Hakeem Jeffries gives blunt four-word reason for skipping Charlie Kirk vigil

WASHINGTON, DC: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wasn’t exactly chatty when grilled about why he skipped Monday night’s vigil for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Reporters asked him point-blank on Tuesday about his absence. “I had a meeting," Jeffries responded, without offering any further explanation.

The vigil was announced by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) and had been planned for Monday evening inside the US Capitol’s Statuary Hall to honor Kirk, who was shot last week during a speaking event at a Utah college.

But when the time came, the scene was rather lopsided. Fox News counted only a sprinkling of Democrats among the crowd of Republicans who filled the hall.

Hakeem Jeffries on why Democrats skipped vigil

Pressed again on why Dems were so scarce, Jeffries tossed the ball elsewhere.

“I don’t know,” he admitted Tuesday.

“I guess you’d have to talk to the individual Democrats as to what else was going on and why they were present or why they weren’t present,” he added.

Sure, there were a few Democrats in attendance. Among them were Reps Tom Suozzi, D-NY, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash, John Larson, D-Conn, Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif, Debbie Dingell, D-Mich, Chris Pappas, D-NH, and Don Davis, D-NC.

But the biggest names in the party were nowhere in sight.

Mike Johnson preaches unity, Tom Emmer chimes in

Speaker Mike Johnson didn’t seem eager to stir the pot. When asked Monday if he was bummed about the low Democrat turnout, he brushed it off.

“I honestly did not even see the composition of the group,” Johnson said. “I’m glad it was bipartisan, and I wish more had participated, and I’m not sure why they didn’t. So I don’t know what else we can do other than offer an all-member bipartisan vigil. And we’ve done that routinely for other things.”

At the vigil, Johnson leaned on Scripture as he spoke to the crowd. “Scripture reminds us that we should not be overcome by evil, but we should overcome evil with good. That is the legacy of Charlie Kirk. I think the best way to honor the memory of Charlie Kirk is to live as he lived.”

Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain also spoke, with the former drawing sharp lines.

“The assassination of Charlie Kirk wasn't just an attack on one individual, it was an attack on the traditional values that make our country this great country," Emmer said. "Great values of free speech, civil discourse, public debate, the ability to think independently and voice your opinions, exchange ideas, and even disagree with one another, but to do so without fear of physical retribution."

Emmer added, "The fact that he got killed for it, and many Americans consequently celebrated his murder, begs the question: how do we get so far away from the values our nation was built upon? More importantly, how do we get back?"

Democrats accuse Republicans of ignoring school shooting

Both parties have condemned Kirk’s death, but harmony hasn’t exactly followed.

On the very day Kirk was killed, a proposed moment of silence inside the House Chamber went sideways. GOP Rep Lauren Boebert of South Carolina called for a moment of silent prayer, but Democrats balked. Shouting broke out, with some Dems reportedly ripping Republicans for ignoring a school shooting that had happened the same day.

That’s when Rep Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla) snapped back from across the aisle. “You all caused this," she yelled.