President Donald Trump suggested that his administration will target “radical-left” groups that funded violence toward Charlie Kirk and other conservative figures, including the president himself.
Trump mourned Kirk, who was shot and killed on Wednesday at a Utah university, in an Oval Office address.
“Charlie was a patriot 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,” he began his address, later calling him a “martyr for truth and freedom.”
Trump blamed those on the “radical Left” for inflammatory rhetoric that led to Kirk’s shooting.
TO MY GREAT FELLOW AMERICANS… pic.twitter.com/oRsrE5TTHr
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2025
“My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country,” he said, going on to reference the assassination attempts against himself and House Majority Leader Steve Scaline (R-LA) and the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“Radical-left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” Trump added.
There’s no evidence to suggest that the shooter was affiliated with a Democratic group. FBI Director Kash Patel initially signaled a suspect was in custody, but later said a person of interest had been released and the shooter was still on the loose.
“The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency,” Patel wrote on X.
Little is known about the shooter other than that they fled the campus after the shooting, were wearing dark clothing, and used a long gun to kill Kirk.
Trump said the shooter was “attacking our whole country” by shooting Kirk.
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“An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed because together we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come. Today, because of this heinous act, Charlie’s voice has become bigger and grander than ever before, and it’s not even close,” he concluded.
The president has ordered flags lowered to half-staff until Sunday night to honor Kirk.