President Trump reached out to America with “grief and anger” in an emotional response to the devastating assassination of beloved American Charlie Kirk. Kirk was visiting a Utah college campus to bring his friendly, debate-style format as has become routine over the last couple of years when a sniper’s bullet pierced his neck.
Trump was far from alone, as others in the Trump orbit who knew Kirk best and on an intimate level reacted with horror at not just the loss of a political figure who galvanized an entire generation of young voters, but at the loss of a truly good person – a Christian, husband, father, and friend – and who can’t even come to terms yet what his murder means for his two young kids who will ask when dad is coming home without yet grasping what their loss means.
To my great fellow Americans,” the president began in a national address shortly after confirmation Kirk had not survived, “I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah. 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 that he loved so much, the United States of America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice and the American people.
He’s a martyr for truth and freedom, and there’s 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 in heaven. Our prayers are with his wife, Erica, the two young, beloved children and his entire family who he loved more than anything in the world, we ask God to watch over them in this terrible hour of heartache and pain, this is a dark moment for America.
Charlie Kirk traveled the nation joyfully engaging with everyone interested in good faith debate. His mission was to bring young people into the political process, which he did better than anybody ever, to share his love of country and to spread the simple words of common sense on campuses nationwide. He championed his ideas with courage, logic, humor and grace. It’s a long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible.
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. My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations 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,
Watch Trump strike chords of both grief for the loss of Kirk and righteous anger directed at the communist left below:
Trump was far from the only voice sharing stories of Kirk’s kindness and love. While each had something to say with regard to the political climate and how this gruesome attack came to pass, each also spent time focusing on Kirk’s greatest gift, that of being a kind, good-hearted family man who devoted his life to his wife and kids.
“He was a great family man. I was talking to President Trump in the Oval Office today, and he said, “I know he was a very good friend of yours.” I nodded silently, and President Trump observed that Charlie really loved his family,” Vice President JD Vance shared in a lengthy post to X. “The president was right. Charlie was so proud of Erika and the two kids. He was so happy to be a father. And he felt such gratitude for having found a woman of God with whom he could build a family.”
And Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also shared a powerful moment, leading a a group of soldiers in the Lord’s Prayer after explaining why the flag would be flying at half-staff. “I’d also be remiss if I did not acknowledge why that flag is at half staff. We lost an incredible American today, a dear friend of mine. If you knew him, you loved him. His name is Charlie Kirk, taken by an assassin’s bullet. Unfathomable. The only assurance I can take is that I know he is with his Lord and Savior right now.”
Featured image: Screen shot from embedded video