There's no handbook when it comes to crisis and tragedy. But Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, speaking during a press conference with law enforcement following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, delivered one of the strongest messages you'll ever hear from a politician.
Other American leaders should study Cox and learn from him. He was direct, concise, and, most importantly, unifying. What he displayed, above all else, was leadership.
"This is a dark day for our state; it's a tragic day for our nation; and, I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination," Cox began, in a clear and controlled tone.
"We are celebrating 250 years of the founding of this great nation. That founding document, the Declaration of Independence... [stated] that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. The first one of those is life. And today, a life was taken," Cox continued.
The governor noted that Kirk stood for free speech as one of his core principles. And it was because of that unwavering belief in the First Amendment that Kirk was a target for political opposition.
"Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and to persuade people. Historically, our university campuses in this nation and here in the state of Utah have been the place where truth and ideas are formulated and debated," Cox said.
"That is foundational to the formation of our country, to our most basic constitutional rights. And when someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or their ideals, then that very constitutional foundation is threatened."
It's tragic that Charlie Kirk was murdered on Sept. 10 in Orem, Utah. It's even more tragic that he was allegedly killed for believing in everyone's right to speak their mind. As Cox pointed out, that's a founding principal in America. While the Left often talks about "threats to democracy," there is perhaps no greater threat than those who are willing to kill to silence opposing viewpoints.
Cox continued the press conference by adamantly declaring that the assailant will be brought to justice, and then served a very important reminder about the laws in Utah.
"I want to make it crystal clear right now to whoever did this, we will find you. We will try you. And we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law. I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty here in the state of Utah," Cox warned.
When something like this happens, Americans demand justice. Cox reminding everyone that Utah has the death penalty was the perfect way to signal that he wants to deliver that justice.
Then, the governor changed gears and spoke about how the assassination of Kirk signals a broader problem with American society.
"Our nation is broken. We've had political assassinations recently in Minnesota. We had an attempted assassination on the governor of Pennsylvania. And we had an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate and former President of the United States -- now current President of the United States," Cox said.
While this might not seem like a unifying statement, it was. Two of the incidents mentioned involved Democrat politicians. Cox noted that political violence, on both sides of the aisle, is unacceptable. That we've come to a place where it is seemingly common is a massive issue.
"Nothing I say can unite us as a country. Nothing I can say right now can fix what is broken. Nothing I could say can bring back Charlie Kirk. Our hearts are broken," Cox continued.
By acknowledging that he didn't have the power to make immediate change, Cox allowed for a moment of self-awareness. This is an important trait for good leaders.
Then Cox delivered an important statement about the people celebrating the death of Kirk because they disagreed with his political views.
"If anyone in the sound of my voice celebrated even a little bit at the news of this shooting, I would beg you to look in the mirror to see if you can find a better angel in there somewhere. I don't care what his politics are, I care that he was an American," Cox said.
Sadly, there were far too many left-wingers openly cheering the murder of Charlie Kirk. It's dark, it's twisted and it's evil. But it exists. Hopefully, some of them heed the words of the Utah governor.
Finally, Cox closed with a message to all Americans.
"We desperately need leaders in our country. But more than the leaders, we just need every single person in this country to think about where we are and where we want to be. To ask ourselves, 'Is this it? Is this what 250 years has wrought on us?' I pray that that's not the case.
"I pray that those who hated what Charlie Kirk stood for will put down their social media and their pens and pray for his family and that all of us will try to find a way to stop hating our fellow Americans."
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Honestly, I can't imagine a better way to handle a very difficult situation. A true masterclass in crisis management. Very well done, Spencer Cox.