Summary
- Members
of Congress are limiting outdoor events. - Rising
fear follows Charlie Kirk’s assassination in Utah. - Lawmakers
emphasize personal safety amid political violence. - Many
events were postponed or held behind closed doors.
According to an aide on Thursday, New York Democrat
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is delaying a protest that was
originally planned in coordination with the state Democratic Party and was set
for Sunday in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“After yesterday’s events, we are postponing out of
an abundance of caution. We hope to hold the event at a later date,”
a
senior adviser said. The North Carolina Democratic Party also confirmed the
event has been postponed.
Additionally, out of “an abundance of caution,”
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona canceled a town hall that was
scheduled for this weekend in Las Vegas, he said in a statement.
Two more Democrats, Representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove of
California and Delia Ramirez of Illinois, rescheduled their press conferences
that were initially planned to take place outside the Capitol to take place
indoors on Thursday.
A source familiar with Kamlager-Dove’s event said,
“We
moved it inside out of an abundance of caution.”
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who is running
for governor, said she will not hold public events “anytime soon” and
will resume carrying a firearm when she returns home and in states where law
allows it.
“I am deeply concerned for my safety,”
Mace
said.
“I don’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat, any elected
official across the country, if you are vocal, your life is at risk.”
In front of thousands of people, Kirk, 31, was shot and
killed on Wednesday during an event held by Utah Valley University. The gun
used in the shooting has been found by authorities, but the suspect is still at
large.
According to officials, the gunman fired from a rooftop,
evoking the failed murder attempt on President Trump at an outdoor campaign
rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer of Kentucky said the
parallels demand a rethinking of how members conduct themselves outdoors.
“You
could have had a fleet of security guards, and no one would have noticed a guy
laying down on a rooftop,”
Comer told reporters.
“When you
talk about security, you need to think about outdoor events probably are going
to be a lot fewer in numbers for members of Congress, at least in the short
term.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday,
“We have
colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are in a different place this morning
than they were yesterday. People have been shaken by this event. Charlie Kirk
did not die in a, you know, a car accident. He died in a assassination for his
beliefs.”
Johnson added,
“If you’re going to honor the memory
of Charlie Kirk, you do what he did. You stand for your ideas, but you do it
with the right spirit, and that reflects who and what we are as Americans, and
that’s what we’re going to try to advance right here as leaders.”
Republican Sen. John Curtis, who represents Utah, where the
Kirk shooting happened, told Major Garrett on “The Takeout” that
lawmakers are “having those conversations” about security in the wake
of Kirk’s assassination.
“I’m not gonna lie,I’m gonna think twice next time
I’m in the major parade, just a few blocks away, right?” Curtis said. “I
think all of us are going to be rethinking some things. And I, I hope we come
up with a way that allows us to stay very, very connected to those we
represent”.
What new security measures are being put in place for
members of Congress?
Many lawmakers are taking their own personal precautions to
expand their security options, by increasing hiring new security personnel, and
expanding security at their homes, offices, and on travel.
Public events are more often being moved indoors, staged
down, or cancelled altogether to limit exposure, and several members are
foregoing town halls to hold smaller, less public meetings.
Some members of Congress said they intend to carry firearms
for self-defense wherever legally permissible.
U.S. Capitol Police are working much closer with federal,
state, and local law enforcement to improve security procedures and threat
assessment for members.
