By Caitlin Yilek, Washington Examiner, and Colorado Politics

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, a Republican senator whose wife received a video of a beheading during Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s contentious confirmation process, is calling for civility following top Democrats’ advocacy of a more aggressive approach to defeating their opponents.

In a series of tweets Wednesday (see below), Gardner referenced former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s and former Attorney General Eric Holder’s comments without mentioning them by name.

At a campaign event in Georgia, Holder told Democrats that when Republicans “go low, we kick them.”

Video of Holder’s comments surfaced online a day after Clinton said, ” You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for.”

“This is not who we are,” said Gardner. “We have our political disagreements and we should cherish the rights to express our disagreements. But when it comes to calls for violence and attempted murder and assassinations this country has gone too far and it’s time we step back from that brink.”

Fox News first reported Sunday that Gardner’s wife, Jaime, was sent a text with a video depicting a beheading after Kavanaugh’s confirmation process by the Senate was roiled by allegations of sexual misconduct.

The names and addresses of some of his family members were also posted online before the justice was confirmed Saturday, the report said.

A spokesman from Gardner’s Senate office confirmed the incident to Colorado Politics late Sunday.The sender of the text was not identified.

The FBI and capitol police reportedly are investigating.

Gardner, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, first announced his support of Kavanaugh in July.

At the time – long before sexual accusations emerged about the nominee – Gardner said after meeting Kavanaugh, an appellate-court judge, that he would make “an incredible Supreme Court justice,” adding: “Clearly he is a well-qualified judge who has incredible experience in the federal courts.”

Several weeks later, the senator said after accusations of misconduct were leveled at Kavanaugh that the women making the allegations deserved to be heard by the Senate. Deborah Ramirez of Boulder was one of Kavanaugh’s accusers.

Gardner joined almost all other Republicans in voting to confirm Kavanaugh last Saturday. His Democratic colleague, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, voted no.

Here’s what Gardner said in his series of tweets:

“Just before I voted to confirm Justice Kavanaugh, my wife received a text message of a graphic beheading. We now have public officials saying you should be uncivil to each other – a call for incivility.

“You have other party leaders saying Michelle Obama was wrong when she said “when they go low we go high.” But rather when they go low “we kick them.” This is not who we are.

“We have our political disagreements and we should cherish the rights to express our disagreements. But when it comes to calls for violence and attempted murder and assassinations this country has gone too far and it’s time we step back from that brink.

“My colleague @SenBennetCO and I were sent here to work together. We have our disagreements but we have always fought for the best for our state and I hope that every colleague of mine in Congress will do the same.”

Just before I voted to confirm Justice Kavanaugh, my wife received a text message of a graphic beheading. We now have public officials saying you should be uncivil to each other – a call for incivility.

— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) October 10, 2018

You have other party leaders saying Michelle Obama was wrong when she said "when they go low we go high." But rather when they go low "we kick them." This is not who we are.

— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) October 10, 2018

My colleague @SenBennetCO and I were sent here to work together. We have our disagreements but we have always fought for the best for our state and I hope that every colleague of mine in Congress will do the same.

— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) October 10, 2018