SALT LAKE CITY — Hours after the murder of conservative political influencer Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, a call came in to the general number of the House Minority Caucus on Utah's Capitol Hill.
"You should leave the f—ing state. You should find somewhere else to f—ing live, you murderous, terrorist animals," the man said in the voicemail that was shared with FOX 13 News on Thursday. "You despicable f—ing, subhuman f—ing, violent disgusting f—ing animals, you murdered that man in front of his f—ing family, you evil f—ing pieces of s— subhuman f—ing garbage!"
House Minority Leader Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, was alarmed and said she took the tone to be "threatening." She said it wasn't the only one she received.
"We don’t know who the shooter was, we don’t know what their intent was," Rep. Romero told FOX 13 News. "Somebody was murdered, somebody was executed and we all agree that was wrong."
Years before Kirk shooting, concerns about security at Utah Valley University:
Voicemails of an intimidating or menacing tone are not infrequent on Utah's Capitol Hill, where Republican and Democratic lawmakers often find themselves on the receiving end of somebody's wrath. But Rep. Romero said she has seen the vitriol increase in recent years.
"I think it’s escalated, but I think we can tone it down if we all work together," she said. "But that means we all have to work together. I don’t know if everyone is willing to do that."
In the aftermath of Wednesday's shooting at Utah Valley University, political leaders from across the spectrum have called for people to turn down the temperature on political rhetoric. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, joined the House Minority Leader in condemning violence.
"Political violence should never happen, any type of violence should never happen, and the fact that it’s continuing to happen, the Minnesota shootings a few months ago, now this. We can do better," he said, referring to the deaths of Minnesota's former House Speaker, her husband and the shooting of another state lawmaker there.
Rep. Romero said there are legislative colleagues from both caucuses who fight regularly on the social media platform X, and she questioned what message it sends to the public. The House Speaker and Minority Leader have enjoyed a friendship that seems to transcend policy. (Rep. Romero has described their relationship in the past as similar to that of siblings.)
"We've got to tone down the rhetoric whether it's on social media or even the media themselves, in some cases, that fuel this type of fire and passion in people, no matter on what side they're on," he said.
Speaker Schultz called on elected leaders today to set a better example for younger generations, who he said are watching them.
"I hope that it starts to tone down some of the rhetoric that’s out there, some of the hateful things said on all sides and that we’re able to come together," he told FOX 13 News in an interview. "What Charlie died for was people to come together and have discourse and be able to agree to disagree and be able to have those debates, regardless of what side you're on. I'm hopeful that we learn from this."
One group that works to combat hyper-polarization is hoping the shooting of Charlie Kirk acts as a "wakeup call" for people to reflect on their own interactions with others online and in real life.
"We get into this notion of feeling there’s a culture war I have to fight for. The problem is, that in doing that and with the tools we have in social media, we dehumanize each other," said Maury Giles, the CEO of Braver Angels.
The organization worked with Governor Spencer Cox on his "Disagree Better" initiative. Giles said social media algorithms serve people hyper-polarized content and people may not be able to control what others say — but they can control their own words.
"What we have to be able to choose to do in this moment, right now, today is how am I going to respond?" Giles said. "Am I going to cascade to the corner of my tribe for fear of not being loyal to that tribe or not doing what I need to do to not be alienated by them?" he said. "Or am I going to step up and say, 'Hold on a second, vigorous debate is a hallmark of the American experiment, but with contempt is not the way.'"
