TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s political leaders are speaking out following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, calling the killing a tragic reminder of the dangers of political violence while urging unity and civil discourse.
At a 9/11 remembrance ceremony in Palm Harbor on Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis paused to address Kirk’s death, calling it an attack on free expression.
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“Yesterday we saw the assassination of a young political leader, Charlie Kirk, who I knew, many of you probably knew,” DeSantis said. “And you see some of the evil that's lurking within, and we've got some problems in this country. You know, you can have disagreements. Sometimes these are really fierce disagreements, but the viability of a republic really depends on our ability to fight those battles in the proper arena, leading into voting, leading into debate, all that, and then being able to move forward as one country. … It is certainly not that you kill somebody in order to silence them.”
DeSantis ordered flags across Florida lowered through Sunday, saying in a statement, Kirk should be remembered as "a strong man of God as well as a husband and a father, and he is now rejoicing with our Lord in Heaven.”
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins also reflected on the killing, drawing from his military service to emphasize the importance of shared national values.
“Charlie Kirk, honestly, he challenged people. He did. He used his mind and used his words that challenged people… Those are the things that make America truly what it is. They are, they were, and they always must be worth fighting for,” Collins said.
Collins added that America must remember “we have so much more in common than that which divides us.”
Bipartisan Condemnation
The reaction was swift and bipartisan. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried released a statement denouncing the killing.
“I am deeply disturbed by the murder of Charlie Kirk. Violence has NO place in our politics, and the Florida Democratic Party condemns this despicable and heinous act in the strongest of terms,” Fried said. “As Americans, we may not all agree on everything, but one thing we can agree on is that, no matter how deep the ideological difference, disagreements shouldn’t turn to political violence.”
Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell echoed that message, calling the shooting “a horrific act” and insisting “political violence is unacceptable and has no place in our democracy.”
Other Republican Responses
Attorney General James Uthmeier reacted almost immediately online, blaming “leftist violence” and calling Kirk “one of the great conservative leaders of our generation.”
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis (FL-1) demanded investigators scrutinize the suspect’s online activity: “Whenever Charlie’s murderer(s) is captured, we need to see the online content this person / group of people were consuming… Are these monsters being programmed?”
Meanwhile, first reported by NOTUS, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13) began circulating a draft letter urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to install a statue of Kirk in the U.S. Capitol, describing him as “a patriot, a father, and a fearless voice for conservative values” whose death was fueled by “divisive and hateful rhetoric from the Left.”
Fallout in Florida Schools
The assassination also sparked controversy in Florida’s education system. Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas issued a stern memo Thursday warning educators after reports some teachers had posted celebratory comments online.
“These few are not a reflection of the great, high-quality teachers who make up the vast majority of Florida's educators,” Kamoutsas wrote. “Nevertheless, I will be conducting an investigation of every educator who engages in this vile, sanctionable behavior.”
He reminded school officials that educators enjoy First Amendment rights, but said their public comments can violate professional conduct rules and lead to discipline if they undermine public trust.
Part of a Troubling Pattern
In the past year, the U.S. has seen a troubling wave of political violence. In Minnesota, Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in shootings authorities called politically motivated, with the suspect found carrying target lists of officials and advocates. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence was firebombed while his family was inside, leading to terrorism charges against the suspect.
President Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts—one at a Pennsylvania rally where he was grazed by a bullet, and another at his Florida golf course where a gunman was intercepted. Most recently, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah university event, the latest in a series of high-profile attacks underscoring the growing threat of political violence nationwide.
A Nation in Mourning
Kirk, 31, was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization, and a close ally of President Trump, who also directed flags be lowered nationwide.
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