The Republican lawmaker whose district includes Utah Valley University, where conservative media figure Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Wednesday, said that Kirk’s assassination won’t intimidate conservatives.
“Violence will not silence us. The United States of America is a place where we stand up for each other in a civil fashion,” Rep. Mike Kennedy, who is a freshman in Congress, told NOTUS shortly after getting the news that Kirk had died. “This is entirely reprehensible. This assassin will face justice.”
When asked what Congress can do to stop political violence, Kennedy said lawmakers should “continue to do the work that it’s doing.”
“Charlie Kirk — God bless his memory and rest in peace — I believe he demonstrates that,” Kennedy said. “He continued to push forward in spite of the fact that he’s had a number of challenges to his voice. But we value all voices in the United States of America in a civil fashion.”
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Utah political leaders are still reeling after Kirk, a close ally to President Donald Trump, was shot and killed in their state on Wednesday while speaking at a university event.
Rep. Blake Moore told NOTUS that he said he could only think about Kirk’s family.
“It’s just tragic for his wife, kids and family,” Moore said, as he was leaving the House floor after votes. “This shouldn’t happen.”
“This has got to stop. We’ve got to stop the political violence,” he continued. “It just doesn’t make any sense, this is ridiculous.”
The Kirk shooting marks the latest, gruesome example of rising political with violence in the U.S. Just this summer, two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers were targeted by a shooter, leaving one lawmaker and her spouse dead and another lawmaker and his spouse injured. Trump survived an assassination attempt last year at a campaign event, and two months later a shooter at his golf course was alleged to have targeted him.
Many lawmakers received the news that Kirk died while voting on the House floor Wednesday, where reactions ranged from emotional to outraged to withdrawn.
“I’m not talking about that,” Rep. Celeste Maloy told NOTUS when asked about the shooting. “Not my district.”
In Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox was at the forefront of the investigation.
“This is a dark day for our state, it’s a tragic day for our nation. And I want to be very clear that this is a political assasination,” Cox added.
Other political leaders from Utah also reacted on social media.
Sen. Mike Lee — who appeared on Kirk’s podcast less than a month ago — said “this is a good time to pray,” in an X post shortly after the incident. Lee was among the first members of Congress to react.
Shortly after the shooting, Sen. John Curtis posted on X that he would be closely monitoring the situation.
“My heart goes out to Charlie, those in attendance, and their families. We are praying for his safety and the well-being of everyone impacted,” Curtis wrote. “I am grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and first responders working to secure the campus.”
Past elected lawmakers also weighed in, including former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who attended the event and addressed the shooting on air within an hour of it happening.
“As soon as that shot went out, he fell back and to his left, and everybody hit the deck — a lot of people started screaming and then everybody started running, as you might expect,” Chaffetz told Fox News.
And on X, former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney also condemned the attack.
“The shooting of Charlie Kirk has shocked and sickened me and my family. We extend our prayers and profound sorrow to Charlie and his family, many friends and followers. Another senseless act of violence appalls us,” he said.
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