Trump: “Radical Left Rhetoric Is Directly Responsible for Terrorism”
President Donald Trump pledged to “find each and every one” responsible for the assassination of Charlie Kirk in a video address, blaming the “radical left” for fueling political violence in America.
“Today, because of this heinous act, Charlie’s voice has become bigger and grander than ever before,” Trump said in a Truth Social video from the Oval Office.
Kirk, 31, founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck Wednesday while on tour at Utah Valley University. Trump, describing Kirk as a “martyr for truth and freedom,” vowed his administration would hold accountable “all of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence.”
Trump Links Assassination to Broader Political Violence
In his remarks, Trump said the left’s rhetoric was directly responsible for the rise in violent attacks:
“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.”
Trump also cited his own survival of two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign, the Butler, Pennsylvania rally shooting that left one man dead, attacks on ICE agents, and the 2017 congressional baseball shooting that critically injured House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
The president did not mention the June assassination of Democratic Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband or the April arson attack targeting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home.
Medal of Freedom to Be Given Posthumously
During 9/11 commemoration remarks at the Pentagon, Trump announced Kirk would receive the Medal of Freedom posthumously, calling him “the best of America.”
“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. Together, we will ensure that his voice, his message and his legacy will live on countless generations to come,” Trump said.
FBI Releases Details on Suspect in Shooting
Authorities said they had identified strong leads in the case, including a high-powered rifle, a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints. Officials said they also had “good video footage” of the suspect and were confident in their ability to track them down.
Investigators canvassed neighborhoods near the scene, gathering footage from doorbell cameras and interviewing witnesses. If efforts to confirm the shooter’s identity fall short, officials said they would release images to the public to help with identification.
