House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers "to turn the temperature down" on Capitol Hill following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

"You will hear me, as I have always done, I'm trying to turn the temperature down around here. I always do that," Johnson told reporters on Thursday.

An emotional Johnson said, "It still doesn't feel real to me. Charlie Kirk was a good friend of mine."

"I'll continue to do what I've always tried to do here, especially in a moment like this. We have colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are in a different place this morning than they were yesterday. People have been shaken by this event," he said.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to reporters, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025 at the Capitol in Washington, on the shooting of C

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