Senate GOP Plans Hearing on ‘Left-Wing Political Violence’ After Charlie Kirk’s Death

First on Fox: Senate Republicans plan to open hearings to put political violence from the political left under the microscope.

Sen. Eric SchmidtR-Mo., plans to announce an upcoming hearing titled “Political Violent Attacks: Threats to Our Constitutional Order” to examine the origins of political violence and extremism, which he argues has largely originated on the Democratic side of the political spectrum.

Schmidt, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, plans to hold a hearing on Oct. 28 and will specifically examine the cross-section of the First Amendment and political violence in the wake of the conservative activist’s murder. Charlie Kirk.

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Members of the Communist Party USA and other anti-fascist groups burn an American flag on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver, Jan. 20, 2021. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

“The tragic murder “Charlie Kirk shook the country, and it’s the latest in a long list of examples of left-wing political violence,” Schmidt said.

Kirk’s death prompted a brief respite from the typically volatile state on Capitol Hill, with many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle calling for a toning down of the political rhetoric.

However, as the government shutdown continues, lawmakers are once again trading barbs as frustration grows.

Recent “No King” rallies across the country have sparked renewed political violence among congressional Republicans on the left, following a recent roundtable event at the White House where President Donald Trump Trump recently hosted independent journalists to share their experiences covering Antifa, a radical left-wing group designated as a domestic terrorist organization.

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Charlie Kirk speaking at CPAC in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Kevin Lamarck/Reuters)

So far, the only confirmed witness for the hearing is conservative commentator and podcast host Michael Knowles, a friend of Kirk who recently headlined a Turning Point USA rally at the University of Minnesota.

Knowles himself is no stranger to protests that have turned violent. He hosted a speaking event at the University of Pittsburgh in 2023 focused on transgender ideology where protesters threw smoke bombs and fireworks, injuring a police officer.

During a recent speech at Harvard Where he addressed the incident, Knowles said, “The left only does more violence.”

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Sen. Eric Schmidt, R-Mo. announced that he would hold a hearing to examine the rise in left-wing political violence in the wake of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Schmidt referenced both Kirk’s killing and the incident at the University of Pittsburgh, along with the protests that erupted across the country following the death of George Floyd.

“The rise of political violence on the left is deeply troubling and antithetical to American values, hinders the free exercise of our constitutional rights and threatens our constitutional order,” he said.

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“Yet, instead of speaking out, the powers that be are denying the reality that political violence largely comes from one side of the aisle,” he said. “As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, I look forward to getting the American people the right answers about the reality of left-wing political violence.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Knowles for comment but did not immediately hear back.