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Donald Trump mourned the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, calling it “a dark moment for America.” He also vowed to hold those responsible accountable.
A file photo of Donald Trump (AP)/Well-wishers pay their respects at a makeshift memorial after Charlie Kirk was shot dead (AP)
US President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed grief and anger over the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus, calling the incident “a dark moment for America.”
In a nationally televised address, Trump described Kirk as “a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country he loved.”
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He said Kirk inspired millions of young Americans through his advocacy for liberty, democracy, justice, and free speech.
Vowing accountability, Trump said his administration would “find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity” and warned against further threats targeting judges, law enforcement officials, and political leaders.
Calling Kirk “the best of America,” Trump said the assassin had failed in silencing him.
“To my great fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah,” Trump said in the video message.
“Charlie inspired millions, and tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror. Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country he loved, the United States of America,” he said.
“He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He is a model for truth and freedom, and there has never been anyone who was so respected by youth. Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith, and we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God and heaven,” Trump said.
“Our prayers are with his wife, Erika, the two young, beloved children, and his entire family, whom he loved more than anything in the world. We ask God to watch over them in this terrible hour of horror and pain,” the US President said.
“This is a dark moment for America. Charlie Kirk travelled the nation, joyfully engaging with everyone interested in good-faith debate.”
“It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequences of demonising those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible,” Trump said.
“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now,” he added.
“My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organisations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.”
“From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania last year which killed a husband and father, to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a health care executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others, radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” Trump said.
“Charlie was the best of America, and the monster who attacked him was attacking our whole country. An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed because together we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come,” the US President said.
He also ordered flags flown at half-staff in Kirk’s honour.
Charlie Kirk was part of a constellation of influencers who helped amplify Donald Trump’s agenda, galvanising conservative youth and rising to international prominence with often inflammatory rhetoric focused on such issues as race, gender and immigration.
He was shot dead while he was addressing a large outdoor crowd on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah.
Kirk was an Illinois native who co-founded the conservative student group Turning Point USA at the age of 18 and went on to become a rising star in the Republican Party under Trump.
He had just returned to the United States from an overseas speaking tour when he was shot.
He was 31 years old and is survived by his wife Erika, a former Miss Arizona USA beauty pageant winner, and their two children.
About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
September 11, 2025, 07:17 IST
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