Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is dead, President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” the president posted on Truth Social. “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,” the president added. “Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
“Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,” posted Vice President JD Vance, sharing Trump’s post on X.
An unknown assailant opened fire at Kirk’s event at Utah Valley University in Orem as he conducted a question-and-answer session with students Wednesday.
Trump also posted on Truth Social that he was “ordering all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until Sunday evening at 6 P.M.,” saying it would be done in “honor of Charlie Kirk, a truly Great American Patriot.”
In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump described Kirk as an “unbelievable patriot.”
“He really convinced millions and millions of young people that MAGA was the way to go. Today is so sad. He was an amazing person who was not afraid to talk to and confront the other side. Just talk to them, debate them, and explain why they were wrong and MAGA was right. Nobody was better. It’s such a tragic day,” he continued.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement, “Charlie was a close friend and confidant. He will be sorely missed by so many. Every political leader must loudly and clearly decry this violence. Our prayers go out to his wife and young children. May he rest in peace.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote, “Charlie was courageous, brilliant, compassionate, and powerfully honest. He was a strong Christian who boldly proclaimed the Gospel. Charlie loved our country deeply, and we will forever remember him and honor his legacy.”
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted a message with the hashtag “#NeverForgetCharlieKirk.”
Former President Joe Biden posted on X, “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.”
Former President Barack Obama said he and the former first lady Michelle Obama “will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.”
“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,” he posted on X.
Trump administration officials also remembered Kirk’s legacy. “Charlie’s patriotism was unwavering, energy was limitless, and impact was unmeasurable,” wrote EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote, “Heartbroken and outraged by the assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
“America has lost one of its greatest champions,” wrote Stephen Miller, a top White House adviser. “A loving family has lost the most extraordinary husband and father. All of us must now dedicate ourselves to defeating the evil that stole Charlie from this world.”
Alluding to his family’s history, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy wrote, “Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era. My dear friend Charlie Kirk was our country’s relentless and courageous crusader for free speech.”
Media figures also shared memories of Kirk, including Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon. “His faith was real. It wasn’t a show. And that meant he always looked for ways to be an encouragement,” wrote Dillon of Kirk.
Ben Shapiro, podcast host and co-founder of The Daily Wire, wrote about how he first met Kirk, “when he was 18 years old, a young man so eager and determined that I immediately turned to a friend and said, ‘That kid is going to be the head of the RNC one day.’”
“Charlie became even bigger and more important than that,” Shapiro added.
“It was a privilege to watch this principled man stand up for his beliefs and create the single most important conservative political organization in America. But more importantly, Charlie was a good man, a man who believed in right and wrong, who stood by his Biblical values,” he continued.
“And we must pick up the baton where Charlie left it, fighting for the things he believed in so passionately. And we must fight for a better America – an America where good people can speak truth and debate passionately without fear of a bullet.”
Kirk was debating with a student about mass shootings involving people who identify as transgender when the shooter opened fire, according to The Wall Street Journal’s review of videos of the attack.
The Southern Poverty Law Center had added Turning Point USA to its “hate map” with Ku Klux Klan chapters in May. The SPLC condemned the shooting Wednesday.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
