Shortly after right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, 31, was fatally shot at a Utah event on Wednesday, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) claimed that Democrats were to blame for his death.
“Democrats own this,” Mace told reporters Wednesday on Capitol Hill — although the shooter was, and continues to be, at large, and the motive for the shooting is still very much unknown.
“By that logic,” NBC’s chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles asked Mace, “do Republicans own the shooting of the two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota?”
Nobles was referring to the killing of former Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, in an attack at their home in June. The same shooter also injured Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in their home not far away.
“Isn’t this on both sides?” Nobles pressed Mace.
“Are you kidding me?” an outraged Mace responded. “Some raging leftist lunatic put a bullet through [Kirk’s] neck, and you want to talk about Republicans right now? No!”
“No, I’m asking you, you said the Democrats were going to—” Nobles began before Mace interjected.
“No, this is on— the Democrats own this,” Mace repeated.
“But is there a problem with political violence across the spectrum?” Nobles asked.
“Yeah, we’re talking about Charlie Kirk right now,” Mace dug in. “That’s the subject of this, that we’re talking about right now. Democrats own this, 100%.”
Nancy Mace's very first words to reporters on Charlie Kirk was "democrats own what happened today"
When @ryanobles followed up about if that means Republicans "own" the shooting of Minnesota lawmakers she says "are you kidding me?"
From moments ago on the House steps pic.twitter.com/H6RXJITtTv — Leah V. (@LeahVredenbregt) September 10, 2025
People on X also clocked the hypocrisy of Mace’s remarks — with many praising Nobles for bluntly exposing her attempt to demonize Democrats for the shooting.
THIS rhetoric is what caused this. The constant demonization of the other side will always lead to this. It’s disgusting.
She’s fighting against her own point in the same sentence.. 🤦🏼♂️ — Cake King 🎂👑.. PS YOU’RE CUTE 😈 (@Cllickss) September 11, 2025
Why would his death be a democrat vs republican thing? 🤧 people like her are the issue. This is an American issue. Not a partisan one. — Jay 💎 (@thediamondboyj) September 11, 2025
I think it’s imperative to stop asking Republicans to consider logic when they make crazy claims.
If they had logic in the first place they wouldn’t have made the claim! — Lincs (@x_facts_matter) September 10, 2025
Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with @NancyMace? She wants to blame millions of people for the actions of one asshole lunatic and also completely disregard any sort of political violence that is carried out by people on her side of the political spectrum.
Purely disgusting. — Eric Johnston (@EJohns03) September 10, 2025
The deflection and mental gymnastics from Nancy are so pathetic, it’s almost laughable. — The Political HQ (@ThePoliticalHQ) September 10, 2025
That reporter needs a raise . — HispanicJ. ☺️ (@thelifeofjorge) September 10, 2025
Crazy-Nights on September 14th, 2025 at 11:21 UTC »
And it turned out that democrats didn't "own this 100%" or at all. This really does show how triggered and radicalized the right had become. They didn't even wait for the evidence. They immediately passed judgement, not just on just the shooter's motivations but on the entire left, democrats, liberals, etc. And they fell for every single conspiracy that came up. The TRN stamp on the bullet, the guy signaling the shooter, Mace even pushed the idea that the shooter was transgender.
When those two democrats and their spouses were shot, did democrats and the left react like this? I don't believe they did.
Open_Mortgage_4645 on September 14th, 2025 at 10:29 UTC »
She's an awful person. She was the first one to run out to the cameras while Kirk was still actively bleeding to do her little partisan outrage cosplay. She's an opportunist who couldn't wait to use the death of Kirk to elevate her profile. She's a ghoul.
Spamgrenade on September 14th, 2025 at 09:31 UTC »
"Are you kidding me?" in a confused, hurt and bewildered tone. How dare anyone suggest exactly the same thing as she did just moments before.