The floor of the House of Representatives erupted into shouting on Wednesday as Republican Representative Lauren Boebert asked for a prayer in honor of Turning Point USA co-founder and CEO Charlie Kirk.
Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday during a question-and-answer session on campus.
Why It Matters
The chamber discord came amid national shock over the killing of Kirk at the college event and highlighted heightened tensions on Capitol Hill over political violence, public safety at campus events and partisan responses to mass shootings.
The federal investigation into the shooting was ongoing at the time of the House floor wrangling, and official details about a person of interest and potential motive remains limited Wednesday night.
What To Know
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson led a moment of silence on the House floor for Kirk before recognizing Boebert, who said in part that “silent prayers get silent results,” according to Politico. The request drew audible groans and shouts from other members.
As lawmakers interrupted, the chamber briefly devolved into a back-and-forth shouting match, with Johnson banging his gavel and saying, “The House will be in order.”
Boebert said on X, reacting to a video of the moment, “Charlie Kirk boldly and unapologetically invoked the name of the Lord Jesus Christ when he spoke across the country. That’s part of his legacy and we should all continue to pray fervently and speak fearlessly about the goodness of God, the love of Jesus and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit; especially on the House floor.”
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy reacted to clips of the moment circulating social media, saying on X, “This is truly sad for our country.”
President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death in a post on Truth Social: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
What People Are Saying
Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, on X Wednesday: “I am done with the rhetoric this rotten House and corrupt media has caused. EVERY DAMN ONE OF YOU WHO CALLED US FASCISTS DID THIS. You were too busy doping up kids, cutting off their genitals, inciting racial violence by supporting orgs that exploit minorities, protecting criminals, and stirring hate. YOU ARE THE HATE you claim to fight. Your words caused this. Your hate caused this. Charlie. His family. Those kids. No one deserved this. Enough is enough.”
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, in an emailed statement to Newsweek on Wednesday: “Today, in yet another horrific act of targeted political violence, Charlie Kirk was murdered in cold blood on a school campus. Though we’re still awaiting further details, in all likelihood, he was murdered for expressing his beliefs. I am praying for his family, his friends, and his loved ones.
“Let me be clear: even if you disagree with someone’s beliefs, even if you stand against every single thing they stand for, the path of disagreement must never lead to what happened today at Utah Valley University.
“Political violence — in all of its forms — is unacceptable in America. Yet, as I said when my dear friends Melissa and Mark Hortman were murdered earlier this summer, such violence has become commonplace. Every single political leader, Democrat and Republican alike, must loudly condemn this violence. We must work harder to bring this country together, not divide it.
“In this great country, we make our opinions known in many ways. We protest, speak up, petition our government, go on the airwaves, and yes, address students on campus like Charlie Kirk. Most importantly, we make our opinions known at the ballot box. We don’t chill belief and opinion with weapons and violence. That is not America. Over the past year, we’ve seen far too much violence. Political leaders targeted at rallies, lawmakers and their families shot in their own homes, children gunned down in a church, and now an execution on a college campus. It is unacceptable.”
What Happens Next
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle publicly urged denunciations of political violence following Kirk’s death.
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