The gruesome assassination of conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk is putting candidates on edge, creating a chilling effect among those meeting with constituents on the campaign trail as the nation grapples with a troubling rise in political violence.

Kirk’s murder while speaking at an event at a Utah college on Wednesday reverberated across the country, with both parties quickly condemning the violence and expressing their sympathies to the prominent conservative commentator. Less than 24 hours later, the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) headquarters were targeted by a bomb threat that turned out to not be credible, yet the incident shook an already rattled country.

The recent events have struck a nerve with those campaigning for office, who are contending with heightening security measures and changing safety protocols as acts of violence against politicians and other prominent figures show few signs of waning.

“I think that we've all got to rethink how you do events outdoors,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer told The Hill.

Yet, Comer acknowledged that most lawmakers wouldn’t have access to the kind of security needed to avoid similar attacks to the one that happened to Kirk.

“Someone said, ‘Do you need to increase the security budget?’” Comer said. “You could’ve had all the security in the world and not notice that. That's like a Secret Service kind of security, and ... members aren't going to have that.”........

© The Hill