Moment of silence for Charlie Kirk sparks bitter clash between Republicans and Democrats: ‘Pass some gun laws’

Speaker Mike Johnson opened the session with a quiet tribute. Tensions rose when Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) urged colleagues to pray out loud, declaring, “I believe silent prayers get silent results.” That prompted visible irritation from some Democrats, who muttered about Republicans’ selective outrage over victims of gun violence.

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Controversy in the US Congress; When House Speaker Mike Johnson declared a moment of silence to honor Charlie Kirk, a number of representatives shouted and broke the silence!#CharlieKirk pic.twitter.com/UVqjJDNJKq

— اِنقِلابی‌ها (@engelabiha) September 10, 2025

The mood deteriorated further. According to Politico, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), a former Turning Point USA staffer, leapt up and shouted back at Democrats, even using an expletive, after one lawmaker yelled, “What about the kids in Colorado?” referencing a same-day school shooting in Boebert’s state that left three critically injured. “You all caused this!” Luna shot back, drawing more fury from across the aisle.

Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), who serves on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, reportedly shouted, “Pass some gun laws,” while Speaker Johnson repeatedly raised his voice to restore order. Boebert doubled down, accusing Democrats of “causing” the violence, TIME reported. One GOP lawmaker later called the entire scene “disgusting.”

By the end of the session, Johnson managed to lead a prayer for Kirk. Hours later of the shooting, Trump confirmed on Truth Social that Kirk had died. “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” he wrote. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better … he was loved and admired by ALL, especially me.”

Kirk’s killing drew rare bipartisan expressions of shock and grief, even as it underscored the increasingly bitter fight over guns and political violence in the US.