A viral video posted on X by Harvard graduate Kaizen D. Asiedu is gaining widespread attention after he fact-checked remarks made by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as reported [1] by The Western Journal.
The exchange followed last week’s House vote on a resolution honoring Kirk. The measure passed, but 58 Democrats voted against it, including Ocasio-Cortez. During debate on the House floor, she explained her opposition by calling Kirk a racist.
“We should be clear about who Charlie Kirk was,” she said.
“A man who believed that the Civil Rights Act that granted black Americans the right to vote was a mistake. His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant, uneducated, and sought to disenfranchise millions.”
In his response, Asiedu pointed out factual inaccuracies in her statement. “If you’re gonna call someone else’s rhetoric ignorant, shouldn’t you make sure your rhetoric isn’t ignorant?” he said.
He noted that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not grant black Americans the right to vote. That right was established by the 15th Amendment in 1870, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 reinforced it by prohibiting racial discrimination at the polls.
Asiedu played a clip of Kirk addressing the Civil Rights Act in response to a question at an event. “Yeah, so, parts of the Civil Rights Act were great,” Kirk said.
“But the way it’s now being implemented to force men in female bathrooms, to push forward the trans agenda, the intent of the Civil Rights Act is way beyond what it was originally authored for.”
Kirk went on to add, “The intent was noble, which was to say that no American can be not allowed into a place of business based on the color of their skin or their ethnic heritage. Totally agree with that.”
Asiedu said the record showed Ocasio-Cortez misrepresented Kirk’s views. “AOC is attacking a straw man,” he said. He added, “You can disagree with Charlie without misrepresenting the past.”
The Harvard graduate also suggested that mischaracterizations of Kirk contributed to the climate surrounding his assassination in Utah earlier this month. “Lies got him killed,” Asiedu said.
The video has been viewed more than 4.6 million times since Saturday. “I could do this all day,” Asiedu said in closing, noting that Kirk made his position on the Civil Rights Act clear in multiple appearances.
AOC called Charlie Kirk’s rhetoric ignorant, while making an ignorant statement.
She also misrepresented what Charlie said about the Civil Rights Act.
We can’t keep doing this – it’s putting people in danger. https://t.co/5YiQSk3IIh [2] pic.twitter.com/67faWBZ50w [3]
— Kaizen D. Asiedu (@thatsKAIZEN) September 20, 2025 [4]