including hate speech, but we should have a culture of condemning any rhetoric that glorifies violence. I see violence as the downfall of American democracy,» Torres said. «We all should have the right to speak freely, to think freely, without fear of harassment or intimidation or violence. And once we lose the ability to speak freely in the public square then democracy as we know it has come to an end.»
Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., said political violence may become the «downfall of American democracy.» (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., suggested possible remedies Congress could take to help reduce inflammatory rhetoric and its potential impact on violence.
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«You have to look at the role that social media companies play in allowing violent rhetoric to be on their sites. And what more can we do so that law enforcement can see these attacks sooner?» Swalwell asked. «I wait, and stand ready to learn, where there are signs that were missed by law enforcement. Because if that’s the case, we have to do better, because the temperature is only increasing.»
congress,democrats,republicans,democrats senate,republicans,charlie kirk
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Grand jury rejects DOJ effort to indict Democratic lawmakers who urged military to defy illegal orders
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A grand jury in the nation’s capital on Tuesday refused the Justice Department’s attempt to indict a group of Democratic lawmakers who encouraged U.S. military members to ignore «illegal» orders in a video posted online.
The DOJ opened an investigation into the video featuring six Democratic lawmakers calling on troops and members of the intelligence community to defy illegal orders from the federal government. The lawmakers all served in the military or at intelligence agencies.
The lawmakers in the video were Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, as well as Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Jason Crow of Colorado.
«This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,» the lawmakers said in the video. «Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats coming to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.»
DEM SENATOR SAYS SHE’S UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION OVER ‘UNLAWFUL ORDERS’ VIDEO
A grand jury in the nation’s capital on Tuesday refused the Justice Department’s attempt to indict a group of Democratic lawmakers who encouraged U.S. military members to ignore «illegal» orders. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Grand jurors declined to sign off on charges against the lawmakers, according to The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors had pursued indictments against all six lawmakers or what charges they attempted to bring.
Prosecutors could still attempt to secure an indictmentto secure an indictment against the Democrats.
President Donald Trump had accused the lawmakers of being «traitors» who engaged in «sedition at the highest level» and «should be in jail.» He even suggested they should be executed over the video, although he later attempted to walk that comment back.
Slotkin, who previously worked at the CIA and Defense Department, was targeted with a bomb threat just days after the clip and Trump’s subsequent statements suggesting the Democrats be executed.
SEN MARK KELLY DIGS IN ON ‘ILLEGAL ORDERS’ STANCE, TELLS JIMMY KIMMEL HE’S ‘NOT BACKING DOWN’
President Donald Trump had accused the lawmakers of being «traitors» who engaged in «sedition at the highest level.» (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
«Tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law,» Slotkin said in a statement on Tuesday. «But today wasn’t just an embarrassing day for the Administration. It was another sad day for our country.»
Kelly, a former Navy pilot, called the attempt to bring charges an «outrageous abuse of power by Donald Trump and his lackeys.»
«Donald Trump wants every American to be too scared to speak out against him,» Kelly said on X. «The most patriotic thing any of us can do is not back down.»
In November, the Pentagon launched an investigation into Kelly, pointing to a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the secretary for possible court-martial or other punishment.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has censured Kelly and is attempting to retroactively demote Kelly from his retired rank of captain over his participation in the video, which affirms that refusing unlawful orders is a standard part of military protocol.
Prosecutors could still attempt again to secure an indictment against the Democrats. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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«As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice,» Hegseth wrote in an X post on Jan. 5.
Kelly responded by suing Hegseth to block those proceedings, which he called an unconstitutional act of retribution.
During a hearing last week, a judge appeared to be skeptical of key arguments that a government attorney made in defense of Hegseth’s move last month to censure the Arizona senator.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Caso Epstein: ahora el secretario de Comercio de EE.UU. admite que visitó la isla privada del financista pedófilo
Contactos en la isla privada
Funcionario clave del gobierno de Trump
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A top Iranian security official was spotted in Oman just days after Tehran and the U.S. held indirect nuclear talks in the Mideast sultanate.
Ali Larijani, a former Iranian parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country’s Supreme National Security Council, was likely in the country to discuss what comes next after the initial round of talks, The Associated Press reported. The outlet noted that Larijani’s team shared photos of him with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, the chief intermediary in the U.S.-Iran talks.
Iranian media reportedly said Larijani would deliver an important message, but later state television said al-Busaidi «handed over a letter» to the Iranian official without elaborating on the letter’s origins, according to the AP.
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Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, right, listens to Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi during their meeting in Muscat, Oman, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Erfan Kouchari/Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Office via AP)
While in Oman, Larijani also met with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq for nearly three hours, according to the AP, which cited the Iranian state-run IRNA news agency. Additionally, the outlet said that Larijani was set to travel to Qatar, which houses the U.S. military installation that bombed Iran’s nuclear sites in 2025.
Larijani accused Israel of playing a «destructive role» in the talks just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expected visit to Washington, D.C.
«Netanyahu is now on his way to the United States. Americans must think wisely and not allow him, through posturing, to imply before his flight that ‘I want to go and teach Americans the framework of the nuclear negotiations.’ They must remain alert to the destructive role of the Zionists,» Larijani wrote on X.
Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day war in the summer of 2025 which culminated in the U.S. bombing Tehran’s nuclear facilities. Iran, which has been grappling with mass anti-government protests, has blamed Israel and the U.S. for various grievances.
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ahead of U.S.-Iran talks in Muscat, Oman, on Feb. 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)
IRAN RAMPS UP REGIONAL THREATS AS TRUMP CONSIDERS TALKS, EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF REGIME VIOLENCE EMERGE
Officials from both the U.S. and Iran have said that the first round of talks went well and suggested that they would continue.
«The Muscat meeting, which was not a long one, it was a half-day meeting. For us, it was a way to measure the seriousness of the other side, and to find out how we could continue the process. Therefore, we mostly addressed the generalities,» Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a news conference Tuesday in Tehran, according to the AP.
«Our principles are clear. Our demand is to secure the interests of the Iranian nation based on international norms and the Non-Proliferation Treaty and peaceful use of nuclear energy,» Baghaei said, according to the AP. «So as for the details, we should wait for the next steps and see how this diplomatic process will continue.»
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, special envoy Steve Witkoff and negotiator Jared Kushner meet ahead of the U.S.-Iran talks, in Muscat on Feb. 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)
SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL ACTIVITY AT IRAN NUCLEAR SITES BOMBED BY US, ISRAEL
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. in Oman were «a good start» and that there was a «consensus» that the negotiations would continue.
«After a long period without dialogue, our viewpoints were conveyed, and our concerns were expressed. Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other side’s views were also heard,» Araghchi said.
«It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed,» he added.
President Donald Trump also expressed optimism about the indirect talks, telling reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday that «Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly. We’ll have to see what that deal is.»
When he was pressed on how long the U.S. would be willing to wait to make a deal with Iran, the president indicated some flexibility, saying he believes the two nations can reach an agreement.
«It can be reached. Well, we have to get in position. We have plenty of time. If you remember Venezuela, we waited around for a while, and we’re in no rush. We have very good [talks] with Iran,» Trump said.
President Donald Trump said indirect nuclear talks with Iran were «very good» and that Tehran «wants to make a deal very badly.» (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
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«They know the consequences if they don’t make a deal. The consequences are very steep. So, we’ll see what happens. But they had a very good meeting with a very high representative of Iran,» the president added.
American and Iranian representatives held separate meetings with Omani officials on Friday amid flaring tensions between Washington and Tehran. Oman’s Foreign Ministry said the meetings were «focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
world,iran,nuclear proliferation,middle east
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