Months after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University in Provo, Utah, Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to rename a well-known street in Washington, D.C., in his honor.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Wednesday introduced a bill that would designate a prominent street in the nation’s capital with Kirk’s name, reports said on Friday.
The street previously honored the radical left Black Lives Matter group and was created in 2020. After President Donald Trump took office, the street lettering was removed. Mace’s proposal would replace the prior designation with the name “Charlie Kirk Freedom of Speech Plaza.”
Supporters of the measure say Kirk was widely known for his campus events, where he frequently engaged in political debate and public discussion. In a statement, Mace highlighted his work and addressed the circumstances of his killing, calling the attack “heinous” while urging that his contributions be formally recognized.
“Three months ago, we lost a champion of free speech and a voice for millions of young Americans,” Mace said.
“Charlie Kirk’s assassination was an attack not just on one man, but on the fundamental American principle declaring every citizen has the right to speak freely and engage in civic discourse,” she added.
“By designating this plaza in the heart of our nation’s capital, we ensure Charlie’s legacy and his unwavering commitment to the First Amendment will never be forgotten,” she continued.
Some Republican lawmakers had previously criticized the presence of the Black Lives Matter slogan on a major Washington, D.C., street, arguing that it was inappropriate for a government-managed roadway to display a political message.
The slogan was painted onto the street during nationwide protests in 2020 following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. That period saw large demonstrations across many U.S. cities, as well as incidents of property damage and looting in several locations, costing billions of dollars and claiming several lives.
In addition to Mace’s proposal, other congressional Republicans have introduced similar measures to honor Kirk, according to the Daily Mail.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has put forward a separate proposal to rename a street near the White House “Charlie Kirk Way.”
Mace’s proposal comes amid a wave of online speculation about the circumstances surrounding Kirk’s killing, with former Daily Wire host Candace Owens among the most prominent voices advancing alternative theories.
Owens has questioned the government’s account that the suspect, Tyler Robinson — who remains in custody — acted alone, and has repeatedly suggested other individuals or entities could have been involved. She also drew attention last week for alleging that Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded, had “betrayed” him. Although she didn’t directly claim the group was connected to his death, she accused the organization of acting against his interests.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, addressed those claims during a Wednesday interview with Fox News, criticizing efforts to link TPUSA to her husband’s killing and urging an end to unfounded speculation.
e after me, call me names, I don’t care. Call me what you want, go down that rabbit hole, whatever. But when you go after my family, my Turning Point USA family, my Charlie Kirk Show family, when you go after the people that I love and you’re making hundreds and thousands of dollars every single episode going after the people that I love because somehow they’re in on this, no!” she said.
“Can my children have one thing? Everything was public. Can my babies have one thing where we hold it sacred, where my husband is laid to rest, where I don’t have to be worried about some secular revolutionary coming and destroying my husband’s grave while my daughter is sitting there praying?” she added.