President Donald Trump delivered a somber Oval Office address Wednesday evening, hours after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event in Utah, calling the incident a “heinous assassination” and ordering flags lowered to half-staff nationwide.

In a four-minute video message, Trump described Kirk, 31, as a “great, and even legendary” ally who “inspired millions” and was “loved and admired by ALL, especially me.” The president praised Kirk’s role in galvanizing young conservatives, calling him a “martyr for truth and freedom” whose legacy would endure.

Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a father of two, was fatally shot around noon during a Q&A session at Utah Valley University in Orem. A single round fired from roughly 200 feet away struck him in the neck as he addressed more than 3,000 attendees. Video circulating online showed him collapsing as the crowd erupted in panic. Despite immediate medical efforts, Kirk succumbed to his injuries.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox labeled the attack a “political assassination.” FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that a person of interest detained earlier was released after questioning and said the gunman remains at large. Authorities continue to review security footage and pursue leads.

Trump connected the killing to what he described as a broader pattern of political violence, referencing two failed assassination attempts against him in 2024. He directly criticized “those on the radical left” for comparing conservatives to “Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers,” arguing such rhetoric fuels attacks.

The assassination drew swift bipartisan condemnation. Former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, along with Democratic governors Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, denounced the shooting. Shapiro, who recently survived an arson attack on his home, urged Americans to “lower the temperature of our politics.” Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a 2011 assassination attempt, called the killing “horrifying.”

Vice President JD Vance, a longtime friend of Kirk, wrote on X that his events were “one of the few places with open and honest dialogue between left and right.”

Utah Valley University suspended classes through the week. Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Lane Frantzve, and their two young children.

Trump closed his address with a vow: “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.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)