


House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) held a memorial Monday night to honor the life of conservative activist Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated last week in Utah.
Johnson, along with House leadership and other members of Congress, gathered to deliver remarks and prayers on the “life and legacy” of Kirk. The Majority of the Republican conference went to the memorial. A handful of democrats, including Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), John Larson (D-CT), Don Davis (D-NC), and Chris Pappas (D-NH) also attended.
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“Many of the people here assembled in Statuary Hall today are personal friends of Charlie Kirk knew him well, watched his ministry and his organization develop over the years, and then the sadness for so many of us turned to anger, and there’s been a mixture of emotions that included fear on behalf of a lot of people around the country,” Johnson said at the ceremony.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) said during the memorial that there is “no place in our country for politically motivated violence.”
“The assassination of Charlie Kirk wasn’t just an attack on one individual, Emmer said. “It was an attack on the traditional values that make our country this great country, great values of free speech, civil discourse, public debate, the ability to think independently, voice your opinions, exchange ideas, even disagree with one another.”
The event marks the second one Johnson has organized, having held a prayer vigil at the Kennedy Center in Washington Sunday night, where he was joined by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kirk’s death has sparked an outpouring of support from Republican leaders, with Vice President JD Vance hosting “The Charlie Kirk Show” Monday afternoon to “pay tribute to my friend,” according to a statement he wrote on X. Vance and his wife accompanied Kirk’s casket to Arizona last week.
President Donald Trump is set to attend Kirk’s memorial service Sunday in Glendale, Arizona, at the State Farm Stadium, which can hold more than 63,000 people.
Separately, House Republicans have introduced several resolutions to honor the conservative activist. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced a resolution to have Kirk lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), along with 15 other Republicans, signed a letter to Johnson to place a statue of Kirk in the Capitol.
FBI LINKS TYLER ROBINSON TO CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING THROUGH DNA AND RECOVERY NOTE
Kirk, 31, was assassinated last Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University. The Republican was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative organization that was instrumental in rallying young voters to the Republican Party and for Trump.
Federal investigators say Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man suspected of assassinating Kirk, has been linked to the crime through a DNA match and note.