Fort Worth City Council member Elizabeth Beck decried 鈥渆xtreme tribalism鈥� after facing criticism for a post she made about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk shortly after news of his shooting broke.
The Democrat鈥檚 post, which she deleted after Kirk鈥檚 death was confirmed, drove partisan infighting among City Council members and stirred outrage among political activists, including the local GOP.
In a statement to the Fort Worth Report, Beck clarified her stance on Kirk鈥檚 death after several Tarrant County Republican officials and activists, including , criticized her post with some calling .
鈥淲e are now witnessing a symptom of a bigger problem 鈥� extreme tribalism,鈥� Beck鈥檚 statement read. 鈥淎s a society, we seek out reasons to be angry at each other, as opposed to starting from a place of commonality. My thoughts on political violence are clear. It cannot and should not be tolerated in this nation.鈥�
Shortly after Kirk was shot in Utah, Beck posted on her personal social media a screenshot of a 2023 Newsweek headline that read, 鈥淐harlie Kirk says gun deaths 'unfortunately' worth it to keep 2nd Amendment.鈥� Her post included the word 鈥渦nfortunate鈥� overlaid on a photo of Kirk.
Beck deleted her post within an hour of Kirk being pronounced dead.
Parker, a Republican, Thursday afternoon to condemn Beck without naming her, writing that elected officials have a responsibility to encourage 鈥渃ivility, kindness and decency.鈥�
鈥淵esterday, we saw the worst example of this by one of my fellow council members, essentially condoning violence because of someone's political views,鈥� Parker wrote. 鈥淚t is very clear that the killing of Charlie Kirk was a political assassination, and there is no justification for evil.鈥�
Kirk, a well-known 31-year-old activist and founder of the youth conservative group Turning Point USA, was shot fatally in the neck Wednesday during a college event in Utah. As of Sept. 11, the shooter was .
Council member Chris Nettles, a Democrat, came to Beck鈥檚 defense with a written statement condemning Parker for her criticism of Beck. Nettles described the mayor鈥檚 words as a 鈥渞eckless and dangerous attack鈥� and accused her of mischaracterizing Beck鈥檚 post.
鈥淲ords like those used today by the mayor don鈥檛 unite our city; they further divide it and put lives and families in danger,鈥� Nettles wrote. 鈥淧reaching unity while practicing division never goes hand in hand.鈥�
Shortly after Beck deleted the post, Tarrant County GOP chair Bo French accused her in an X post of celebrating Kirk鈥檚 death. He described the Democratic Party as a 鈥渄omestic terrorist organization,鈥� adding that President Donald Trump 鈥渕ust use the full force of the law to crush them.鈥�
鈥淭his is beyond acceptable. At a minimum, the Tarrant County Republican Party calls for her to be REMOVED from the City Council immediately,鈥� French wrote. 鈥淭his absolutely despicable, scum behavior has no place anywhere near elected office.鈥�
— Bo French (@BoFrenchTX)
鈥淲hen it comes to anything that Bo French has said, I have no response, because I choose not to fuel the hate machine that he is in our community,鈥� Beck said.
She added that society must have a 鈥渟erious discussion on how we engage in discourse and what has become acceptable or unacceptable.鈥�
The GOP chairman is no stranger to hot water on social media himself.
In June, French and a slew of other Republican officials, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, for asking his X followers whether Jewish or Muslim people pose 鈥渁 bigger threat to America.鈥� At the time, Parker called for French鈥檚 removal from the local Republican party, saying there were 鈥渢oo many examples of (his) bigotry and hate.鈥�
Since then, French has frequently posted on X about the 鈥渢hreat of radical Islam鈥� and targeted Texas House Rep. Salman Bhojani, a Euless Democrat and Pakistan-born Muslim, during his participation in a quorum break over congressional redistricting. Last month, a coalition of Tarrant faith leaders , including to Parker, urging them to denounce French鈥檚 鈥渉ateful rhetoric鈥� toward Bhojani.
At the time, Bhojani told the Report he hired 24/7 security to protect himself, his wife and their two teenage children after being doxxed online and followed by unmarked vehicles because of French鈥檚 online attacks.
Council member Michael Crain, a Republican, weighed in on Beck鈥檚 post on Facebook, that he knows 鈥渢he darkness and evil which fills (Beck鈥檚) heart.鈥�
鈥淚t was a political assassination plain and simple,鈥� Crain wrote. 鈥淪he can explain away, delete the post, post something to appear it wasn't a circumstance in which she doesn't find joy. But we know the truth and have witnessed the demonic behavior first hand.鈥�
Council member Charlie Lauersdorf, also a Republican, that he respects the right to free speech but finds it 鈥渢ruly reprehensible鈥� when elected officials join in on what he described as celebrating, justifying or mocking Kirk鈥檚 killing.
A U.S. Marine, Lauersdorf nodded to Beck鈥檚 experience serving in the U.S. Army as the discourse played out on the 24th anniversary of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
鈥淎s a fellow veteran, I know firsthand how easy it can be to let emotions get the better of us in the heat of the moment,鈥� Lauersdorf wrote. 鈥淚 sincerely hope that is all this was. I am glad she has since condemned the murder, and I hope she truly believes it.鈥�
Politicians across the country, from both sides of the political aisle, lamented political violence following Kirk鈥檚 assassination. As they condemned the killing, some Democratic politicians, including , D-Dallas, said the country should respond with action in the form of gun safety legislation.
Trump said he would Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Cecilia Lenzen and Drew Shaw are government accountability reporters for the Fort Worth Report. Contact them at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org and drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
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