Trump declares Charlie Kirk a martyr, says ‘there's never been anyone who...’

US President Donald Trump declared his ally Charlie Kirk a martyr in a video message on September 11. He said, "To my great fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah. Charlie inspired millions, and tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror. Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much, the United States of America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He's a martyr for truth and freedom, and there's never been anyone who was so respected by youth. Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith. And we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God in heaven.”

The American president also talked about Kirk on Thursday (September 11) and said, "Charlie was giant of his generation. We miss him greatly." Trump was speaking at the Pentagon September 11th Observance ceremony, marking the 24th anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Center. The First Lady Melania Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine were also present there.

The 31-year-old Charlie Kirk, who was the founder of the right-wing group Turning Point USA, was shot dead on Wednesday (September 10). He was a close ally of US President Donald Trump. He was killed during a speech at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. During the incident, Kirk was talking about gun violence. A video of the incident circulated on social media showed Kirk being shot in the neck. He was declared died by the he was brought to the hospital.

Soon after his death, his previous remark, which he made in 2023, surfaced online, where he argued that gun deaths were an unfortunate but acceptable “cost” of preserving Second Amendment rights.