During a Republican midterm convention held in Dallas on Thursday night, audience members repeatedly called for sitting Senate candidates to be shot. The outbursts occurred during an address by Republican Senator Ted Cruz at the American Airlines Center.
Video footage shows at least one audience member shouting "He should be shot!" after Senator Cruz named New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani. Similar shouts followed when Cruz named Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. Senator Cruz did not pause or respond to the shouting, and it is unclear if he heard the remarks from the stage. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan Senate candidate, commented on the incident, stating that such rhetoric has become dangerously normalised. He called on Republicans to identify the chant as incitement and urged both parties to reject it, advocating for a return to politics focused on people's basic needs and dignity.
A spokesperson for Mike Rogers, the Republican former congressman challenging El-Sayed for Michigan’s open Senate seat, stated that Rogers condemned the remarks and "all political violence." The convention also marked the first anniversary of the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, an event referenced by Republican speakers.