Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s unity plea after Charlie Kirk’s murder drew praise for its civility but also revived criticism from MAGA allies who saw it as insincere.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox drew national attention Friday after using an FBI press conference on the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk to call for calm and unity, despite a bitter history with the slain TPUSA founder.
Just three years earlier, Kirk had branded Cox a “weak moderate” who “should be expelled from the Republican party” after the governor vetoed a bill banning biological males from women’s sports. Cox also faced backlash for threatening to veto a ban on transgender surgeries for minors, prompting Kirk to accuse him of being “paid off by Big Pharma.”
Yet on Friday, Cox praised Kirk, saying he was “inspired by Kirk’s writings and beliefs” and urged followers to “find an off-ramp” from political rage. “My young friends out there… politics feels like rage. But we can choose a different path,” he said, warning that “social media is a cancer.”
Cox’s remarks were widely praised by pundits for their conciliatory tone, though some MAGA figures condemned him. Steve Bannon called Cox “a national embarrassment,” while journalist Julie Kelly said his appearance felt like “grandstanding.” Pro-MAGA outlet Gateway Pundit dismissed him as a “dirty RINO/Democrat.”
Cox, described by TIME as “The Red State Governor Who’s Not Afraid to Be Woke,” has long clashed with hardline conservatives, even facing boos at state Republican conventions. Despite criticism, he was reelected in 2024 with 56 percent of the vote.