The House of Representatives, in a razor-thin 214-213 vote on Wednesday rejected a resolution to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., over her remarks following the assassination of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk.

The move, led by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., sought to strip Omar of her seats on the Education and Workforce and Budget committees, exposing the raw nerve of partisan retribution fueled by President Donald Trump’s call to punish the "radical left."

Mace, a vocal Trump ally, accused Omar of smearing Kirk, who was gunned down during a Utah college campus event.

"Charlie Kirk was a lifelong advocate for freedom of speech, civil political discourse, and the political engagement of youth," Mace declared on the House floor, alleging Omar "implied he was to blame for his own murder" in a Zeteo interview.

Mace pointed to Omar’s critique of Kirk’s past comments on slavery and Juneteenth, where Omar stated, "There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate. There is nothing more effed up, you know, like, than to completely pretend that, you know, his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so."

Omar, a Somali-born U.S. citizen since 2000, fired back, accusing Mace of distorting her words for political gain.

"While I disagreed with Charlie Kirk vehemently about his rhetoric, my heart breaks for his wife and children. I don’t wish violence on anyone. My faith teaches me the power of peace, empathy, and compassion," Omar posted on X, condemning "right-wing accounts trying to spin a false story" to "villainize the left."

She further claimed Mace’s resolution was a ploy to "raise money and boost her run for Governor."

Four Republicans — Reps. Mike Flood, R-Neb., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., and Cory Mills, R-Fla. — joined Democrats to table the resolution, halting a full vote.

"Ilhan Omar’s comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk are vile and contemptible. They deserve the harshest criticism of every man and woman of good will. But this disgusting and hateful speech is still speech and is protected by our First Amendment,"McClintock, citing First Amendment protections, told Fox News.

Hurd echoed, "Ilhan Omar’s comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, as well as her comments about those who supported Charlie, are ghoulish and evil. I condemn them completely. But I voted against today’s censure because it tried to strip another Member of Congress from committees and to silence her for exercising the First Amendment right to free speech."

The vote reflects a broader Republican push to honor Kirk, a Turning Point USA founder whose influence resonates on Capitol Hill. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a friend of Kirk, joined a candlelight vigil in Statuary Hall.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who credits Kirk for her career, proposed a Capitol statue, stating, "I owe my entire political career to Charlie Kirk."

Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers like Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced measures targeting the "radical left," including a select committee to investigate "leftist networks" and a "Charlie Kirk Act" to curb government propaganda.

Democrats countered fiercely.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioned, "Is this what civility looks like in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives?"

The nation watches, divided, as grief over Kirk’s death fuels a cycle of blame and counter-blame.

Congress, meant to bridge divides, now mirrors the fractures of a polarized America, where free speech clashes with calls for accountability, and the specter of violence lingers.

Time will tell if these wounds can heal or if the pursuit of retribution will deepen the scars.