Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) ripped up the left's playbook on justifying political violence when legacy media's Katie Couric attempted to play gotcha with him over Charlie Kirk's assassination, trying to get him to condemn Kirk.
During his appearance on the Next Question with Katie Couric podcast on Thursday, Couric asked Fetterman if he felt President Donald Trump and the right's response to the murder of the co-founder of Turning Point USA was "over the top" before she did her very best to smear Kirk's movement and his legacy, hiding behind claims of what "some people" think.
🚨NEW: Katie Couric tries — and *FAILS* — to get John Fetterman to condemn Charlie Kirk🚨
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) November 13, 2025
FETTERMAN: "I’m an absolute free speech guy and you have the right to say these things. And you definitely also have the right not to get shot by sharing your views."@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/6N6GNuP7ea
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"Do you think that flags should've been flown at half-staff? Do you think his body should have been flown on Air Force Two?" Couric asked. "Do you think he should've posthumously been given the Presidential Medal of Freedom?"
"I think that some people thought that was perhaps over the top in terms of mourning someone like Charlie Kirk. How did you feel about that?" she added.
Fetterman said it was Trump and Vice President JD Vance's prerogative and up to them to do that. But Couric wasn't done yet and pressed the Dem senator to try to say something negative about Kirk based on what she called "some of the rhetoric he used during his life."
"I didn't agree with much of it. I didn't closely follow his specific kind of views," Fetterman replied.
Couric kept pressing, and he pointed out seeing the horrible video of Kirk's assassination.
"And that's part of the political violence," Fetterman said. "And from what I'm saying, that's unacceptable. And engaging in a debate and views I strongly disagree on that's part of the American democracy. And for me, that would never justify what's happened. I just chose not to take the opportunity to argue his views after children lost their father in the most violent public way."
But she wasn't done yet, and wanted Fetterman to agree with what she called some people's views that "Kirk's rhetoric was extreme ... suggesting these kinds of words lead to violence."
"I'm sure we both agree that you shouldn't shoot people and you shouldn't execute them in public," Fetterman replied. "And I think that's two things that must be true. I'm an absolute free speech guy, and you have the right to say these things. And you definitely also have the right not to get shot by sharing your views."
Of note, Couric did not say she agreed with him and, in fact, changed the subject. The end of the clip can be seen below.
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Couric is only the latest member of the legacy media playing this disgusting game in an apparent attempt to justify political violence and the murder of the 31-year-old giant in the conservative movement, husband of Erika Kirk, and father to two very young children. And it's great to see Fetterman wasn't letting her get away with it, and even provided a brilliant example for others on how to destroy these attempts.
Fetterman has truly been rock steady on this, standing aside from those in his Democratic party and refusing to label his political opponents things like "Nazis" or "fascists," rightly pointing out that all this does is lead to more political violence. Bottom line, Fetterman's right: it's un-American and needs to stop.
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