Two of the nation's top state leaders who have had close brushes with political violence in 2025 hosted a panel on Dec. 9 where they called on Americans to stop hating their political enemies before it leads to "civil war."
"We're passing all the checkpoints, well ultimately towards failed states and things like civil war, I hate to even use that phrase," said Spencer Cox, Utah's Republican governor whose longstanding campaign for political unity was thrust into the national spotlight with the killing of conservative activistCharlie Kirkin September.
Cox participated in the panel alongside Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose house wasfirebombedin April.
Tuesday's panel comes at a point where in addition to the killing of Kirk and the firebombing of the Pennsylvania governor's mansion, a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband werekilledand another lawmaker and his wife were injured at their homes in June; two Israeli embassy workers wereshot and killedin D.C. in May; and a National Guard member waskilled and another injuredin a shooting also in the nation's capital in November.
The pair spoke at Washington National Cathedral, about three and a half miles northwest of the White House.
Early on in the panel, Shapiro called outPresident Donald Trumpfor stoking hate in politics.
"When you're a governor, when you're a president of the United States, you're looked to for that moral clarity," Shapiro said, "and we have a president who fails that test on a daily basis."
Trump at a rally in September following the killing of Kirk said that he hates his opponents.
"That's where I disagreed with Charlie," Trumpsaid. "I hate my opponent, and I don't want the best for them."
Cox closed the panel by calling for a return to a period where political party affiliation took a backseat to aspects including profession or one's family.
"To my fellow Americans, to my fellow worshipers, whatever it is, whether you're in a sacred place like this, whether you're in a synagogue, whether you're in a mosque, I don't care where it is, you are are fellow Americans," said Cox, who has been speaking about the need for political civility since first running for governor in 2020. "We need you now more than ever, this country, if we're going to make it another 250 years, if we're going to make it another two point five years, we desperately need you to lay down your swords and treat each other with dignity and respect again."
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk (R) founded and led the nonprofit, Turning Point USA. He was married to Erika Kirk, a former pageant contestant, who won Miss Arizona 2012. The two were married in 2021 and have two children together.
While speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University, he was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025.
His widow, Erika Kirk (formerly Frantzve), has since taken the helm of leading and continuing TPUSA, while also raising their two children and pursuing her doctorate in biblical studies. Here's a look at her life from pageantry to marriage, motherhood and becoming a CEO. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
See Erika Kirk's journey through marriage, motherhood and grief
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk (R) founded and led the nonprofit, Turning Point USA.He was married to Erika Kirk, a former pageant contestant, who won Miss Arizona 2012. The two were married in 2021 and have two children together.While speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University, he was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025.His widow, Erika Kirk (formerly Frantzve), has since taken the helm of leading and continuing TPUSA, while also raising their two children and pursuing her doctorate in biblical studies. Here's a look at her life from pageantry to marriage, motherhood and becoming a CEO.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Utah, PA governors call out political violence in bipartisan panel