Utah Governor Urges Americans to Turn Away From Political Violence, Division

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called for peace and asked Americans to forgive those they disagree with rather than seek retribution at a Sept. 12 press conference, where he announced the arrest of a suspect over the assassination of Charlie Kirk. 

“To my young friends out there, you are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option,” Cox said during the event.  

“Your generation has an opportunity to build a culture that is very different than what we are suffering through right now, not by pretending differences don’t matter, but by embracing our differences and having those hard conversations.” 

He paraphrased well-known comments made by Kirk—a conservative commentator known for inviting debate on college campuses with individuals with a variety of political beliefs—on topics such as the benefits of open dialogue, forgiveness, compassion, and unconditional love.  

“Charlie posted to social media, ‘When things are moving very fast and people are losing their minds, it’s important to stay grounded. Turn off your phone, read scripture, spend time with friends, and remember internet fury is not real life.’” Cox said.

The governor noted Kirk’s use of intellectual interactions to focus on issues affecting young voters and the impact he was having nationwide with his Turning Points USA organization.

“He again, said, ‘When you stop having a human connection with someone you disagree with, it becomes a lot easier to commit violence,’” Cox said. “He said, ‘What we as a culture have to get back to is being able to have a reasonable agreement, being able to have reasonable agreement where violence is not an option.’” 

Cox said the nation needs moral clarity. 

“I think it’s important that we, with eyes wide open, understand what’s happening in our country today,” he said, alluding to the potential long-term implications of the political assassination, which occurred on Sept 10 while Kirk was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

“It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals.” 

Authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the suspect accused of firing a single shot from a recovered Mauser .30-06 rifle that killed Kirk on Wednesday.

Charging documents are expected early next week, according to the governor, who decried the murder as an attack on free speech and the principles on which the country was founded. 

“This cuts to the very foundation of who we are, of who we have been, and who we could be in better times,” Cox said.  

“We will never be able to solve all the other problems, including the violence problems that people are worried about, if we can’t have a clash of ideas safely and securely—especially those ideas with which you disagree. That’s why this matters so much.” 

On Sept. 11, President Donald Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House that Americans should remain “brave” and vigilant in their support of free speech and patriotic principles, while prioritizing peace and understanding.