In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination, reasonable Americans are taking a closer look at the words coming from elected leaders. One of the loudest voices in recent weeks has been Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, whose remarks have gone far beyond spirited debate and into dangerous territory. At a time when emotions are high and the nation should be calling for unity, Crockett has chosen to further dehumanize her political opponents.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club radio show, Crockett dismissed concerns that her language might be inflaming tensions. “Me disagreeing with you, me calling you, you know, wannabe Hitler, all those things are not necessarily saying, ‘Go out and hurt somebody,’” she said. She insisted that her words were harmless compared to former President Trump’s tough talk on the campaign trail. Yet this framing overlooks the obvious point: when a member of Congress starts calling political opponents “Hitler,” “dictator,” “racist-in-chief,” or “hater-in-chief,” the language is no longer simple disagreement. It paints fellow Americans as enemies to be destroyed rather than citizens to be persuaded.
Crockett, in her own words, refers to “the other side” as “fascists” and refers to President Trump as a “wannabe dictator”:
Crockett doubled down further, accusing Republicans of fostering a “culture of violence.” She pointed to Trump’s old line about being able to “shoot somebody in the middle of the street” and still win support. But she ignored the reality that the overwhelming majority of political violence in recent years has come from the left. That violence just claimed the life of Charlie Kirk, a conservative leader whose only “crime” was challenging liberal opinions. The shooter was reportedly immersed in left-wing ideology, which raises real questions about how much Democratic rhetoric has contributed to this climate.
The language Crockett uses matters. When public officials routinely call their rivals “fascists” and “racists,” it does more than score points on social media. It dehumanizes millions of voters and brands them as evil. That sort of talk creates fertile ground for unstable individuals to see violence as justified. Words like these are accelerants, and in today’s polarized culture, they are sparks that can ignite tragic consequences.
Crockett is not alone. Democrats across the country have casually compared Republicans to Nazis, accused them of seeking authoritarian rule, and labeled conservative values as nothing more than white supremacy. It is rhetoric that cheapens history, poisons public debate, and makes political violence more likely. Instead of denouncing Crockett’s words, many on the left excuse them as “passion” or “truth-telling.” But after Kirk’s death, the country cannot afford to shrug this off any longer.
This is not a call for censorship, but rather demanding accountability from elected officials who casually compare Republicans to the most evil aspects of human history and feign ignorance when someone takes them seriously.
The tragic loss of Charlie Kirk should have been a turning point (pardon the pun), a moment to step back and call for cooler heads. Instead, Crockett’s choice to escalate her attacks is proof that some Democrats see political gain in division. For everyday Americans who believe in decency, it is a stark reminder that the left’s reckless words are not harmless. They are dangerous, and if unchecked, they will continue to fuel the very violence that has now claimed one of the movement’s brightest leaders.