Following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, a group of House Republicans is calling for an investigation into what they describe as “radical left” networks. On September 11, Texas Representative Chip Roy sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson requesting the formation of a committee to lead the probe.
Roy’s letter cited what he described as a pattern of violence against conservatives, referencing incidents such as the 2024 attempt on President Donald Trump’s life and the 2017 congressional baseball game shooting. “We must take every step to follow the money and uncover the force behind the NGOs, donors, media, public officials, and all entities driving this coordinated attack,” Roy wrote. The letter was signed by 22 other House Republicans.
If established, the proposed select committee would examine organizations like Antifa and donors including George Soros. South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman, one of the signers, said: “Political violence of any kind is unacceptable, no matter who commits it.” He added: “But let’s not pretend this is an even playing field. In recent years, we’ve seen organized and well-funded efforts from the radical left to intimidate, disrupt, silence, and even justify violence against Americans they don’t agree with. Too often, the media downplays or excuses this violence when it comes from the left, as we’ve seen this week. That’s unfortunately the reality, and that’s where my concern lies.”
President Trump addressed similar concerns in an Oval Office address after Kirk’s death: “Radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives.”
However, experts have challenged these claims. Data analysts and political scientists told McClatchy News that political violence in America does not belong exclusively to one party or ideology. They pointed to violent acts targeting Democrats in recent years—including Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman’s assassination in 2025; the 2022 attack on Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband; and a 2020 plot against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Sean Westwood, government professor at Dartmouth College and director of the Polarization Research Lab, said: “Searching for a single partisan motive among perpetrators of political violence is likely a fruitless exercise. The more salient common factors are social isolation, mental illness, and a deep-seated conviction that the political system itself is illegitimate.”
Rachel Kleinfeld from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted: “While people like to view political violence as left or right, the reality is that it usually is perpetrated by people who are aggressive and are often mentally unbalanced, who draw from a wide range of conspiracy theories and beliefs.”
In response to Kirk’s killing—and Republican calls for investigation—Democrats urged unity over division. Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett said: “Instead of lowering the temperature, Trump is spiking it.” He continued: “We should be united in rejecting violence, but this partisan, one-sided approach only adds fuel to the fire. Trump and his minions, who refuse to even post a plaque honoring the law enforcement heroes who stopped the January 6 insurrection, regularly demonize their adversaries and embrace violence. … Ending the cycle of violence calls for every American to recognize that violence is never the answer.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also called for leadership focused on bringing Americans together: “This moment requires leadership that brings the American people together, as opposed to trying to further divide us,” he told reporters on September 11.
Some Republican leaders echoed these appeals for civility. Former President George W. Bush stated on X: “Members of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens… May God bless Charlie Kirk and his family, and may God guide America toward civility.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox commented after authorities arrested Tyler Robinson in connection with Kirk’s killing: “We can always point the finger at the other side… At some point we have to find an off ramp or else it’s going to get much worse.”
The debate over partisanship in political violence continues amid calls for both accountability and national unity.
