Gov. Ron DeSantis vehemently advocated for the death penalty against the shooter who killed conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. The governor added he was angered by the death of Kirk, one of the more popular Conservative activists in the country, during an interview with Jesse Watters on Fox News.
"They got to catch this guy, and we need a very quick death penalty prosecution," DeSantis said. "I don't want to see this take forever in a day. We need justice for this."
Utah is a death penalty state.
Kirk was speaking at a campus event when he was shot by a shooter, who is still at large, according to an update from FBI Director Kash Patel. An individual believed to be a suspect was released by law enforcement, Patel said.
I joined Jesse Watters to reflect on the legacy of Charlie Kirk and to express my anger about his assassination. pic.twitter.com/hn9VAZNImm
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 11, 2025
"My sadness when I heard the news has been overcome with anger," DeSantis said. "I'm very angry that you had a guy that dedicated his life to taking the ideas that we all believe in and bringing them to inhospitable environments, the college campus."
Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012. He is widely known for his conservative activism on college campuses nationwide, where he engaged in debates with students in videos that can be seen on social media.
"He chose to go in the places where he knew he was going to get pushed back. But he was dedicated to this idea that, you know what? I have a right to speak my mind. I want to change your mind. You can ask me tough questions," DeSantis said. "I'm going to be respectful and civil, but I'm going to tell you what I believe, and that's what he was doing when he got assassinated for political purposes."
Kirk was 31 years old. He leaves behind his wife Erika and two children.
"I think he left a big legacy," DeSantis said. "Obviously, it's going to shatter the family, but this is a big wound for this nation, because a republican government cannot endure if we cannot have situations where it's safe to disagree, where you can actually go and give a different perspective."
