The House of Representatives narrowly rejected a resolution Wednesday to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and remove her from committee assignments after her comments about Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA co-founder who was assassinated last week.
The measure failed by a 214-213 vote, with four Republicans joining Democrats to block the effort.
The attempt to censure Ilhan Omar has failed.
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) September 17, 2025
The resolution came in response to remarks Omar made less than 24 hours after Kirk was murdered while speaking at Utah Valley University.
During an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan, Omar criticized Kirk and suggested that depictions of him as a civil debater were false.
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“There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him [Kirk] just wanting to have a civil debate,” Omar said.
“These people are full of sh*t, and it’s important for us to call them out while we feel anger and sadness.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar is happy Charlie Kirk was kiIIed: “He downplayed George Floyd. He opposed Juneteenth.”
Look at their grins pic.twitter.com/Ra5Eg4MZ3k
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 11, 2025
Omar and Hasan laughed during parts of the exchange, and Omar later reposted a video on social media calling Kirk a “stochastic terrorist” and a “reprehensible human being.”
Conservative lawmakers argued that her statements, made so soon after Kirk’s killing, warranted censure.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and other Republicans pointed to the precedent of Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), who was censured and stripped of his committee assignments in 2021 after posting an anime video online.
They argued that Omar’s remarks went beyond political criticism and disrespected a victim of political violence.
Despite this, four Republicans voted against the resolution: Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE), Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), and Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA). Their votes secured the measure’s defeat.
BREAKING – Four Republicans joined Democrats to protect Ilhan Omar, refusing to remove her from committee assignments after she defamed Charlie Kirk following his assassination, with Mike Flood, Jeff Hurd, Cory Mills, and Tom McClintock siding with Democrats. pic.twitter.com/T6DToCefJm
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) September 17, 2025
McClintock has previously voted against high-profile Republican-led measures, including efforts to impeach former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and to censure then-Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Mills’ vote proved decisive, with Axios reporting that he cast it at the last possible moment before the vote closed.
In a statement posted to X, Mills defended his position by citing the First Amendment.
“We may not like or agree with what someone says, but that does not mean we should deny their protected 1A Right,” Mills wrote.
He also referenced Kirk’s own defense of free speech.
Democrats had also warned they would force a vote to censure Mills if Republicans moved forward with Omar’s censure.
The 7 Articles and 27 Amendments of our Constitution are not only to be followed when it serves your purpose. Unlike with Rep McIver, whom is accused of assault and obstruction of LEO, which I supported not to table, this is a 1A issue. We may not like or agree with what someone… pic.twitter.com/JbDfJrEncK
— Cory Mills (@CoryMillsFL) September 17, 2025
Reports in Axios noted that Mills faced allegations including domestic violence, false financial disclosures, and campaign finance violations, all of which he has denied.
The failed resolution followed growing outrage among conservatives over what they see as a pattern of incendiary rhetoric from Omar since she entered Congress in 2019.
Republicans who supported censure said her remarks about Kirk were especially egregious given the circumstances of his assassination.
The suspect in Kirk’s killing, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, has been described by family members as holding left-leaning views and living with a transgender roommate who “hates conservatives and Christians.”
Authorities have indicated the case remains under investigation.
While Democrats stood united in protecting Omar, the narrow split among Republicans effectively ended the push for formal discipline.
Supporters of the resolution argued that a censure would not have limited Omar’s free speech rights but would have served as an official rebuke of her conduct.
The outcome underscores ongoing divisions within the Republican caucus over how to handle contentious remarks by members of Congress.
For now, Omar remains in her committee posts, and no further disciplinary action has been scheduled.
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