Tina Smith on different treatment of Kirk, Hortman killings
The article reports on Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) expressing frustration over President Donald Trump’s decision to lower the U.S. flag in honor of conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his assassination, while not doing the same for Melissa Hortman, the Democratic speaker of the Minnesota House, who was also assassinated earlier in the year. Trump stated he was “not familiar” with Hortman’s killing and would have lowered the flag only if Minnesota Governor Tim Walz requested it-a claim Smith called “outrageous” and “ridiculous.” Smith criticized Trump’s response as callous and accused him of spreading misinformation and partisan fear rather than universally condemning political violence.She emphasized the importance of condemning violence on all sides to prevent its normalization. The article also notes Trump’s comments blaming left-wing extremism for Kirk’s murder, while the FBI has not established a motive. Smith praised Utah Governor Spencer Cox for rejecting misinformation related to the shooting in his state and calling for restraint.
Tina Smith frustrated by different treatment of Kirk, Minnesota lawmaker killings
Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) on Monday expressed her frustration with President Donald Trump’s decision to lower the U.S. flag in honor of the late Charlie Kirk when he didn’t do the same for the Democratic speaker of the Minnesota House, who was assassinated alongside her husband this summer.
In the Oval Office hours earlier, Trump was asked why he didn’t order the flag lowered to half-staff for Melissa Hortman. The president said he was “not familiar” with the high-profile killing in June, adding he would have lowered the flag if Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) asked him to do so.
Smith doubted Trump would have honored Hortman, even if Walz called him.
“I think it’s outrageous to suggest that all he needed was a call from Gov. Walz, that he would have done the right thing,” she told CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins in a Monday night interview. “I think that’s ridiculous.”
Smith said she was “blown away by the callousness” of Trump’s response. The senator argued a “universal condemnation of political violence” should apply to both sides of the political aisle.
“I don’t know whether he’s just clueless, or whether he was pretending that he didn’t remember who Melissa Hortman was, and then trying to deflect blame is exactly what we do not need in this moment,” she said.
“And this is a moment when the president is actively trying to gin up fear by spreading disinformation and his opinions when he really has no idea what is behind this tragic killing of Charlie Kirk,” she added.
Also on Monday, Trump said Kirk’s assassin was “radicalized over the internet” and blamed left-wing extremism for the fatal shooting. The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah, was arrested late last week. The FBI has not yet determined a motive for the attack.
Smith reiterated that all acts of political violence should be condemned, regardless of whether the targets are Democrats or Republicans.
“The people who study these things will tell us that what happens over time is violence can be normalized if it isn’t immediately rejected as unacceptable, and that’s not happening,” she said, pointing to Trump administration officials who have accused the Democratic Party of stoking the fire that led to Kirk’s murder.
TRUMP SAYS HE’S ‘NOT FAMILIAR’ WITH ASSASSINATED DEMOCRAT HORTMAN WHEN ASKED ABOUT LOWERING FLAGS
“They are ginning up fear and misinformation in the moment when they should be doing exactly the opposite and calling us to our higher angels,” she added.
Despite her complaints against the Trump administration, Smith credited Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) for not giving in to the misinformation surrounding the shooting in his state. Cox has spoken out against misinformation and disinformation on social media in the days since Kirk’s death, saying America’s foreign adversaries “want violence” in the United States.
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