Gov. Josh Shapiro Calls for ‘More Speech’ in Response to Kirk Assassination

Shapiro criticized attempts by governments to prosecute speakers who utter odious speech, following comments by Trump administration officials on the subject.
Gov. Josh Shapiro Calls for ‘More Speech’ in Response to Kirk Assassination
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a campaign event for Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 10, 2024. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
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PITTSBURGH—Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Sept. 16 delivered a speech calling for “more speech” in response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk and opposing retribution against those who celebrated his death.

Shapiro spoke at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit in 2025, in the City of Pittsburgh, which is an annual event formed in the aftermath of a shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in that city in 2018 that killed 11 people. In his keynote speech, Shapiro—himself the survivor of an arson attack on the Governor’s Mansion in April of this year—said that odious speakers should not be suppressed, but instead countered with debate.

Arjun Singh
Arjun Singh
Author
Arjun Singh is a reporter for The Epoch Times, covering national politics and the U.S. Congress.
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