Bernie Sanders says that “each American” must condemn what happened to Charlie Kirk

Senator Bernie Sanders, I-VT., Shared a video of almost four and a half minutes on social networks following the assassination of Charlie Kirk who warned against “a disturbing increase in political violence”, which the senator fears could lead people to participate in public life. He added that “each American” must condemn what happened to Kirk.

Sanders has long been an ardent adversary of the Republicans and Conservatives like Kirk, but the progressive senator said Thursday that this disagreement was precisely the fact that democracy and freedom. He added that anyone thinks that violence is a response is just a coward.

“A free and democratic society, which is what America is supposed to be, depends on the basic premise that people can express, organize and participate in public life without fear,” said Sanders in the video. “Without worrying that they can be killed, wounded or humiliated for having expressed their political opinions. In fact, it is the essence of what freedom and democracy is.”

I am a democrat and the murder of Charlie Kirk must unite all Americans against violence

Sanders said that he feared that the tendency of political violence could create a scary effect that prevents people from wanting to engage in democracy for fear of the potential consequences that could ensue.

Charlie Kirk warned his supporters of being wary of “assassination culture” among the months of the left before his own assassination on the campus of the University of Utah Valley. (Getty Images)

“Political violence, in fact, is political cowardice. This means that you cannot convince people of the accuracy of your ideas, and you have to impose them by force,” said Sanders. “Each American, whatever their political point of view, must condemn all forms of political violence and all forms of intimidation. We must welcome and respect the dissident points. This is what our constitution is talking about, this is what our bill is talking about, which, in fact, is freedom.”

“The murder of Charlie Kirk is part of a disturbing increase in political violence that threatens to widen public life and is afraid of people to participate,” continued Sanders.

Senator Bernie Sanders, I-VT., Assists a rally to reintroduce the Medicare for All Act in the Senate Superior Park on Capitol Hill on April 29, 2025, in Washington, DC (SOMODEVILLA / GETTY Images)

After Kirk’s assassination on Wednesday, the outcry broke out on social networks while the messages and other records of people celebrating his assassination became viral. However, legislators on both sides of the aisle have ridiculed the political violence that took the life of Kirk.

Charlie Kirk Assassination Rocks Capitol Hill, increases the security fears of the legislators

“It’s more than terrible,” said senator Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., “Charlie Kirk was a husband, father and son. Violence is never the answer. Sydney and I keep the Kirk family in our prayers.”

“I am deeply disturbed by the threat of violence that has entered our political life, and I pray for us to remember that each person, whatever the vehemence of our disagreement with them, is an American human and colleague deserving respect and protection,” said the head of the majority of the Senate, John Thune.

The commemorative monuments honoring Charlie Kirk took place across the country and abroad, including in Berlin. Kirk was murdered on September 10, 2025. (Ilkin Eskipehlivan / Anadolu via Getty Images)

In a disturbing article on social networks in April, Kirk himself warned against “assassination culture” spreading to the left.

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“The assassination culture is spreading to the left. Forty-eight percent of the Liberals say that it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk. Fifty-five percent said the same thing about Donald Trump,” Kirk wrote in his article on X, which cited the data of a study ended by the Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) network.

“The left is whipped in a violent frenzy. Any setback, whether it is the loss of an election or the loss of a judicial case, justifies a maximum violent response,” he said.

Alex Miller and Elizabeth Elkind from Fox News Digital contributed to this report.