On September 13, 2025, Utah Governor Spencer Cox stood before a packed room at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, grappling with a moment of national trauma. The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk just the day before had sent shockwaves through the political landscape, and Cox’s response quickly drew attention well beyond his state’s borders. His message was clear, urgent, and deeply personal: Americans must find a way to end the cycle of violent division that has become all too common in recent years.
"You are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option," Cox told the assembled reporters, his words echoing across the country via national news coverage. He urged young people in particular to "choose a different path," referencing a sentiment Kirk himself had shared before his death—one that called for a return to reasonable conversation, where violence is never an option. According to NPR, Cox’s remarks were not just a plea for calm, but a call to action for a generation that, in his view, has the chance to build a culture very different from the one currently suffering under the weight of polarization and anger.
This message is not new for Cox. As chair of the National Governors Association in 2023, he launched the "Disagree Better" initiative, an effort to promote healthy conflict and combat political polarization. The campaign encouraged Americans to engage in civil debate and “healthy conflict,” rather than allowing differences to devolve into hostility. Cox has often partnered with Democratic colleagues, such as Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, to demonstrate that it’s possible to disagree without descending into vitriol. In one lighthearted video, Cox and Polis joked about saving family dinners from political arguments. In another, Cox and Moore bonded over basketball and their shared baldness, while emphasizing that politics should never destroy personal relationships.
Cox’s approach stands out, especially in a Republican Party that has, in recent years, largely rallied around former President Donald Trump. Indeed, Cox has frequently found himself at odds with the Trump-aligned wing of his party. During his 2020 gubernatorial campaign, he refused to endorse Trump, supporting Marco Rubio and then Ted Cruz in the 2016 Republican primary. As reported by CNN, Cox explained his decision by saying, "He does not represent neither goodness nor kindness." Even as he led one of America’s reddest states, Cox built a political brand that extended beyond party lines, emphasizing civility and a peaceful transition of power. During his campaign, he and his Democratic opponent released a joint ad pledging respect for the election’s outcome and calling for Utah to serve as a national example of civility.
But Cox’s stance has not been without controversy. In 2022, when he was poised to veto a ban on transgender youth athletes participating in girls’ sports, Kirk tweeted: "Utah Governor Spencer Cox should be expelled from the Republican party." Cox, in his message to legislative leaders, insisted he was trying "to err on the side of kindness, mercy and compassion." The Utah legislature ultimately overrode his veto, but the episode highlighted the deep divisions within the GOP—and the sharp criticism Cox has sometimes faced from Trump-aligned figures. Steve Bannon, a close ally of both Kirk and Trump, referenced the veto on his "War Room" podcast, dismissing Cox as "particularly obnoxious" and rejecting the governor’s calls for unity as mere political pep talk.
Despite such criticism, Cox’s message has resonated with many, including prominent Democrats. Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who counts Cox as a close friend, praised him for his authenticity and steadfastness. "Spencer Cox is Spencer Cox," Moore told CNN. "And he doesn’t change depending on who the audience is, and he doesn’t change depending on who he’s standing in front of. And that’s one of the things I love about him most." Moore added, "He’s just a deeply good human being, and I’m thankful that in this moment of real tension in our country, that Spencer is helping to lead us through." The two governors have remained in close contact since Kirk’s assassination, with Moore expressing concern for Cox’s wellbeing and urging him to take care of himself for the sake of his constituents.
The national conversation following Kirk’s death has also exposed a rift within the Republican Party over how to respond. While Cox called for Americans of all political stripes—"Republican, Democrat, liberal, progressive, conservative, MAGA, all of us"—to dedicate themselves to ending violent division, others took a more combative tone. Former President Trump suggested the "radical left" was to blame for Kirk’s murder, a claim Cox did not address directly. Instead, Cox’s remarks stood in stark contrast, focusing on healing rather than assigning blame. Utah Senator John Curtis echoed Cox’s call to "turn down the dial," urging everyone to reflect on their own roles in fostering division or unity.
Cox’s response to the tragedy also included a frank assessment of the dangers posed by social media. Calling it "a cancer," he urged Americans—especially the youth—to "log off, turn off, touch grass, hug a family member, go out and do good in your community." This advice struck a chord with many, including Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, who posted on X: "I know this guy is a Republican and all but I swear you could win all the electoral votes with this message in 28." Curtis, too, praised Cox’s comments, calling them "one of the wisest things I think he said today."
Amid this national reckoning, Cox did not shy away from the gravity of Kirk’s murder, describing it as a "political assassination" and announcing that Utah would seek the death penalty against the suspect. He also referenced a troubling trend of violence against public officials, including the murder of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, the firebombing of Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence in Pennsylvania, and two assassination attempts on former President Trump. According to data from the U.S. Capitol Police and researcher Rachel Kleinfeld, threats against elected officials have increased tenfold since 2016, with much of the violence attributed to far-right extremists.
Yet, even as he acknowledged the darkness of the moment, Cox insisted that the country still has a choice. "Is this the end of a dark chapter of our history, or the beginning?" he asked. In his letter to Trump after the failed assassination attempt, Cox wrote, "Your life was spared. Now, because of that miracle, you have the opportunity to do something that no other person on earth can do right now: unify and save our country."
Cox’s leadership in this moment has drawn both praise and skepticism. Some see him as a potential future presidential contender, with Moore suggesting that those who underestimate Cox’s appeal for unity may be missing the country’s deep hunger for a leader who brings people together. Others, particularly on the right, remain unconvinced by his calls for civility, preferring a more combative approach.
Still, Cox’s vision is clear: "We will never be able to solve all the other problems, including the violence problems that people are worried about, if we can’t have a conflict of ideas safely and securely, especially those ideas with which you disagree." In a nation searching for answers, that message may prove more important than ever.
