Lawmakers erupted in a shouting match on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday after Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., called for prayer after the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
After House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., acknowledged her, Boebert rose following a moment of silence for Kirk to call for a public prayer for his family, which prompted groans and shouts of “No!” from other members in the chamber, according to video of the incident.
An unbelievable moment on the House floor.
Rep. Lauren Boebert requests a moment of prayer for Charlie Kirk.
Democrats can be heard shouting “no!”
Then, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna shouts back “y’all caused this!” pic.twitter.com/puEobizZTk
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 10, 2025
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who previously served under Kirk as Turning Point USA’s director of Hispanic engagement, then appeared to blame the Democrats for his murder, yelling, “Y’all caused this!” and “You f—ing own this!”
Democrats responded by shouting about gun laws and the school shooting in Colorado on Wednesday that left four dead, including the suspect, according to Axios.
Johnson attempted to maintain decorum amid the shouting, shushing them and repeatedly banging his gavel.
“The House will be in order,” he said, adding, “We will join for prayer right after this, OK?”
Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., tweeted that he was near the scuffle on the House floor and expressed disgust at the behavior from some of his Democratic colleagues.
“I was on the House floor sitting right next to [Boebert] when the Speaker recognized Lauren for a request for prayer for Charlie Kirk and the Dems shouted NO!!! Screaming over top of her like lunatics,” Moore said.
“Absolutely disgusting. I wish it were surprising. It’s time to wake up everyone,” he added.
During an interview with CNN after the incident, Johnson noted the House had devolved into a “little bit of chaos.” He urged Americans to remember the importance of maintaining civility if the nation is going to survive.
At this pivotal moment in our nation’s history, we must appeal to our better angels.
America is still a grand experiment in self-governance – of, by, and for the people.
Charlie modeled that truth: debate passionately, but never hate the person across from you. pic.twitter.com/Miw97eXe8s
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) September 11, 2025
“We’re at a pivotal moment as a nation, we’re coming up on our 250th birthday,” he said. “We’re still in a grand experiment in self-governance. We don’t know how long this grand experiment will last.
Noting the U.S. has no king and that the people have been entrusted with their own rule, Johnson emphasized the importance of the civil debate that Kirk exhibited, adding: “At the end of the day, you can’t take that home and you can’t hate the person on the other side. We’re all in this together, and we do well to remember that.”
Kirk, who was 31, was killed on Wednesday after being shot in the neck during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem. He was struck moments after fielding an audience question about mass shootings by transgender-identifying individuals.
Graphic videos shared on X show him bleeding profusely from his wound as he slumped over immediately after being shot. He had shortly before confessed the Gospel and the deity of Jesus Christ to the large gathering of college students.
Kirk, who founded the influential grassroots political organization Turning Point USA at the age of 18, played a pivotal role in securing support for conservatism among young men, especially.
Last month, his organization hosted the TPUSA Pastors’ Summit in Los Angeles, mobilizing ministers to stand firm against the surging cultural shift that some speakers at the event described as overtly demonic.
Kirk’s death drew an outpouring of grief and condolences from many leading political and religious figures, including President Donald Trump, who delivered an address from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening that praised Kirk as “a martyr for truth and freedom.”
Kirk’s killer remains at large, as of Thursday morning, despite FBI Director Kash Patel announcing a suspect was in custody. After the suspect was later released upon interrogation, the agency asked for help from the public in apprehending the shooter.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com
