Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli, left, shakes hands with Democratic candidate for governor Mikie Sherrill, right, before a debate on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Lawrenceville, N.J. (Noah K. Murray/AP Photo)
ABC on Thursday suspended the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" host indefinitely following controversial comments he made about Kirk's assassination.
58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING 'LIFE AND LEGACY' OF CHARLIE KIRK
Questions about political violence seeped onto the New Jersey gubernatorial debate stage on Sunday night as mourners gathered more than 2,000 miles away to honor Kirk's life and legacy.
After voting "yes" on the resolution condemning Kirk's assassination, Sherrill released a statement criticizing Kirk's character.
"Charlie Kirk was advocating for a Christian nationalist government and to roll back the rights of women and Black people — this flies in the face of every value I hold dear and that I fight for. But the Constitution protects free speech, even for those I vehemently oppose," she said.
Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
Kirk's assassination less than two weeks ago on Utah Valley University's campus reignited a fierce debate about the rise of political violence in the United States.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"I think it is the responsibility of any public official and candidate for office to engage in rhetoric that doesn't divide us," Ciattarelli said Sunday. "My campaign has been about uniting us, not dividing us. I do think we need to take down the temperature a whole lot."
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/from-kirk-kimmel-fiery-nj-debate-spotlights-political-violence-free-speech