Overview

• On Capitol Hill, Rep. Derrick Van Orden told reporters they were responsible for Charlie Kirk’s death and rebuked follow-up questions with remarks like “knock it off” and “be quiet.”
• Van Orden posted a 9/11 image on X and vowed to “be at war” for the next 20 years, using incendiary language that targeted journalists, Democrats and others.
• Other Republicans, including Rep. Nancy Mace, criticized the media, while congressional leaders from both parties urged colleagues to lower the temperature and reject political violence.
• Coverage diverged across outlets, with MSNBC firing analyst Matthew Dowd over remarks related to Kirk and Fox News host Jesse Watters calling for the right to “avenge Charlie’s death.”
• Kirk, 31, was shot during a Utah Valley University event and later died at a hospital, and authorities have not publicly identified a shooter or established a motive.