Michigan judge faces backlash for saying Charlie Kirk died for his 'beliefs'

Kara Berg and Craig Mauger, The Detroit News on Sep 11, 2025

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DETROIT — The chair of the Oakland County Republican Party is calling for an Oak Park district court judge to resign after she made what he called a "disgusting" comment on Facebook about the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.

Judge Jaimie Powell Horowitz posted Wednesday evening, hours after Kirk was shot and killed while speaking to Utah Valley University students, a quote from Kirk about gun violence: "I think it’s worth it to have the cost of unfortunately some gun deaths every year..so we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God given rights. It’s a prudent deal, a rational deal."

"Talk about dying for your beliefs," Powell Horowitz wrote in the Facebook post.

Kirk, who was an ardent supporter of gun rights, made this comment at a 2023 Turning Point USA event. Powell Horowitz shared a video of Kirk speaking with her post.

Vance Patrick, the chair of the Oakland County Republican Party, called on Powell Horowitz to resign because of this comment.

"Comments like the ones from Judge Horowitz are disgusting," Patrick said. "Any attempt to justify or lessen the severity of the assassination of Charlie Kirk is a clear indicator of the lack of character and moral fiber of that person. Judge Horowitz should resign immediately to help protect the integrity of our court system."

Powell Horowitz did not immediately respond for comment Thursday.

In 2020, Powell Horowitz was elected to the bench of Oak Park's 45th District Court. Prior to that, she worked as an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County for more than 15 years.

The Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct bans judges from making inaccurate comments on social media, but allows for opinions and facts to be shared.

“When analyzing whether a judicial candidate has violated the canon, ... the communication at issue must have conveyed an objectively factual matter," according to the code of conduct. "An expression of opinion is protected under the canon as long as it does not contain provably false factual connotations.”

State Sen. Jim Runestad, chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, said Horowitz should apologize publicly. The timing and content of the judge's remarks were outrageous, said Runestad, who's from Oakland County.

"This is a woman that is supposed to have some discernment," Runestad said of the judge.

In response to comments on her Facebook post about Kirk, Powell Horowitz wrote: "it's truly awful. Every part of it. His words, his death, the person with a gun who took a life. All of it. Terrible." and "It is shameful that anyone would say deaths like these are worth it."

More than 100 comments had been made on Powell Horowitz's post by mid-morning Thursday, including some saying her post is disgraceful and disturbing, was done in poor taste and that she should be ashamed of herself.

"he thinks a death like his is woth (sic) it. I dont (sic). I would love to see this outrage when i post about current men in power bragging about violence like raping us, beating us, and stripping us of our right to vote," Powell Horowitz wrote in response to one commenter.

The FBI said Thursday morning that Kirk was shot by a sniper, who they believe jumped off a roof and fled after the shooting. Robert Bohls, the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City, said the shooting was a "targeted event."

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