If you watched Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on political violence, you saw one of the clearest moments of the unfiltered truth about the left’s double standard. Conservative commentator Michael Knowles testified forcefully about a pattern of left-wing violent rhetoric and behavior that too many in Washington keep pretending doesn’t exist. His appearance put accountable leadership on display while exposing the performative concern from the other side of the aisle.
Knowles then did something simple and devastating: he read Senator Cory Booker’s own endorsement of Virginia AG candidate Jay Jones and juxtaposed it with the lurid, violent texts Jones sent in 2022, where Jones fantasized about murdering a Republican leader and even spoke of urinating on graves. Those messages aren’t spin — they were reported widely and are part of the public record, and they demolish the claim that Democrats are the party of civility. Americans deserve leaders who condemn violence consistently, not politicians who lecture about “grace” while standing by their violent allies.
The most revealing moment was when Knowles noticed Booker had quietly exited the room rather than answer for his endorsement and the contradiction it represents. Knowles didn’t hesitate to point out what every honest observer could see: you cannot credibly denounce political violence while publicly backing someone who fantasized about murder. That walkout says more about Booker than any newsroom spin ever could; accountability is inconvenient for the performative class.
Conservative voices across the media spectrum called out the hypocrisy, and even independent commentators like Dave Rubin circulated the clip and reacted to Booker’s quick retreat from scrutiny. The viral DM clip Rubin shared captured the moment the left’s moral grandstanding collided with real evidence, and the result was embarrassment for the party that keeps lecturing the rest of us about “civility.” Citizens should watch and judge for themselves who is serious about peace and who is posturing for headlines.
This episode is part of a larger pattern: Democrats demand lectures on rhetoric while often protecting or excusing the very people who use violent language. Other prominent Democrats have refused to disavow Jones or have been slow to hold him to account, showing that partisan loyalty too often trumps basic common decency. Voters should not forget that when safety and the rule of law are at stake, empty words from hypocritical elites do nothing to protect Americans.
Hardworking Americans deserve leaders with backbone, not leaders who look good on cable while running from accountability in the real world. If conservatives want safer communities and honest politics, we must keep forcing these moments into the light and demand equal standards from every elected official. Hold them to it, bring receipts to the hearing room, and never let the left’s moral preening distract you from their actions.
