The House floor erupted in chaos after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) held a moment of silence to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University.
Johnson announced to reporters before heading to the House floor that he would be holding a moment of silence for Kirk. Immediately following his moment of silence, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) asked for a prayer to be read, and she was met by Democrats yelling “no.”
The back and forth continued as Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) screamed, “You f***ing own this” at the Democratic side of the House floor. Democrats immediately clapped back, pointing to a Colorado school shooting just hours earlier.
“Pass some gun laws,” one Democrat shouted.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) shared a similar sentiment to Luna when speaking with reporters on Wednesday: “Democrats own what happened today.”
Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) introduced a resolution before Kirk was reported dead. He changed the language of the bill to condemn the “horrific political assassination,” praising Kirk as a “faith-based conservative spokesman and thought leader.” A handful of Republicans have signed onto the resolution.
Johnson condemned political violence when speaking with reporters before entering the House floor.
CHARLIE KIRK DEAD AFTER BEING SHOT AT UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY EVENT
“We need everyone who has a platform to say this loudly and clearly, we can settle disagreements and disputes in a civil manner, and political violence must be called out, and it has to stop,” Johnson said before it was known that Kirk had died from the shooting.
Kirk, 31, was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative organization that was instrumental in rallying young voters to the Republican Party and for President Donald Trump.
