Daily Wire hosts Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh stood firm in their defense of free speech and conservative values after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, even as some unhinged leftists called for more political commentators to be targeted.

Shapiro and Walsh dedicated their shows on Thursday to honoring the legacy of Kirk, who was killed while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. During their shows, both Shapiro and Walsh also told their followers that despite concerns of more violence against conservatives, they would never back down and continue to stand “up for what America is and what she should be.”

“I saw a lot of rumors online today that I’m going to cancel some sort of college tour. That’s bullshit. I saw those rumors. They are false. I will be coming to college campuses, many of them this year,” Shapiro said. “So will we all, I am sure, because we are Americans. And we’re not going to be deterred.”

“Charlie’s voice is not silent. We’re going to pick up that blood-stained microphone where Charlie left it,” Shapiro added. “And to those who would intimidate, who would seek to stop us, who would seek to end free discussion, who believe that they have ownership over public spaces and can violently threaten and kill people who speak freely, we are not going to stop. And I have two words: fuck you.”

“We will not stop telling the truth. We will never stop telling the truth,” the Daily Wire editor emeritus continued. “We will never stop debating and discussing. We will never stop standing up for what America is and for what she should be. And we will never let Charlie Kirk’s voice die.”

We will never stop debating and discussing.

We will never stop standing up for what America is and what she should be.

And we will never let Charlie’s voice die.

To those who would stop us, I have two words: FUCK YOU. pic.twitter.com/Ub2qYY8Zb2

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) September 11, 2025

Walsh also remained undeterred from speaking the truth after Kirk’s assassination, adding that the “evil gloating” of Kirk’s enemies following his killing “are accolades in their own right.”

“May we all be so successful and productive that our enemies celebrate when we die,” he said. “May we all be so devastating to the leftist project that they long for our demise. May we all fight so hard and so effectively that they have no choice but to try to kill us. May our lives be a problem for these people, and our deaths a relief.”

“Let them dance on my grave as they did on Charlie’s, then I will know that I did my duty,” Walsh continued, saying that even through Kirk’s smile and respectful debate, he was a “devastating fighter.”

“And his opponents are overjoyed because they think that they’ve gotten rid of him, but they’re wrong. They have gravely misjudged the situation. The only thing more powerful than a living fighter is a martyred one,” he said.

“I want to be very clear that we will not back down after this. We will not shrink away or go into hiding. We will not fall silent. We will not walk in fear. We will stand taller and prouder than we ever have, and be louder and bolder than we’ve ever been, and fight harder than we’ve ever fought.”

.@MattWalshBlog on Charlie Kirk’s lasting legacy and the “rodents” who are celebrating his death:

“May we all be so devastating to the leftist project that they long for our demise. May we all fight so hard and so effectively that they have no choice but to try to kill us.” pic.twitter.com/NiXLpmCRfN

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) September 11, 2025

Florida officials promised Thursday to discipline teachers who celebrate the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas sent a memo to school superintendents saying that there would be consequences for employees who celebrate or mock the killing of Kirk, who was gunned down on Wednesday while holding an event at Utah Valley University.

“It has been brought to my attention that some Florida educators have posted despicable comments on social media regarding the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk. These few are not a reflection of the great, high-quality teachers who make up the vast majority of Florida’s educators,” he wrote in the memo. “Nevertheless, I will be conducting an investigation of every educator who engages in this vile, sanctionable behavior.”

Teachers are held to a higher standard as public servants and must ensure their conduct does not undermine the trust of the students and families they serve. We will hold teachers who choose to make disgusting comments about the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk accountable.… pic.twitter.com/KzXCCGkvZm

— Anastasios Kamoutsas (@StasiKamoutsas) September 11, 2025

While tributes for Kirk poured in following news of his death, many leftists responded by mocking Kirk or celebrating his death. A dean of students at Middle Tennessee State University was fired Wednesday after she said she had “zero sympathy” for Kirk.

Kamoutsas noted that while teachers have First Amendment rights, comments they make could violate professional codes of conduct that they are required to follow.

“Although educators have First Amendment rights, these rights do not extend without limit into their professional duties,” he wrote in the memo. “An educator’s personal views that are made public may undermine the trust of the students and families that they serve.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis praised Kamoutsas for the memo.

“Celebrating the assassination of a 31-year-old father of two young kids is disturbing; that teachers would be among those who do so is completely unacceptable,” he said. “Glad [Kamoustas] is bringing accountability. It is sad that we’ve seen a number of teachers across America celebrate Charlie Kirk’s murder.”

Other individuals across the country have also lost their jobs over posts made about Kirk’s death, including at the University of Mississippi.

“Yesterday, a University of Mississippi staff member re-shared hurtful, insensitive comments on social media regarding the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk,” University of Mississippi Chancelor Glenn Boyce said Thursday. “These comments run completely counter to our institutional values of civility, fairness, and respecting the dignity of each person. We condemn these actions, and this staff member is no longer employed by the university.”