Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.
- Donald Trump called Charlie Kirk a martyr for truth after his killing at Utah Valley University
- Trump blamed radical left rhetoric for contributing to the death of conservative activist Kirk
- Trump vowed to pursue those responsible for political violence and organisations supporting it
US President Donald Trump hailed Charlie Kirk, his ally killed by a single shot in a targeted attack at Utah Valley University, as a "martyr for truth" on Wednesday, while assailing the "radical left," suggesting its rhetoric contributed to the death of the conservative activist. He also pledged to carry out a crackdown on "those who perpetrate political violence."
"For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals," Trump said in a video posted on his Truth Social platform.
The President called Kirk's assassination a "heinous" and "dark moment for America."
"From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year, which killed a husband and father, to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a healthcare executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others. Radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives."
He claimed that the "rhetoric" of the radical left was directly responsible for the terrorism in America, and "it must stop right now."
"My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organisations 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," Trump said.
The Republican leader called on Americans to commit themselves to the values of "free speech, citizenship, the rule of law", for which Charlie Kirk "lived and died."
"Today, because of this heinous act, Charlie's voice has become bigger and grander than ever before, and it's not even close. May God bless his memory. May God watch over his family," he added.
Charlie Kirk's Killing
Kirk was the co-founder of the conservative youth organisation 'Turning Point USA' and was a close ally of President Donald Trump. He helped boost support for Trump among young voters.
Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. His killer remains at large, as the Utah Department of Public Safety said no one was in custody in the investigation into the killing.
Video from the scene showed him addressing a large crowd when the sound of a single shot rang out. Kirk appeared to collapse in his chair, and the camera swiftly moved, as sounds of panic erupted in the audience.
Investigators said they believed the single bullet had come from a campus rooftop, fired by someone dressed in black, in what appeared to be a targeted killing.
The shooting comes amid a spike in attacks on political figures in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum.
