Senators Blame Social Media for Rising Political Violence in America

At a town hall meeting held at Utah Valley University, a bipartisan call for civility emerged as Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah addressed the escalating political violence in America. Their discussion centered around the influence of social media and political rhetoric from Washington.

The event took place two months after the tragic assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, an incident that both senators touched upon during their conversation with CNN’s Dana Bash. Sen. Kelly, while expressing condolences, stated, “I did not agree with him on much, but I’ll tell you what, I will go to war to fight for his right to say what he believes.”

The senators emphasized the importance of disagreeing without becoming disagreeable, urging Americans to maintain respectful relationships despite differing viewpoints. “You can have a relationship with somebody in your family, at work, in your community, and you can be on different sides of an issue. That’s OK,” Kelly explained, highlighting the need for civil discourse.

Both politicians pointed to social media as a key factor in the country’s political divide. They criticized the algorithms used by social media platforms, which they claim are designed to heighten controversy and engagement. Curtis remarked, “When your kids log on, your 14-year-old daughter logs on, you have the whole power of the computer world and AI trying to show her, or our sons, something that will aggravate them, that will tease them, that will make them stay on there longer.”

In response to these challenges, Kelly and Curtis expressed their support for proposed legislation aimed at holding social media companies accountable for the spread of harmful information. They also called for elected officials to set a better example by refraining from violent or dehumanizing rhetoric.

Sen. Kelly specifically pointed to former President Donald Trump, criticizing his comments at Kirk’s memorial service where he stated, “I hate my opponents,” shortly after Kirk’s widow had forgiven her husband’s alleged killer. Kelly stressed, “He’s the president of the United States. People listen to him. They act on his words. More than anybody else in our country, Donald Trump’s words matter.”