WASHINGTON — House Republicans and a handful of Democrats gathered in the Capitol on Monday for a prayer vigil honoring the life of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, in an unusual ceremony that reflected how his assassination has divided the two political parties.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., used the occasion to call for civil political discourse of the kind that he said Kirk embodied, even as President Donald Trump and top administration officials said his killing would prompt a vast crackdown on the left. The top Democratic leaders skipped the observance mourning the death of a figure who was reviled by many progressives because of his divisive remarks about race, transgender rights, feminism and Islam.

“The sadness for so many of us turned to anger,” Johnson said from the podium flanked by a photo of Kirk, his wife, Erika, and their two children set up in Statuary Hall for the vigil. “And there’s been a mixture of emotions, including fear.”

“What we do know about Charlie is that he would not want us to be overcome by despair,” the speaker continued. “He would want us to carry the message forward, to honor his memory and to expand the legacy that he left behind.”

Johnson sought to console members who had been close to the conservative activist, many of whom in recent days have shared how Kirk was key to shaping their political careers.

It is rare for vigils honoring individuals to be held inside the Capitol. Traditionally, they take place on the Capitol steps, including ceremonies marking the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by a pro-Trump mob, a vigil for two Israeli Embassy staff members killed in Washington, and a gathering for those killed or taken hostage in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Some far-right Republicans had called for Kirk to lie in honor in the Capitol, a distinction usually reserved for top officials or leaders of national stature.

The vigil in Statuary Hall, just off the House floor, was a far briefer and more understated affair. Some Republican leaders strayed from prayer and tribute to denounce those who have praised or made callous remarks on social media about the attack carried out by a lone gunman less than a week ago.

“The fact that he got killed, and many Americans consequently celebrated his murder, begs the question: How do we get so far away from the values our nation was built for?” Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said in brief remarks. “More importantly, how do we get back?”

Emmer also reflected on other acts of political violence, recalling the assassinations of Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband. He also invoked the shooting of Trump at a campaign event last year and the 2017 shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., who stood nearby during the vigil.

He denounced the perpetrators of each attack as “cowards” and “heinous.”

Republican leaders repeatedly called Kirk’s killing a watershed moment for the conservative movement, urging those present to carry forward his vision.

“We can never live in fear,” Scalise said. “We can never let whatever people think drives them, not to debate but to try to resort to political violence. It can never be accepted as the norm in this great country.”

The vigil concluded with a moment of silence and prayer, followed by dozens of House Republicans, and a handful of Democrats, placing candles at the base of a photograph of Kirk and his family next to a wreath of red and white roses.

Democrats in attendance included Reps. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, Tom Suozzi of New York, Don Davis of North Carolina, John B. Larson of Connecticut, Jimmy Panetta of California and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Robert Jimison/Tierney L. Cross
c. 2025 The New York Times Company