SCOOP: Ilhan Omar hit with House Ethics complaint over response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination
FIRST ON FOX: House Main Street Caucus Chairman Mike Flood, R-Neb., will refer Democratic colleague Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for a House Ethics Committee investigation, he first told Fox News Digital. It is the latest move in the GOP-led fallout over Omar’s response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was shot and killed in Utah during a college campus speaking event last week. “I will be filing tomorrow … a complaint with the Committee on Ethics in the House of Representatives with 18 very concerning incidents and/or behaviors and/or statements that, on their face, reflect poorly on the House of Representatives,” Flood said of Omar. The top of the list of complaints will include the progressive Democrat’s “obnoxious, insulting and dismissive comments following the assassination of Charlie Kirk,” he said. ABC REPORTER CALLS CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN’S TEXT MESSAGES WITH TRANSGENDER PARTNER ‘VERY TOUCHING’ “Second, harboring illegal immigrants. I believe in February of this year that Omar hosted a workshop advising Somalians on how to avoid being deported after protecting the laws of the United States,” Flood continued of his points. “No. 3, she’s used TikTok for mixed official and campaign content, which specifically violates other House rules.” Flood was one of four House Republicans to help Omar narrowly avoid being censured by the House on Wednesday evening. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., moved to force a vote on censuring Omar over her reaction to Kirk’s killing, but the move was quashed when four Republicans and all Democrats voted to table the measure. Flood said at the time of his vote, “Ilhan Omar’s statements and social media posts are reprehensible and should be referred to the Ethics Committee. The appropriate time to consider a censure motion would be after ethics reviews her conduct.” He told Fox News Digital on Thursday that initiating an ethics investigation would make a censure “far more credible.” Flood pointed out that he similarly voted to table a censure threat against Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., for her conduct outside a New Jersey ICE facility before the ethics committee could issue a report on the matter. “And so I have gathered enough information, starting yesterday, before I voted to table, understanding that this was an issue,” Flood said. He also disagreed with the other three House Republicans who all said Omar’s comments were protected by the First Amendment. “This isn’t a free speech issue. This is a ‘Have you demonstrated that you are behaving at all times in a manner that reflects credibly on the House?’” Flood said. Omar specifically faced backlash over an interview with progressive news outlet Zeteo, in which she criticized Kirk’s past commentary and Republicans’ reaction to the shooting. She later accused Republicans of taking her words out of context, and she called Kirk’s death “mortifying.” SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES OVER SECURITY LAPSES SURROUNDING THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING She previously told Zeteo days after Kirk’s assassination that he had “downplayed slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth shouldn’t exist.” “There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate,” the “Squad” member said. “There is nothing more effed up, you know, like, than to completely pretend that, you know, his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so.” She later posted on X amid the backlash, “While I disagreed with Charlie Kirk vehemently about his rhetoric, my heart breaks for his wife and children. I don’t wish violence on anyone. My faith teaches me the power of peace, empathy, and compassion. Right-wing accounts trying to spin a false story when I condemned his murder multiple times is fitting for their agenda to villainize the left to hide from the fact that Donald Trump gins up hate on a daily basis.” Omar also reposted a video on X, where others not associated with the congresswoman said, “Don’t be fooled, these people don’t give a single s— about Charlie Kirk. They’re just using his death to further their Christo-fascist agenda.” The Minnesota Democrat’s colleagues have vehemently defended her against Mace’s censure and Republican criticism. Fox News Digital reached out to Omar’s office for a response to Flood but did not immediately hear back.
Final Senate candidate Charlie Kirk endorsed before his assassination: ‘We have to win’
EXCLUSIVE — Nate Morris says last week’s assassination of his friend Charlie Kirk was a “gut punch.” But the Republican businessman from Kentucky, who was the last Senate candidate Kirk endorsed and joined on the campaign trail before he was shot and killed, said in an exclusive national interview with Fox News Digital that “we’re picking up the mantle for Charlie.” And Morris, one of three major candidates vying for the Republican nomination in the 2026 race to succeed retiring longtime former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, emphasized, “We’re going to honor him by running an incredible campaign and winning this thing.” Morris said that when he was considering a Senate run, “I got a chance to meet Charlie and get to know him. And, you know, he didn’t know me from Adam. He didn’t know really anything about me, other than I was a business guy, and I was looking at the race. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS “I think Charlie’s superpower was his ability to listen and give people an opportunity to share what’s on their mind,” Morris said. “He certainly did that for me, and he came away motivated to help me, which, which was unbelievable to have that kind of support early on.” RISING REPUBLICAN STAR ASHLEY HINSON LAUNCHES SENATE BID TO SUCCEED IOWA’S ERNST Kirk, the conservative firebrand, activist, media superstar on the right, co-founder of the influential Turning Point USA organization and ally and outside advisor to President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr., invited Morris on his radio show. And in June, he teamed up with Morris at a campaign kickoff event just south of Louisville, Kentucky. “It was such a shot in the arm to our campaign. I mean, you couldn’t ask for anything greater,” Morris said. “When you’re launching something like a United States Senate campaign, an iconic leader like Charlie, who believes in you and believes in your vision, it changes everything. And it changes the way you look at the race. It gives you a confidence that I think very few candidates are lucky enough to get.” FOUR KEY SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTIONS Morris added that “Charlie was all in on this campaign from the very beginning, and I think it set the tone as well and showed conservatives what kind of campaign we’re going to run. “But, also, he spoke for me, my beliefs and my character before a lot of people knew me,” Morris said. “I’m running as an outsider. I’m not a career politician. I’ve never run for office before, and having Charlie vouch for me in this campaign changed everything for us.” Morris is facing off against fellow major contenders Rep. Andy Barr and former Kentucky Attorney General and 2023 gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron, in a growing field of candidates in a Republican race that’s turning combustible. “The assassination of Charlie Kirk is a national disgrace and a wake-up call for America. Enough is enough. I continue to pray for Charlie’s family during this unspeakable tragedy,” Barr wrote in the hours after Kirk’s murder. And Cameron, this week, said that in Kirk’s “honor, we will continue to stand for truth and this Nation’s founding ideals.” In the wake of Kirk’s shooting death while speaking to college students at Utah Valley University, Morris said he’s more motivated than ever to win the Senate race. “I had a burning desire from the moment I started thinking about this race that I felt like I had to get in. I felt that with every fiber of my being,” he said. “Let me tell you, since this has happened, this fire is like a fire I can’t describe. We have to win, and we have to honor Charlie and what he did for us. We have no choice.”
Hunter Biden was involved in pardon talks toward end of father’s term, source says
Hunter Biden was involved in discussions about pardons toward the end of his father’s White House term, a source familiar with Jeff Zients’ interview with the House Oversight Committee told Fox News Digital on Thursday. Zients met with House investigators behind closed doors for over six hours, the final former Biden administration official to appear in House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer’s probe into ex-President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen. Comer, R-Ky., is also investigating whether Biden’s top aides covered up signs of mental decline in the former president and whether executive decisions signed via autopen, including myriad clemency orders Biden approved, were executed with his full awareness. Zients told investigators Hunter was involved in some of those pardon discussions and attended a few meetings on the subject with White House aides, the source said. BIDEN’S AUTO-PEN PARDONS DISTURBED DOJ BRASS, DOCS SHOW, RAISING QUESTIONS WHETHER THEY ARE LEGALLY BINDING It’s not clear how much say Hunter had in those meetings or if he was involved in discussions about his own controversial pardon. The former president issued a “full and unconditional” pardon for his son in early December, just under two months before leaving office. That’s despite Biden and his staff denying the possibility of such a move on several occasions. Biden approved nearly 2,500 commutations on Jan. 17, just days before leaving the White House, setting a record for most clemency orders ever granted by a U.S. president — more than 4,200 total — and the most ever in a single day. Weeks earlier, he issued pardons for several family members, including Hunter. ‘SHOULD BE PROSECUTED’: HOUSE REPUBLICANS ZERO IN ON BIDEN AUTOPEN PARDONS AFTER BOMBSHELL REPORT It had been previously reported by NBC News and other outlets that Hunter sat in on White House meetings with Biden’s aides in the wake of the former president’s disastrous June 2024 debate against Donald Trump. Zients is the final former Biden aide expected to appear before the House Oversight Committee in its autopen probe. The source familiar with his sit-down told Fox News Digital that Zients “admitted that President Biden’s speech stumbles increased as he aged.” “He also noted that the president’s difficulty remembering dates and names worsened over time, including during the administration,” the source said. A second source familiar with Zients’ comments to the House Oversight Committee defended his comments. “As chief of staff, Jeff’s job was to ensure that the president met with a range of advisors to thoroughly consider issues so that the president could make the best decisions,” the second source told Fox News Digital. “Throughout Jeff’s time working with him, while President Biden valued input from a wide variety of advisors and experts, the final decisions were made by the president and the president alone,” the second source said. “Jeff had full confidence in President Biden’s ability to serve as president and is proud of what President Biden accomplished during his four years in office.” Fox News Digital reached out to Zients’ attorney and the law firm of Abbe Lowell, who was known to have defended Hunter previously, for comment but did not immediately hear back.
WATCH: Parody drug ad spotlights RFK’s crackdown on misleading pharmaceutical marketing
FIRST ON FOX: Shortly after announcing a strategy to go after deceptive direct-to-consumer advertising by the pharmaceutical industry, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Department of Health and Human Services released a parody video of a drug advertisement, a pointed way of emphasizing the fact that the United States is largely unique in allowing drug ads. “Tired of endless drug ads promising quick fixes but leaving you sicker than you were before? That can change today. Ask your doctor about MAHA,” the parody commercial begins, referring to Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative. “MAHA may cause healthier living, fewer chronic diseases and lower drug costs,” the video’s narrator continues. “Some Americans reported more time spent with family instead of at the pharmacy. Other side effects may include healthier children, a stronger nation, more transparency in healthcare, honest advertising and accountability from Big Pharma.” The drug advertisement parody comes after Kennedy and HHS laid out their plans to target direct-to-consumer drug advertising — something that isn’t widely allowed outside the United States — in a new children’s health strategy released earlier this month. JILLIAN MICHAELS HAMMERS NY TIMES FOR ‘BLATANT HIT PIECE’ PORTRAYING HER AS DANGEROUS CONSPIRACY THEORIST The strategy said it will ramp up enforcement of current prescription drug advertising laws, with a priority on “egregious violations demonstrating harm from current practices.” The strategy noted these violations could include the dissemination of “risk information and quality of life through misleading and deceptive advertising on social media and digital platforms.” The strategy to go after direct-to-consumer drug ads will also include interagency cooperation to explore the development of potential new industry guidelines that limit direct-to-consumer advertising for certain “unhealthy foods” to children. These efforts include “evaluating the use of misleading claims and imagery,” the MAHA children’s strategy stated. Kennedy said alongside the release of HHS’s parody advertisement that the Trump administration plans to begin holding the pharmaceutical industry accountable for not sharing full safety information in drug ads on television, radio and beyond. WHY TRUMP BROKE WITH RFK TO DEFEND THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINES “No more hiding vital information in small print or pushing it off to a website or a 1-800 number,” Kennedy said in a video released in conjunction with the parody advertisement. He also noted that regulators have been letting pharmaceutical manufacturers avoid providing complete warnings in their marketing materials. Kennedy said in the accompanying video that, in the past, regulators let companies mention a vague “major statement” of risk that required consumers to go elsewhere for important details about the drug. The secretary said this “loophole” opened the door to a “tsunami” of misleading advertisements. “Drug ads drove up prescription drug costs and distorted doctor-patient conversations. Patients saw glossy ads and often asked for new medications,” Kennedy continued. “Big Pharma’s marketing hooked the country on prescription drugs. We’re taking action to end that practice.”
Senate confirms dozens of Trump nominees in first test of new nuclear rules
Senate Republicans rammed through dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees on Thursday in their first flex of the Senate’s new rules for confirmations. Lawmakers voted along party lines to confirm 48 of Trump’s nominees, many being for undersecretary or assistant secretary positions in a variety of agencies throughout the federal government and ambassadorships. Senate Republicans went “nuclear” last week to make the change after a last-minute deal with Democrats fell apart. GOP TRIGGERS NUCLEAR OPTION IN SENATE TO BREAK DEM BLOCKADE OF TRUMP NOMINEES The change ushered in by the “nuclear option” allows lawmakers to confirm an unlimited number of nominees in batches, also known as en bloc, with a simple majority vote in the upper chamber. However, the process is time-consuming, given that lawmakers must jump through procedural hoops and allow for 30 hours of debate. “Why has not a single nominee been confirmed by voice vote or by unanimous consent? We know why,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said on the Senate floor. “It’s Democrat obstruction. DEMS DIG IN AS GOP PREPARES TO GO NUCLEAR IN TRUMP NOMINEE RACE “The country has never seen anything like this,” he continued. “Senate Democrats are freezing the Senate floor, freezing the federal government and freezing our nation’s progress. This harms America’s safety. It hamstrings the agenda that Americans voted for.” Among this batch of nominees were Kimberly Guilfoyle, who Trump tapped to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece, and Callista Gingrich, who was picked to be the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland. TRUMP NOMINEES PILE UP AS GOP WEIGHS RULE SHIFT ONCE FLOATED BY DEMOCRATS Republicans argued that the change would benefit both parties now and in the future and viewed the change as an option of last resort to break through Senate Democrats’ blockade of Trump’s picks. Typically, subcabinet-level nominees, particularly those with bipartisan support out of committee, are sped through the Senate either by unanimous consent or through a voice vote, two fast-track procedural moves in the upper chamber. All the nominees in this first round made it out of committee on a bipartisan basis. However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus wouldn’t allow either to be used and caused a backlog of nominees to lower level positions in the Trump administration to pile up. As of Thursday, the list had swollen to 173. The only one of Trump’s nominees that easily moved through the chamber was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was confirmed in January on a near unanimous vote.
School administrator who called Kirk’s assassination ‘fair’ no longer employed
FIRST ON FOX: After an administrator at George Washington University outlined on social media why the assassination of Charlie Kirk was “fair,” the university confirmed he is no longer employed. “This past Saturday, the university requested that, pending further review, the staff member leave campus due to the impact his social media post had on his ability to do his particular job,” a George Washington University spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The staff member is no longer employed by the university.” The employee in question, Anthony Pohorilak, the former assistant director of academic initiatives at George Washington University’s Mount Vernon Campus, posted on Facebook, “If nothing else, it is fair, in a nation where children get massacred by gun violence on the regular, the people who advocate for continued gun ownership at the expense of those children are not immune from the consequences of their advocacy. “No thoughts, no prayers,” Pohorilak added in his post, first reported by Fox News Digital, that went up shortly after Kirk was murdered while speaking to college students in Utah. TENNIS LEGEND MARTINA NAVRATILOVA REACTS TO JIMMY KIMMEL BEING PULLED OFF AIR AFTER CHARLIE KIRK COMMENTS George Washington University said in a statement to Fox News Digital at the time that the school is “one of the most politically engaged campus communities in the country” and believes “everyone is entitled to their beliefs, and no one should ever be subject to violence for expressing their views. “This individual employee is not authorized to speak on behalf of GW, and his opinions do not reflect those of the university.” In the next several days, conservatives on social media launched a campaign to expose individuals who attempted to justify the political assassination, which resulted in dozens of firings. On Saturday morning, the university sent an email to students that was obtained by Fox News Digital, saying that “enhanced safety measures” were implemented on campus, adding, “in response to media coverage of a staff member’s social media post, some members of our community have received threatening communications from non-GW individuals.” HILLARY CLINTON SPARKS SOCIAL MEDIA FIRESTORM FOR PROMOTING BOOK WARNING ABOUT ‘FASCISTS’: ‘SICK PEOPLE’ Outrage over the administrator’s post and the school’s response spread across social media, and the university’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter put out a statement condemning the post. “GW YAF draws a distinction and condemns the statement of a recent administrator,” the conservative student group posted on Instagram. “In the shadow of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, we realize the danger of political violence and the need for helpful dialogue. “This administrator took advantage of this time of despair and anxiety to propose that Mr. Kirk, through his rigorous defense of the Second Amendment, was in some way responsible for his own death and other tragedies,” it continued. “This argument is not made in good faith. Furthermore, the grave reality which must be recognized is that America suffers from deadly polarization — polarization that recent comments have exacerbated. We must commit ourselves against political violence and not celebrate, defend, or be selectively ambivalent towards it, as we have unfortunately seen on campus recently.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The group added that while it supports free speech, “we also realize the necessity for political dialogue which is truly productive. “But as conservatives on a college campus, we understand students’ fears for the future of safe, free speech. This administrator was callous toward these concerns. To win political points when students fear for our political process is irresponsible.”
Trump says Jimmy Kimmel pulled off air due to ‘lack of talent’
President Donald Trump claimed that late night television host Jimmy Kimmel’s program is being yanked off the air because Kimmel lacks talent. “Well Jimmy Kimmel was fired ’cause he had bad ratings more than anything else and he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk. And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person, he had very bad ratings and they shoulda fired him a long time ago,” Trump asserted during a press conference alongside United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer in England. “He was fired for lack of talent,” Trump said of Kimmel. DISNEY SAYS JIMMY KIMMEL’S SHOW WILL BE PREEMPTED INDEFINITELY FOLLOWING CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION COMMENTS As Fox News Digital has previously reported, a Disney spokesperson said “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be preempted indefinitely.” This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
SCOOP: Iryna Zarutska stabbing fuels transit safety overhaul talks in House
FIRST ON FOX: The House of Representatives is charging ahead with discussions on how to bolster trust in public transit after the deadly stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, N.C. A panel of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is holding a closed-door roundtable with federal transit officials, as well as law enforcement and union representatives on Thursday, Fox News Digital has learned. It’s being led by Highways and Transit subcommittee chair Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., who represents the state where the stabbing occurred. “The recent deadly stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail is a stark reminder safety must be at the center of our national transit conversation,” Rouzer told Fox News Digital. CHARLOTTE TRAIN MURDER FRONT AND CENTER IN CRUCIAL 2026 SENATE BATTLE: ‘SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES’ Lawmakers said they are hoping to hear directly from officials on strategies to mitigate crime on public transit systems. While public transportation has already been under the committee’s purview, the tragic killing of Iryna Zarutska on a train in Charlotte last month is fueling new urgency for House lawmakers on the panel. The Thursday roundtable is directly tied to that incident, Fox News Digital is told. Among the participants expected are Federal Transit Administration leader Marc Molinaro, who is a former House lawmaker, as well as American Public Transportation Association President Paul Skoutelas, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves, AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Greg Regan and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) CEO Randy Clarke. A member of House GOP leadership, Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., is also expected to attend. A spokesperson for the House Transportation Committee, led by Chair Sam Graves, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital that the roundtable would help inform legislation being crafted by the panel. “The committee is in the process of developing a broad, comprehensive surface transportation reauthorization bill – sometimes referred to as the ‘highway bill,’ but it also includes policy changes and funding authorizations for federal transit programs,” the spokesperson said. “This roundtable will inform that bill development process.” Graves added, “Trust in transit overall will continue to erode if we don’t take action to stop violent crime on public transit.” Zarutska, 23, was killed on a Charlotte light rail train on Aug. 22 while on her way home from work. Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., who allegedly stabbed Zarutska in an unprovoked attack, was charged with first-degree murder this week. Zarutska had fled Ukraine in August 2022 after Russia launched its invasion of the sovereign country. She was working at a local pizza shop and studying at a community college at the time of her killing. CHARLOTTE MAYOR SCORES PRIMARY RE-ELECTION VICTORY AMID NATIONAL BACKLASH OVER GRUESOME TRAIN MURDER The case is now the latest example being held up by Republicans of big cities having too lax a justice system in dealing with crime, including on mass transit. It comes amid broader partisan divisions over the merits of President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard to major cities in order to deal with violent crime. And while Thursday’s roundtable is bipartisan, Democrats have previously accused Republicans of politicizing the 23-year-old’s death. “I think it’s outrageous that people are trying to politicize the death of this wonderful young lady. It’s outrageous that anyone would politicize that death. What decency do people have at a moment like this, as opposed to trying to find commonsense solutions?” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said earlier this month.
WATCH: Coast Guard seizes cocaine, suspected narco-terrorists in Pacific Viper raid
FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Coast Guard has seized more than 75,000 pounds of cocaine and apprehended nearly 60 suspected narco-terrorists and drug smugglers since launching Operation Pacific Viper in August, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Pacific Viper is a joint effort between the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy aimed at countering the influx of illegal drugs to the U.S. as part of President Donald Trump’s larger effort to crack down on drug cartels. Video footage shared with Fox News Digital depicts the Coast Guard cutter Seneca, which is part of Operation Pacific Viper, completing a drug interdiction Sept. 10 northeast of the Galápagos Islands, which resulted in the seizure of 5,500 pounds of cocaine from a low-profile vessel. Operation Pacific Viper also was responsible for conducting the two strikes against alleged drug-laden vessels from Venezuela. The first strike took out 11 suspected Tren de Aragua (TdA) narco-terrorists, while the second strike took out three individuals. “You had massive amounts of drugs,” Trump told reporters Sept. 3 after the first strike. “We have tapes of them speaking. It was massive amounts of drugs coming into our country to kill a lot of people. And, everybody fully understands that fact. You see it, you see the bags of drugs all over the boat, and they were hit. Obviously, they won’t be doing it again. And I think a lot of other people won’t be doing it again. When they watch that tape, they’re going to say, let’s not do this. We have to protect our country and we’re going to. Venezuela has been a very bad actor.” This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Lawmaker who tied Kirk to ‘domestic terrorism’ facing expulsion calls amid politician blowback nationwide
Several public officials have faced expulsion calls over their reactions to Charlie Kirk’s murder, including a West Virginia delegate who compared him to the Charlotte train stabbing suspect and framed the issue in terms of alleged “racist” language and domestic terrorism. Their comments highlight how Kirk’s death has become a flashpoint in the national debate over political rhetoric and violence. Del. Anitra Hamilton, D-Morgantown, who leads the NAACP branch in Monongalia and Preston counties, faced blowback for Facebook posts that appear to have since been deleted accusing the late conservative activist of racism and claiming such “words of a racist nature” are tantamount to domestic terrorism. “The value of truth exposes your values, priorities and beliefs. You can profess Jesus, tweet about Him, and talk about Him in your speeches, and yet be a racist,” Hamilton posted, according to screenshots circulated by Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.V., former top Ted Cruz staffer Steve Guest and others. “You can murder one woman on a train by stabbing her in the neck and be condemned by the masses or you can travel the nation spewing hatred and racism, harming thousands and be loved by the masses and both have the same outcome,” the posts read. CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER THE LATEST IN INCREASING POLITICAL VIOLENCE NATIONWIDE, FROM PA GOVERNOR TO SCOTUS “Speaking words of a racist nature is not your First Amendment right, but are acts of domestic terrorism upon the souls of American people,” Hamilton continued, per the screenshots. Hamilton also said proper debate cannot take place where the Black population is “1.36%,” which matches figures for Utah, where Kirk was killed. Moore responded by calling for Charleston lawmakers to expel Hamilton, adding, “This is the ideology we are up against.” “Tolerating the warped mindset that leads to disgusting behavior like this from radical Leftists with no consequence is how we end up with a 31-year-old dad being shot and killed in cold blood.” Moore added that lawmakers cannot be “justifying murder.” Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.V., strongly condemned Hamilton. “The delegate from the 81st (District) ought to be ashamed because celebrating the death of an individual who engages in regular political dialogue on college campuses is really, truly sad to see,” said Justice. BEFORE CHARLIE KIRK MURDER, UTAH GOV. COX PUSHED EFFORT TO ‘DISAGREE BETTER’ The governor-turned-senator originally appointed Hamilton to the role — with a senior government staffer familiar with the appointment telling Fox News Digital he was bound by a rule to choose one of Democrats’ handpicked options. The staffer told Fox News Digital that Hamilton’s comments show how common it is for the opposing parties in West Virginia to offer only the “most radical” candidates for vacancy appointments. Del. Wayne Clark, R-Charles Town, reserved comment on Hamilton’s statements but told Fox News Digital that Kirk’s murder is a “tragic loss for our country” and that his “ability to debate while maintaining civility is unmatched in anyone in our lifetime.” “Those who feel that his assassination is justified for any reason should question their moral beliefs on the preservation of life,” Clark said. State Del. Geno Chiarelli, a Republican who also represents Monongalia County like Hamilton, confirmed discussions have been going on in the legislature about how to punish Hamilton, up to and including expulsion. Chiarelli told Fox News Digital he isn’t officially part of such considerations but would support expulsion if the caucus leadership decided that was the route they want to go. A Charleston official also cited an uphill climb for expulsion versus censure or other punishments, as it would require a 2/3 vote of the 91-9 GOP-majority chamber. “The left is already trying to downplay this, but the reality is sobering: Charlie Kirk was murdered by somebody who thought he was ‘full of hate’,” Moore said, calling the murder “left-wing terrorism” brought about by “endless demonization” by the Democratic Party. Beyond Mountaineer country, several other lawmakers have come under fire for their responses to Kirk’s murder. In Bernville, Pennsylvania — a quiet Pennsylvania Dutch community best known for its nationally recognized Christmas Village — the town’s Democratic mayor posted a clip from Charlie Kirk’s podcast implying he was glad Kirk had died. “This is what MAGA represents. This is what Trump lowered flags for,” wrote Mayor Shawn Raup-Konsavage, according to Allentown’s WFMZ-69 News. “If this represents you, then I don’t want to hear that you are offended that I’m glad he is gone.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Raup-Konsavage previously made headlines after President Donald Trump’s first assassination attempt, with a post that reportedly read, “Try harder.” Bernville Borough Councilman Wayne Lesher told WFMZ that while he disagrees with Raup-Konsavage, the remarks were made on a private page under First Amendment protections. “You’re celebrating the death of somebody. That’s nothing to celebrate,” Lesher said. Separately, a councilmember in Tucson, Arizona, faced blowback for an apparently misspelled post meant to read “Karma,” after Kirk’s murder, according to the city’s CBS affiliate. Another West Virginia official – a mayor in the Northern Panhandle – expressed surprise at criticisms he said outnumbered people who voted in the previous municipal election. Wellsburg, West Virginia, Mayor Dan Dudley reportedly wrote, “Sad day in America. Flying an American flag half-mast for a racist. Priceless. Wellsburg Mayor Daniel L. Dudley,” according to Wheeling’s ABC affiliate. State Del. Jimmy Willis, R-Wellsburg, told the outlet that whether it is attacks on Kirk, Trump or Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, “violence is never the answer.” Fox News Digital reached out to Hamilton and the NAACP’s Kingwood chapter for comment.