See the Surprise Moment a Congressman Stood Up and Praised Michelle Malkin During Her Speech in Salt Lake City

TheBlaze's Mike Opelka contributed to this report.

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Michelle Malkin rallied the crowd during her speech at Glenn Beck’s Man in the Moon Independence Speaker Series this evening. From lambasting Democrats' attempts to offer "amnesty," to discussing her own family's immigration story, the commentator mixed quips with passionate commentary. But the big surprise was when Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) stood up during the question-and-answer portion of the program and praised Malkin.

After she joked that she wakes up every morning surprised that she's able to make a living by voicing her opinions, Gohmert surprised the crowd. He jumped up and took the mic to tell the crowd that she's been so successful because of the quality of the information she spouts.

"You are inspirational, you know that," Gohmer said after having received a standing ovation himself. "The reason you can make a living opening your mouth is because of what comes out."

Malkin, naturally, appreciated his remarks.

"Could we just clone you? I would drop my aversion to cloning," she joked, calling the congressman "one of the good guys."

Watch the intriguing moment, below:

As for her speech -- a passionate appeal to the audience about the nation's current state and challenges -- the conservative commentator didn't disappoint.

"I could not think of a better way to celebrate Independence Day than with all of you," she opened earlier in the evening, instantly winning over the crowd.

From there, she wasted little time before diving into a discussion about immigration reform, noting that we should be speaking about assimilation than amnesty (she highlighted the dangers of embracing this latter).

Rep. Louie Gohmert asking a question to Michelle Malkin during tonight's speech

"I'm here to talk a little bit about the 'a word' -- not just America, but assimilation," Malkin said. "But [among] so many of the identity politics mongers on the left and among the progressive movement you hear the 'a word' -- amnesty."

She called the act of embracing this sentiment a "recipe for destruction," going on to call for restoration. Malkin noted that, while many people are celebrating freedom today, that there are some U.S. citizens who hate America, people who do not see the value of assimilation.

Photo Credit: Twitter

"Celebrate America, celebrate unity. One people. One common thread," she said, calling for increased connectedness.

Extending well beyond a mere feeling, Malkin spoke explicitly about actions that everyone should be taking. In addition to speaking the same language, she called for people to stand up and be proud of the same history.

From honesty to restraint, the commentator spoke candidly about the need for citizens to demonstrate the virtues that the Founding Fathers touted.

Taking a brief break from the heavy content, she quipped, "Piers Morgan is going, 'What are those?,'" in reference to these values.

From there, she worked her way back into the immigration issue, decrying amnesty-supporters who are seeking to "undermine the rule of law and American sovereignty."

"People who come into this country should play by the rules," she added.

Malkin shared her own parents' story of coming, legally, to the U.S. from the Philippines in the 1970s. She remembers being confronted with racism in New Jersey. And that wasn't her only challenge. Malkin also recalled being very shy as a child and even, surprising, failing a seventh-grade speech class due to nerves.

"I've never lived my life with any kind of hyphen," she said, decrying the use of labels that add an additional descriptive to the label "American." "I am an unhyphenated American and proud to be so."

Contrary to those who would say otherwise, Malkin claims she's not "against immigrants."

"We're for people who will share our common principles of limited constitutional government, who understand the need for self regulation," she said. "DIY has always been my motto. Do it yourself -- and that is how we restore first principles. Self-reliance, self-restraint, self-assertion and yes, the pursuit of self-interest."

The crowd left her with wild applause.