A House Republican announced plans Monday to introduce a resolution seeking to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from two committee assignments after comments she made in an interview following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., posted images of the proposed resolution on X, saying, "BREAKING: We’re filing a resolution to strip @Ilhan of her committee assignments after her disgraceful remarks on Charlie Kirk’s assassination." The measure would remove Omar from the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the Committee on the Budget, according to the images Mace shared.
Mace's resolution alleges Omar "smeared" Kirk and "implied he was to blame for his own murder" in an interview with the progressive outlet Zeteo. Republicans have criticized several Democrats in recent days, saying their comments amounted to dismissing or minimizing Kirk's death; Omar's interview became a focal point of that criticism.
In the Zeteo interview, Omar criticized Kirk's past commentary and Republican reactions to the shooting. She agreed with interviewer Mehdi Hasan that some portrayals of Kirk as simply seeking civil debate represented a "complete rewriting of history," saying, "There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate. There is nothing more effed up, you know, like, than to completely pretend that, you know, his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so." She told the outlet she had "empathy for his kids and his wife and what they're going through." She also said, "These people are full of s---. And it's important for us to call them out while we feel anger and sadness, and have, you know, empathy..."
Omar has sought to push back against critics. In a post on X, she said she had "disagreed with Charlie Kirk vehemently about his rhetoric" but does not "wish violence on anyone." She added that right-wing accounts were "trying to spin a false story when I condemned his murder multiple times," and said the attacks were part of an effort to "villainize the left." In her Zeteo remarks, Omar also criticized Republican figures who have targeted Democrats for their rhetoric in the wake of the killing.
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was the target of the widely reported attack last week that prompted national commentary across the political spectrum. Republicans held events honoring Kirk and criticized some Democrats for their responses, while several Democratic leaders did not attend a Capitol prayer vigil connected to the incident, escalating the partisan tenor of the aftermath.
Mace's planned resolution adds to a broader pattern in which members of both parties have sought disciplinary or symbolic responses to statements tied to the episode. Removing a member from committees requires a vote by the full House, and such efforts often become partisan flashpoints. It was not immediately clear when Mace would formally introduce the measure or how many lawmakers she expected to support it.
The dispute underscores ongoing tensions over political rhetoric, the boundaries of acceptable public comment after acts of violence, and the mechanisms by which Congress polices members' statements. Omar, a high-profile member of the progressive "Squad," has previously faced efforts by Republicans to censure or remove her from committees for controversial remarks.
Fox News Digital contributed reporting to the story.