File photo of US President Donald Trump and his ally Charlie Kirk
Since the shooting death of US conservative activist Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump has assumed a role in messaging.He was the first to confirm Kirk’s death, the first to announce that a suspect had been taken into custody, and the one to disclose details of the funeral, saying he would attend. Even before an arrest was made, Trump blamed the “radical left” for the killing—without presenting evidence—a claim amplified by many of his followers amid a surge of right-wing anger, Reuters reported. Kirk, a popular yet polarising podcast host and author of several books, was gunned down Wednesday on a Utah college campus where he had been scheduled to speak. He leaves behind a wife, prominent friends and a large following. But it is Trump, not local authorities, who has dominated the public messaging around his ally’s death, a role more typically handled by law enforcement or local officials. The president’s actions mark a sharp break from the more cautious approach of his predecessors but are consistent with his preference for direct communication, defying convention and inserting himself into domestic and international issues. “The one thing about Donald Trump is he is a very detailed individual,” said Mercedes Schlapp, a senior adviser during Trump’s first term. “Whether he is building the Rose Garden Club or we have this awful tragedy, he wants to be the one to break the news.” Trump ordered flags flown at half-staff, announced he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom and dispatched his vice president to accompany Kirk’s casket back to his home state on Air Force Two—an unusual level of government recognition for a political operative who never held elected office or military rank. The two men had a personal and political relationship; Kirk co-founded the conservative student group Turning Point USA, which Trump credits with helping him attract young voters. “Charlie had a magic over the kids,” Trump said Friday on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends,” recalling how his teenage son Barron had been captivated by the 31-year-old activist. Kirk was also a sharply partisan figure, known for his combative style and anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant rhetoric, which drew fierce criticism from opponents. His far-right positions on abortion, civil rights and gun control provoked strong reactions from groups he targeted. Trump has urged a non-violent response from his supporters but has avoided addressing how he might help unify the country amid its most sustained wave of political violence since the 1970s. He downplayed extremism on the right, telling reporters Thursday, “we just have to beat the hell out of them,” further fuelling calls for political revenge against the “radical left.” On Thursday night, police arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah in connection with the shooting. Investigators are examining messages engraved on four bullet casings that experts say could reference either left- or right-leaning groups. Motive remains unclear.
