House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) tried to hold a somber moment of silence for Charlie Kirk on Wednesday, following the horrific news that the MAGA influencer had died from an assassin’s bullet.
“The chair would ask that all members, present in the chamber and those in the gallery, please rise for a moment of prayer for Charlie Kirk and his family,” Johnson said before a moment of silence.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) then asked to be recognized. “What purpose does the gentlelady from Colorado rise?” Johnson said as Boebert spoke — but whose comments were not picked up by C-SPAN mics.
Following Boebert’s comments, shouting could be heard in the chamber as Johnson said, “Let’s, let’s wait a minute. Wait a minute!”
As shouting continued, Johnson banged his gavel and said, “The house will be in order!”
Congressional reporters offered some insights into exactly what was said on the floor. Business Insider’s Bryan Metzger reported on X, “House breaks out into shouting match following moment of silence for Charlie Kirk. Boebert rises and asks for prayer, says: ‘I believe that silent prayers get silent results.’” Metzger added:
Protest from Dem side, prompting Rep. Anna Paulina Luna to yell something toward the Dem side.
One Dem member pointed out that there was a shooting in Colorado, another yelled “pass a gun law.”
The Daily Mail’s Jon Michael Raasch reported on exactly what Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) yelled back at the Democrats. “Consternation on the House floor as Lauren Boebert calls for a moment of prayer for Charlie Kirk and Democrats shout ‘NO!’” Raasch wrote, adding:
Anna Paulina Luna yells at Dems: ‘You f*cking own this!’
Johnson concluded by saying, “We will join prayer right after this, okay?” He then moved on to swear in newly elected House Democrat, Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA). Metzger added that Walkinshaw then delivered his swearing-in speech, which included “denunciations of Trump administration policies at a very tense moment in the House. Boos from GOP side, which is unusual for swearing-in speech.”
Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.
