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.
The president also ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff until Sunday evening to honor Kirk.
Later Wednesday, Mr. Trump released a video statement about Kirk, blaming the "radical left" for his