Friend,
Yesterday, in my home state of Minnesota, there was a special election. Do you know why? Because voters had to fill the seat left empty by the murder of my dear friend Melissa Hortman.
I knew Melissa for half my life. Three months ago, Melissa and her husband Mark were shot and killed in their home by a madman. One day they were here, and the next, they were stolen in a horrific assassination.
Last week, Charlie Kirk was executed in broad daylight on a college campus by a maniac. It was a despicable, cowardly act that has left so many in our country grieving and angry.
In both cases, the murderers will be held to account. In both cases, justice will be swift, and justice will prevail.
But let me be blunt: I am sick and tired of losing friends to political violence. I know Republicans feel the same.
In this moment, we need leadership.
We've reached a breaking point in this epidemic of political violence, and Americans are asking for leadership, unity, and basic decency.
In the past, in moments of national tragedy, we’ve turned to our president to calm the storms, to heal the divides, and to bring us together as Americans. But if I can speak freely here, Donald Trump has done absolutely nothing in this moment to bring us together.
Instead, he has used political violence for political gain, including having his Department of Justice threaten to criminalize speech and stifle opposition.
While this is unfortunately who we have become as a nation, it does not need to be who we are. Regardless of our views, regardless of our politics, we need to come together. And through the pain we’re feeling, these murders, this violence, they cannot be used as justification to abandon our basic ideals.
As I said after Charlie Kirk was killed, in this great country, we make our opinions known in many ways. We protest, petition our government, go on the airwaves, and yes, we speak. We get loud, we get involved, we find community, and we vote.
We make our opinions known at the ballot box. Through democracy. But we don’t chill belief and opinion with weapons and violence. We don’t bridge our differences with bullets. And we certainly don’t capitalize on pain to go after our own countrymen and women.
We need to come together, denounce the violence happening in our country, and make clear what this moment calls for — courage and respect.
Because, my friends, believing in America means understanding that, despite our fiercest of disagreements, none of us are enemies.
We can do better. We must be better.
Thank you.
Ken
Ken Martin
Chair
Democratic National Committee
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