Politics in America has gotten pretty dark lately. Honestly, it’s hard to keep up with the headlines without feeling a bit of a heavy pit in your stomach. If you’ve been following the news over the last year, you might have noticed two names being brought up in the same breath more and more: Charlie Kirk and Melissa Hortman.
It’s a strange pairing at first glance. Kirk was the young, firebrand founder of Turning Point USA, a guy who lived for campus debates and MAGA-style rhetoric. Hortman, on the other hand, was the veteran DFL Speaker of the House in Minnesota, a power player in state government who focused on policy and procedure.
So, why are people asking what Charlie Kirk said about Melissa Hortman?
The truth is, their names became linked not because of a specific debate or a viral tweet, but because of a sequence of horrific events that turned them both into symbols of a national crisis. We're talking about the surge of political violence that gripped the country in 2025.
The Timeline of Two Assassinations
To understand the connection, you have to look at the calendar.
In June 2025, Minnesota was rocked by a tragedy that felt like it came out of a movie, but it was all too real. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were gunned down in their own home. It was a cold-blooded assassination that sent shockwaves through the Midwest. At the same time, another Democratic lawmaker, John Hoffman, was also targeted. It was a targeted hit on the leadership of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party.
Fast forward just three months to September 10, 2025.
Charlie Kirk was in the middle of his "American Comeback Tour." He was doing what he always did—sitting at a "Prove Me Wrong" table on a college campus. This time, he was at Utah Valley University in Orem. He was actually in the middle of answering a question about mass shootings when a gunman on a nearby roof opened fire. Kirk was hit in the neck and died shortly after.
That’s the context. The "conversation" between these two wasn't a verbal one; it was a societal one about whose life matters and how we respond when the "other side" gets hurt.
What People Get Wrong About the "Kirk vs. Hortman" Discourse
There’s a lot of noise online suggesting Charlie Kirk had some specific, nasty things to say about Melissa Hortman before he died. Kinda makes sense people would think that, given how outspoken he was. But if you look at the record, Kirk wasn't actually spending his time attacking Hortman.
The real controversy—the thing that's making people search for this today—is how other people compared the two after Kirk was killed.
Basically, after Charlie Kirk’s death, a massive wave of conservative outrage followed. People like Donald Trump and JD Vance were calling for national mourning and demanding that anyone who made fun of Kirk on social media should be fired. And people were getting fired. Thousands of them.
But critics noticed something. When Melissa Hortman was murdered three months earlier, that same level of outrage from the right was... well, it wasn't there.
- The Trump Response: When Hortman died, Trump actually refused to call Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. He reportedly said calling Walz would be a "waste of time" and called the Governor "whacked out."
- The Mike Lee Backlash: Senator Mike Lee of Utah got hammered on social media because he posted a heartfelt tribute to Kirk but had previously spent time pushing conspiracy theories about the Hortman shooting.
- The Gutfeld Incident: Greg Gutfeld on Fox News actually went on a rant asking, "Did you know her name before it happened? None of us did." He was basically arguing that Hortman’s death didn't carry the same weight because she wasn't a national media figure like Kirk.
So, when you hear people asking about what Kirk said, they’re usually actually talking about the double standard in the political response to their respective deaths.
The "Both Sides" Trap
It's easy to get lost in the "who started it" game. Honestly, it’s exhausting.
Some people pointed out that Kirk had a history of making pretty inflammatory remarks. He’d said things about "prowling Blacks" and "the great replacement strategy" that made him a villain to the left. Because of that, some folks on the internet—often anonymously on sites like Bluesky—actually celebrated his death.
That "celebration" is what triggered the massive conservative crackdown. Turning Point USA started selling shirts that looked like the one Kirk was wearing when he was shot. They turned him into a martyr for free speech.
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Meanwhile, the DFL in Minnesota felt like Hortman’s death was being treated as a "local crime" rather than a political assassination. The FBI, under Director Kash Patel, was accused of focusing almost entirely on threats against conservatives while leaving the investigation into the "left-wing" hit on Hortman to the footnotes of policy memos.
Why This Matters Right Now
We’re living in a moment where the "rules of civility" seem to have completely evaporated.
If you're looking for a specific quote where Charlie Kirk bashed Melissa Hortman, you probably won't find it. He was too busy focused on his national brand. But the omission is what speaks volumes to many. In the three months between Hortman’s death and his own, Kirk’s platform didn't exactly lead the charge for "unity" or "ending political violence" for all sides.
Instead, the rhetoric on both sides just kept escalating until the bullets started flying.
Experts like Thomas E. Brzozowski, a former Justice Department counsel, have pointed out that when the government starts labeling one type of violence as "terrorism" but ignores the other because of the victim's political party, the whole system starts to break. That’s the real story here. It's not about a "feud" between a commentator and a Speaker. It's about a country that has lost the ability to grieve for its enemies.
Moving Forward: What Can You Actually Do?
It's easy to read this and feel like the world is on fire. It sorta is. But there are a few ways to navigate this without losing your mind or contributing to the noise.
First, check the source. A lot of the "Charlie Kirk said X about Hortman" posts are actually rage-bait designed to get clicks. Always look for the original clip or a transcript from a reputable news outlet before you hit share.
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Second, resist the urge to "whatabout." It’s the most common reflex in politics. "What about Melissa Hortman?" or "What about Charlie Kirk?" Both were human beings with families. Both were murdered for their involvement in our democratic process. Acknowledging the tragedy of one doesn't diminish the tragedy of the other.
Lastly, pay attention to the legislation coming out of this. In states like California, lawmakers are trying to add "political affiliation" to the list of protected characteristics for hate crimes. Whether you think that’s a good idea or a slippery slope, it’s the direct result of the Kirk and Hortman tragedies.
The most actionable step is to demand that the leaders you follow—regardless of your "side"—apply the same standard of humanity to everyone. If we only care when "our guy" gets hurt, we're basically just waiting for the next headline.
Key Takeaways:
- Charlie Kirk and Melissa Hortman were both victims of political assassinations in 2025.
- The controversy isn't about a direct interaction between them, but the wildly different public and government reactions to their deaths.
- Political violence is being used as a wedge to further polarize the country, with both sides accusing the other of "hypocrisy."
- Avoid falling for unsourced quotes; focus on the broader pattern of how these tragedies are being used in national rhetoric.