Trump, Vance and Newsom respond to Charlie Kirk’s shooting
Politicians have come to light after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead at Utah Valley University.
Politicians across the political spectrum have responded to the shooting death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at an event held at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on September 10th.
Kirk, 31, was filmed during a question-and-answer session with students. The university confirmed the shooting, and President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death in a post on True Society.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox shared that he was briefed by law enforcement after the shooting at X and that “any political persuasion Americans must unite in condemning the law.”
Before announcing Kirk’s death, Trump posted about the truth social.
Trump said the conservative commentators “had a center of the youth of the United States.”
Vice President JD Vance posted on the platform prior to the announcement of Kirk’s death, first asking for Kirk’s prayer, and then added, “Dear God, I will protect Charlie in his darkest time.”
After the announcement of his death, Vance wrote, “Lord, give him eternal rest.”
Before leading the House room in a moment of silence, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters, “We ask everyone to pray for him and his family. … This should hate what happened.”
“Political violence has become so common in American society that it’s not us,” Johnson said. “It has to stop. We need all political figures. We need everyone who has a platform to say this loud and clear. We can resolve differences and conflicts in a civil way, political violence must be called, and it must stop.”
Senator John Tune said in X “We don’t have a country for political violence. A period, a complete halt.”
House majority leader Steve Scullies survived the shootings by political critics and called Kirk’s murder “heartbreaking.” He called himself “sad and sick of it.”
“Charlie has built the movement by travelling around the country and encouraging young people to engage in thoughtful, peaceful political discourse,” Scullyse said. “He never sinks from differences. Instead, he shared the value of having a civil conversation with students and people who have different opinions. More needs today.”
Democrat leaders have condemned the shooting, saying that political violence is unacceptable.
“An attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, sleazy and condemned,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote to X: “In the United States, political violence must be rejected in all ways.”
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s fellow wrote that “it should never be the norm” on the same platform as political violence.
Congressional Democrats reflected that message on social media.
“There is no place in America for political violence,” wrote Chuck Schumer, Senate minority leader, in X. Hakeem Jeffries, leader of House Minority, added that he “thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk and his family.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York, wrote before announcing Kirk’s death:
The four living former presidents each condemned the shooting in separate statements.
Joe Biden said in X, “We have no place in our country for this type of violence. We have to end now.”
“We don’t know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of sleazy violence is not inhabited by our democracy,” Barack Obama said in a statement posted to X.
George W. Bush issued a statement through the Presidential Center saying, “Violence and violence must be expelled from the public square. Members of other political parties are not our enemies. They are our fellow citizens.”
“We all experience some serious introspection and hope to double our efforts to discuss peacefully while being passionately debated,” Bill Clinton said in a social media post.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contributions: N’Dea Yance-Bragg, Josh Meyer, and Bart Jansen, USA Today
