It was President Trump who announced that conservative commentator and activist Charlie Kirk had died after he was shot during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon. The president, who was close to Kirk, praised his appeal to young Americans and mourned him in a social media post.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
He also ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff until Sunday evening to honor Kirk.
Democratic and Republican politicians alike were united in joining Mr. Trump in the condemnation of Kirk’s murder.
File: Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, enters the plaza and talks with his supporters, May 1, 2025. / Credit: Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Biden says there’s “no place in our country for this kind of violence”
Former President Joe Biden decried the attack on Kirk in a post on social media.
“There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones,” he said in a post shared to X.
Obama calls Kirk’s killing an act of “despicable violence”
Former President Barack Obama condemned the shooting, calling it “despicable violence” in a post on X.
“We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy,” Obama said. “Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.”
Bush says “violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square”
In a statement, former President George W. Bush said: “Today, a young man was murdered in cold blood while expressing his political views. It happened on a college campus, where the open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct.”
“Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square. Members of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens. May God bless Charlie Kirk and his family, and may God guide America toward civility,” he said.
Bill Clinton calls for “serious introspection”
Former President Bill Clinton said in a social media post that he was “saddened and angered” by the shooting.
“I hope we all go through some serious introspection and redouble our efforts to engage in debate passionately, yet peacefully,” he said.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox “heartbroken” over Kirk’s death, vows justice will be served
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, said that he and his wife are “heartbroken” about Kirk’s death, and said they are praying for the conservative activist’s wife and two children.
“I just got off the phone with President Trump. Working with the FBI and Utah law enforcement, we will bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy,” he wrote in a social media post on X.
Cox later said there is a “person of interest in custody” in connection with Kirk’s shooting. His comments came shortly after FBI Director Kash Patel said, “The subject for the horrific shooting” is in custody.
However, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said a suspect is still at large.
Patel later said on social media, “The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement,” but it was not clear who he was talking about.
Sen. Mike Lee praises Kirk’s “boundless energy and great love for his country”
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah told CBS News he spoke with Mr. Trump about Kirk, and said the president told him, “‘I’m sure they’ll stay after him,'” referring to the shooting suspect, and “‘they need to catch this guy.'”
“Whether you agree with him or not, you have to respect his boundless energy, his commitment to making the world a better place,” Lee also said.
In a post on X, Lee called Kirk an “American patriot, an inspiration to countless young people to stand up and defend the timeless truths that make our country great.”
He condemned Kirk’s murder, writing on X that it was “a cowardly act of violence, an attack on champions of freedom like Charlie, the students who gathered for civil debate, and all Americans who peacefully strive to save our nation.”
“The terrorists will not win,” he continued. “Charlie will. Please join me in praying for his wife Erika and their children. May justice be swift.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson says Kirk will be “sorely missed”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters that Kirk was “a close friend” and “confidant.”
“He will be sorely missed,” he said. “And we need every political leader to decry the violence and do it loudly.”
Eric Trump says Trump properties will fly flags at half-staff
Eric Trump described Kirk as a “dear friend” to the entire Trump family. He said all Trump properties would fly their flags at half-staff to honor him.
Donald Trump Jr.: “I love you brother”
Donald Trump Jr, who was close with Kirk, wrote on social media: “I love you brother. You gave so many people the courage to speak up and we will not ever be silenced.”
“There is no question that Charlie’s work and his voice helped my father win the presidency,” Trump Jr. wrote in a lengthy follow-up post. “He changed the direction of this nation…I know Charlie’s legacy doesn’t end here. He poured into millions of young people who will carry forward the torch he lit. He built something that will outlast him, because it was grounded in faith, in truth, and in courage. And as his friend, I will never forget him. I’ll honor him by loving boldly, speaking truth without fear, and continuing his spirit of courage. His fight lives on in all of us who loved him. This is an unimaginable loss.”
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, Republican of Kentucky, said shooting was “awful”
GOP House Oversight Chairman James Comer of Kentucky said he watched the video of the shooting and said it was “awful.”
“It’s just, it’s just terrible. I mean, I think we’ve been saying for months now the political temperature is too high in America, and we’ve got to tone it back,” Comer told CBS News. “And political violence is on the rise. And, you know, I know that most of my colleagues and myself included are getting a lot more threatening calls, and it’s just, it’s a terrible environment now and again. I just feel awful for Charlie Kirk and his young family.”
GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina: Kirk meant a lot to “the right to speak freely and share your beliefs”
Rep. Virginia Foxx, Republican of North Carolina, told CBS News at the Capitol that “there’s no room for violence, and it’s terrible. She said she’s encouraged by the bipartisan response to the attack on Kirk and noted the House Oversight Committee had paused for a moment of prayer for Kirk.
Foxx told CBS News that Kirk represented “a category of people in our culture that’s very important,” and noted he was “very proud of the fact that he doesn’t have a college degree.”
“He means a lot, and he means a lot, not just to the conservative movement and to the, and to that aspect of our culture, but again, the right to speak freely and share your beliefs and be safe in our country, and it’s just so unfortunate. It’s unfortunate when anybody has violence perpetrated on them, whether you’re liberal or conservative. It’s just wrong.”
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia: “There really aren’t words”
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said of Kirk’s shooting, “There really aren’t words,” and told reporters that it will “be hard for anybody to fill his shoes.”
“Charlie Kirk leaves a huge legacy,” she said.
Nancy Pelosi calls shooting “reprehensible”
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, condemned the shooting in a post on X, calling it “reprehensible.”
“Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation,” she said, adding Americans should “hold the entire UVU community in our hearts as they endure the trauma of this gun violence.”
Pelosi, whose husband Paul Pelosi was bludgeoned with a hammer by a man who broke into Pelosi’s San Francisco home in 2022, has frequently condemned political violence.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom calls on Americans to “engage with each other”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who hosted Kirk on his podcast earlier this year, wrote on social media that Kirk’s killing is “a reminder of how important it is for all of us, across the political spectrum, to foster genuine discourse on issues that deeply affect us all without resorting to political violence.”
“The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work: engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse. In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate — never through violence,” Newsom said. “Honest disagreement makes us stronger; violence only drives us further apart and corrodes the values at the heart of this nation.”
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