Michael Knowles did what too few on the right have the guts to do: he stood up on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee stage and used a Democrat’s own words to expose blatant hypocrisy. Knowles called out Sen. Cory Booker during Tuesday’s hearing on politically violent attacks, forcing the liberal establishment’s contradictions into the bright light of public scrutiny.
Booker spent much of the hearing preaching “self-introspection” and “grace,” language fit for a sermon but not for accountability, and then—tellingly—left the room before he could be asked to square those words with his actions. That sudden exit spoke volumes to anyone paying attention: when it’s time to defend your endorsements, the moralizing left often finds an open door to run.
Knowles drilled to the real scandal — Booker had publicly endorsed Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general, despite Jones’ own 2022 text messages fantasizing about shooting a Republican leader and even targeting his children. Those texts, first reported by National Review and carried by major outlets, included the chilling line about “two bullets to the head” and other grotesque imagery that should have ended any serious candidate’s campaign.
When Knowles pointed out that Booker’s endorsement undercuts his solemn calls to condemn political violence, the senator’s absence from the room was as eloquent as any rebuttal. Knowles’ rebuke—that Democrats who continue to back such a man are shedding “crocodile tears” about violence—was spot on and deserved. The American people watching should not forget which party reflexively excuses violence from its own.
This episode is not an isolated embarrassment but part of a broader pattern: too many on the left preach civility while protecting violent rhetoric when it comes from their tribe. Voters who still believe in law and order, decency, and the rule of law should demand consistency, not performative outrage that evaporates when a Democrat is implicated. The swamp of double standards must be drained, and accountability should mean the same thing for everyone.
Hardworking Americans are tired of sanctimony and selective morality from elites who lecture the country on unity while endorsing people who fantasize about murder. Michael Knowles’ moment in the hearing was a reminder that truth matters and that conservatives won’t be silenced when the left’s hypocrisy is exposed. If Republicans and honest independents seize this moment, it can be a turning point toward real accountability.
