A member of the Florida House of Representatives is currently under fire after she stated that conservative activist Charlie Kirk was not assassinated, but was instead a victim of gun violence. The rep also called him “mediocre and racist” while debating a bill regarding a day of remembrance for Kirk.
Florida’s Voice shared a short clip of Rep. Ashley Viola Gantt’s intervention during a chamber debate. Reportedly, the Florida House of Representatives was debating a bill that would designate October 14 as the Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance across the state. A bill clearly opposed by Gantt.
From the get-go, Gantt criticized Kirk, saying that he was “mediocre at best” and “racist.” She pointed out that he was not a Floridian and that he had “no ties to Florida other than owning property,” and that there are other Floridians and organizations who promote free speech who are not “divisive like this individual was.”
Then, Rep. Gantt asked the chamber to be “precise with their words” when talking about free speech. She stated that the word “assassination” pertains to people in a “political position,” something that, according to her, doesn’t apply to Kirk. Therefore, she concluded, he “died from gun violence.”
“So was his passing tragic for those who love him? Absolutely. There is no denying that,” Gantt added. “But he was not assassinated, and words being accurate matters. It was a death by gun violence.”
Charlie Kirk Was Assassinated, Backlash
Kirk was, in fact, assassinated on September 10, 2025. He, a political commentator, was fatally shot in the neck while debating students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
His death was condemned by figures across the political spectrum, and the suspect, Tyler Robinson, is facing multiple charges, including aggravated murder, in connection with the incident.
The Florida rep, shortly after the clip from her intervention went viral, faced intense backlash online. “We literally all saw it happen live. They’re trying to rewrite history,” one user said. Another one commented, “Tell me you hated Charlie without telling me you hated Charlie.” A third one added, “We really need a common sense test to hold public office.”
Following the moment reported above, the Florida House of Representatives passed the bill.
