During the press briefing on the influential conservative Charlie Kirk’s murder, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, urged Americans to choose “forgiveness” and work to “reduce political tensions”, as reported by the New York Times.
“We can answer violence with more violence and hate with more hate, but that only makes things worse,” Cox said, as reported by the NYT.
“Each side keeps blaming the other, and unless we find a way to step back, the cycle will only escalate,” he added.
Tyler James Robinson, 22, of Washington, Utah, was accused of shooting influential conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The suspect, identified as Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody on Thursday night, about 33 hours after the shooting.
The agency had received more than 11,000 tips as of Friday morning, the most since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, the FBI director said.
“History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country,” Cox continued, “but every single one of us gets to choose right now if this is a turning point for us.”
Governor Spencer Cox addressed the highly politicised reaction to the shooting—an incident that was captured on video, widely shared on social media, and viewed millions of times—by framing it as part of a deeper, systemic issue within society.
Kirk, 31, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump who helped build Republican support among young voters in 2024, was killed by a single gunshot fired from a rooftop as he spoke onstage during an outdoor campus event attended by 3,000 people. Trump called the shooting a “heinous assassination.”
He noted that this problem is not exclusive to any single political party, but rather reflects a broader cultural and societal breakdown.
“Social media,” he said, “is a cancer on our society right now. And I would encourage people to log off, turn off, touch grass, hug a family member.”
“He said, ‘Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much,’” Cox said.
“To my young friends out there, you are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option, but through those words, we have a reminder that we can choose a different path,” he added, as reported by the New York Times.
Also Read: Who turned in Charlie Kirk’s shooter? Trump says his father, minister helped — what we know
Kash Patel, the FBI director, also offered a personal tribute at the press conference: “Rest now, brother, we have the watch. I’ll see you in Valhalla,” he said in closing his remarks, referring to the heavenly reward for warriors in Norse mythology.
Kirk, co-founder and president of the conservative student group Turning Point USA, began his career in right-wing politics as a teenager.
We can answer violence with more violence and hate with more hate, but that only makes things worse.
To my young friends out there, you are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option, but through those words, we have a reminder that we can choose a different path.
Charlie Kirk, known for his often provocative commentary on topics such as race, gender, immigration, and gun regulation, regularly used public events as platforms to engage directly with audiences. He would invite attendees to challenge his views, leading to frequent debates, sometimes with those on the political left, but also with individuals from the far right.
(With inputs from NYT, agencies)