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CBS host asks Kevin McCarthy whether Republicans need to 'reflect' on their rhetoric after Kirk assassination

‘CBS Mornings’ host Nate Burleson asked Kevin McCarthy on Thursday whether he felt it was time for Republicans to ‘reflect’ on their rhetoric after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

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"CBS Mornings" co-host Nate Burleson asked former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy Thursday whether he felt Republicans need to "reflect" on their rhetoric after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Kirk, a husband and father of two, was tragically killed by a gunshot to the neck while speaking at a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University Wednesday.

Burleson noted that the TPUSA founder's words were "offensive to specific communities" at times, and "not everyone took to his words or his rhetoric" before questioning McCarthy.

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK

Nate Burleson asked whether it was time for Republicans to "reflect" on their rhetoric after Kirk's assassination. (Screenshot/CBS)

"Speaking of this tragedy, is this a moment for your party to reflect on political violence?" he asked McCarthy in a clip flagged by The Daily Caller. "Is it a moment for us to think about the responsibility of our political leaders and their voices and what it does to the masses as they get lost in misinformation or disinformation that turns in and spills into political violence?"

McCarthy responded by stating he doesn't see rising political violence as an issue within individual parties but rather as an issue that the entire nation is facing.

He recalled a speech given by Robert F. Kennedy following the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, comparing the speech to the immediate aftermath of Kirk's slaying.

VIDEO SHOWS MOMENTS BEFORE ASSASSINATION OF TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER CHARLIE KIRK

"It was remarkable, the words he said. He said, ‘We have to ask ourselves as a nation, who are we? And how do we want to move forward?’ We have watched this political attack on both sides. … We’ve watched this on both sides," he said.

The former speaker continued, reiterating that this is "not a question about parties," but a "question of nations," referencing other recent tragedies like the Annunciation Catholic School shooting in Minnesota last month and the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump last year.

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Charlie Kirk appears at Utah Valley University Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. Kirk was speaking at his American Comeback Tour when he was shot in the neck and killed.  (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
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