Dem Mikie Sherrill Hits Back When Attacked Over Slain Trump Ally Charlie Kirk at Debate

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) hit back when Republican Jack Ciattarelli attacked her at a debate over remarks she made about slain pro-Trump activist Charlie Kirk.

Sherrill and Ciatarelli faced off for a debate Wednesday night in the competitive race for New Jersey governor. Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter and WPVI-TV anchor Tamala Edwards moderated the showdown.

In one exchange, Edwards asked Sherrill about bringing people together in the wake of the Kirk killing, which led Ciattarelli to slam her over a statement she made ripping Kirk’s views.

Sherrill, who voted in favor of a resolution condemning the killing and honoring Kirk, stood by her comments:

JACK CIATARELLI (R-NJ): Since the time that the congresswoman has declared for governor, she’s missed 90% of the votes in Washington. But a few Fridays ago, she skipped out at two very important joint appearances in New Jersey to get the Washington D.C. To vote yes on the Charlie Kirk resolution celebrating his life. I applaud her yes on that vote.

When she came back to New Jersey and caught hell from the left, she issued a statement condemning Charlie Kirk, calling him a misogynist and a racist. The two things are inconsistent to me.

The way to tamp down the hateful rhetoric is by having the right kind of leadership in place. I’ve always conducted myself in a respectful way even when I disagree with people.

I’m never going to tarnish the name my parents gave me and I’m not going to embarrass my four children. I’ve been respectful with my rhetoric and I think that’s more important than ever.

New Jersey is the most diverse state in the country. I think there’s power and beauty in that diversity when we embrace it. I embrace it, anyone who follows me on social media sees everywhere I go and I in this together, and I will represent all 9.3 million New Jersey citizens.

BILL RITTER: Congresswoman, just very briefly, do you want to respond to that in 15 seconds if you could?

REP. MIKIE SHERRILL (D-NJ): I do. So that resolution was a resolution standing up for free speech and standing against political violence. And I do feel very strongly about that.

I also feel very strongly that despite the fact that Charlie Kirk had a right to say a lot of things, I deeply disagreed with him.

In fact, when I asked my opponent if he could disagree with Charlie Kirk saying Martin Luther King was a bad guy or that women should be subservient to their husbands, he could not.

So I think it’s my right to speak out as well against things that I disagree with.

Watch above via ABC’s Eyewitness News.

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