In a razor-thin vote Wednesday evening, the House of Representatives reportedly rejected a Republican-led resolution to censure Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, after she reposted a video disparaging Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in the wake of his assassination.
The measure, introduced by Representative Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, would have formally censured Omar and stripped her of her seats on the House Education and Workforce and House Budget Committees. But in a 214-to-213 vote, the House chose to table the resolution, effectively blocking it.
Every Democrat supported the motion to table. They were joined by four Republicans — Mike Flood of Nebraska, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, Tom McClintock of California, and Cory Mills of Florida.
The outcome left conservatives frustrated, given Omar’s history of incendiary remarks and her willingness to target prominent figures on the right.
Mace and her allies had argued that Omar’s repost of the video was unacceptable, particularly so soon after Kirk’s assassination.
Representative McClintock, who opposed the censure despite condemning Omar’s comments, attempted to draw a distinction between political speech and formal punishment. “Ilhan Omar’s comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk are vile and contemptible. They deserve the harshest criticism of every man and woman of good will,” McClintock wrote in a statement on X. “But this disgusting and hateful speech is still speech and is protected by our First Amendment. Censure is formal punishment by the House and we have already gone too far down this road.”
Would love to see you get the help you need next. You belong in rehab, not Congress. https://t.co/yKmFdUeBfA
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 17, 2025
He emphasized that Omar’s remarks, however offensive, did not occur on the House floor. “Omar’s comments were not made in the House and even if they were, they broke no House rules,” he said.
McClintock cast his vote as a defense of principle rather than tolerance for Omar’s words. “A free society depends on tolerating ALL speech — even hateful speech — confident that the best way to sort good from evil is to put the two side by side and trust the people to know the difference,” he wrote. “Congress exists for this purpose. For this reason, I voted to table the censure resolution.”
The clash underscores the deep divisions within the chamber, not only between Republicans and Democrats but also within the Republican conference.
For conservatives, the failure to censure Omar represented yet another instance of Democrats closing ranks to shield one of their own — and of some Republicans unwilling to follow through when the moment demanded accountability.
Democrats, meanwhile, responded to the failed resolution with a move of their own. Representative Greg Casar of Texas said his party would force a vote to censure Mills, the Florida Republican who broke ranks with his party. Mills has faced allegations of assault and accusations of threatening his ex-girlfriend with explicit videos, charges Democrats seized upon as they sought to retaliate.
The failed censure vote left Omar untouched and Republicans divided, even as the memory of Charlie Kirk’s assassination continues to roil political discourse.
For conservatives, Omar’s repost was another reminder of how freely Democrats deploy rhetoric against their opponents — and how rarely they face consequences when they do.
[READ MORE: Pam Bondi Faces Conservative Backlash Over Comments on ‘Hate Speech’ Prosecutions]
