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

Calling Charlie Kirk’s assassination an attack on free speech, Cox sought to bridge the partisan divide and realign the nation’s moral compass.

(L-R) Utah Department of Public Safety Beau Mason, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, and FBI Director Kash Patel attend a press conference over the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk one day prior, outside the Doterra Auditorium at Utah Valley University on Sept. 11, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images

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.