A heated exchange broke out on the House floor on Wednesday during a moment of silence for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who had been assassinated.
The shouting occurred when Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) interrupted the moment of silence to demand spoken prayer on the house floor.
“Please rise for a moment of prayer for Charlie Kirk and his family,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
For a few seconds, legislators observed the silence before swiftly resuming regular proceedings when Lauren Boebert remarked, “Silent prayers get silent results.”
When Boebert asked if prayers could be heard “out loud,” it prompted some shouts of “no” from Democrats, to which she shouted back. Per Fox News:
Meanwhile, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., stood up and began shouting back. “You all caused this,” she said.
Speaker Johnson made several attempts to restore order, banging his gavel and urging the crowd to settle. Finally, he reassured them: “We will join for prayer right after this, OK?”
Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at a Turning Point USA event held at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. He leaves behind his wife and two children. President Trump paid tribute to him upon hearing the sad news.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump expressed. “No one connected with or understood the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was admired and cherished 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!”
Democrat leaders have roundly condemned the assassination of Charlie Kirk as senseless political violence.
“Let me be clear: even if you disagree with someone’s beliefs, even if you oppose every single thing they stand for, the path of disagreement must never lead to what happened today at Utah Valley University,” remarked Democrat National Committee (DNC) Chairman Ken Martin.
“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,” he added.
