KGOP Media Relations
Statement on Political Violence
Michigan – September 26th, 2025
The Kalamazoo County Republican Party, today released a resolution urging members of both parties to formally and unequivocally condemn the assassination of Charlie Kirk and all forms of political violence, threats of intimidation and verbal assaults.
“We implore everyone involved in politics, from Washington D.C to here at home in Kalamazoo, to end the toxic rhetoric, the name calling, and sharing of false, degrading and misleading statements and any other political literature, including memes and derogatory cartoons,” says Kelly Sackett, Chairwoman of the KGOP.
Charlie Kirk, the co-founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, was assassinated September 10th while engaging students at Utah Valley University. He worked to improve the political landscape, encouraging the next generation to grow in faith and love of this country. He did this by encouraging thoughtful political discussions and engaging his opponents in vigorous debates in the public square. He never ran from a heated discussion, rather he leaned in and used his knowledge of the Bible, the U.S. Constitution and American history to educate and inform his opponents.
Political violence in this country is nothing new, with Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Donald J. Trump, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, and Representatives Steve Scalise and Gabby Giffords all victims of political violence.
Too many of our elected leaders right now are stoking the flames of political discourse, calling members of the opposing party fascists, Nazis and existential threats to democracy, almost egging on would-be assassins to act on their delusions.
There have been abhorrent examples of people celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination, implying he deserved to be murdered. In fact, 58 members in the U.S. House of Representatives voted against a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk.
We can do better. The Kalamazoo County Republican Party urges residents of this community to call on their national, state and local representatives and urge them to publicly condemn Charlie Kirk’s assassination, denounce all forms of political violence, and to act and speak in a manor befitting the office to which they were elected.
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