White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned political violence Monday during the first press briefing since the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, and condemned Democrats who voted against a resolution condemning his murder.

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Leavitt’s comments came hours before President Donald Trump formally declared Antifa a domestic terrorist organization via executive order.

“The heartwarming response from the overwhelming majority of the American people over the past two weeks is all of the proof that you need [to know] the assassin who took Charlie’s life can destroy flesh and blood, but he can never destroy the values that Charlie stood for,” she said.

“All across the country, millions of Americans have prayed, hosted vigils, attended church services, became politically engaged for the first time and honored the legacy of Charlie and the ideals he died speaking for.”

Kirk was shot dead in Utah on Sept. 10 by an alleged 22-year-old assassin who reportedly was living with a trans-identified partner, harbored leftist political views and had ties to the left-wing organization Antifa.

Leavitt criticized House Democrats who voted against a resolution last week to formally condemn his assassination, which split Democrats last Friday as 95 voted to approve the ceremonial measure, 58 voted against it, 38 voted present and 22 abstained.

Detractors in the Congressional Black Caucus claimed the resolution was “an attempt to legitimize Kirk’s worldview — a worldview that includes ideas many Americans find racist, harmful, and fundamentally un-American,” according to their statement.

Leavitt suggested Monday that the unwillingness of many congressional Democrats to denounce Kirk’s murder is evidence that elements of the Democrat Party have been co-opted by overt evil.

“This was a simple gesture of human decency to denounce political violence,” she said. “I wish I could say that this was only a fringe group, but 96 votes is nearly half of the entire House Democrat caucus.”

“And they didn’t just vote against this basic resolution condemning political violence,” she said. “A number of those same Democrats took to the House floor to smear Charlie Kirk’s name. The man wasn’t even buried yet, and Democrat members of Congress were denigrating his memory on the floor of the House of Representatives.”

Leavitt went on to imply the Left is increasingly dominated by forces that want to silence their opposition.

“This was truly a sad moment and a clear, clear reflection of how radical the Democrat Party has become,” she added. “Many Democrats in elected office have now been totally captured by a radical fringe of the far-left base who want to dehumanize every person they disagree with.”

“We must continue to call this wickedness out,” she added. “It’s the only way that our nation can heal.” She noted that left-wing political violence and threats of political assassination have proliferated in recent years.

Later responding to a question from TPUSA White House correspondent Monica Page, who asked what she would say to Americans who are afraid to speak up in the wake of Kirk’s death, Leavitt said, “Americans should not cower in fear. They should rise up in courage to continue speaking the truth.”

Hours after Leavitt’s comments, Trump signed an executive order formally designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization and describing it as “a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law.”

“It uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals,” said the order, which alleged Antifa has engaged in armed standoffs with police, organized riots, assaulted federal officers, doxed political figures and attempted to suppress free speech.

Citing Antifa’s alleged “pattern of political violence,” the order directed all relevant agencies “to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations — especially those involving terrorist actions — conducted by Antifa” and those associated with them.

Kirk’s Sunday memorial service drew tens of thousands of mourners at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. During the hours-long memorial that featured prominent political figures, many emphasized Kirk’s outspoken Christian faith.

Trump, who spoke last at the event, highlighted Kirk’s many accomplishments, but noted Kirk’s Christian faith was what motivated him.

“What was even more important to Charlie than politics and service was the choice he made in the fifth grade, which he called the most important decision of his life, to become a Christian and a follower of his Savior, Jesus Christ,” Trump said.

What do you think of Press Secretary Leavitt’s comments? Share your thoughts and prayers below.

This article was originally published at The Christian Post. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America – Karoline Leavitt, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=160990338.