The murder of Charlie Kirk has deeply affected the President of the United States, Donald Trump. Because it inevitably revives memories of July 13, 2024, when a bullet almost killed him during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. And because Kirk, the 32-year-old who attracted hundreds of thousands if not millions of young voters to Trumpism, had become very close to him and his family.
Trump is hurt, touched, but also furious. And he has promised, in a speech from his office, that he will pursue and "find each and every one who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence" by fueling a rhetoric of hate, "including the organizations that fund and support it", something that in the recent past has had names and surnames, like George Soros and his son and other millionaires associated with the left.
Minutes after the attack, the president posted a message praying for Kirk. A little later, in an interview, he said that what happened had caused him great sorrow. Trump was also the one who announced to the world the death in another heartfelt message and who, in a fourth post, announced four days of mourning and the order to have flags across the country at half-mast at least until Sunday. But the president had much more to say, and around nine o'clock in the evening, local time, he posted a four-minute video message to the nation from the Oval Office.
His speech can be divided into four parts. The first, the praise and personal suffering for someone he came to know well and interact with a lot. Kirk, who was then just in his twenties, visited the White House over 100 times during Trump's first term. He was one of the loyal ones who did not abandon him after the electoral defeat and the assault on the Capitol. One of those who did the most to rebuild and increase his base. And one who, after the victory on November 5, was in charge of recruiting personnel for the new Government, ensuring that the White House and the main ministries are filled with loyalists and not opportunists. Those who did not renounce five years ago and now seek the warmth of victory.
But Kirk was also able to integrate into the president's inner circle. "Charlie was not just a friend, he was like a little brother to me and to millions of people around the world. He was a true inspiration," wrote Donald Trump Jr. on his social media on Wednesday night. "Undoubtedly, Charlie's work and voice helped my father win the presidency. He changed the course of this nation," insisted the president's eldest son.
"Charlie was a patriot who dedicated his life to the cause of freedom of speech, debate, and the country he loved so much, the United States of America. He fought for freedom, democracy, justice, and the American people. He is a martyr of truth and freedom, and there has never been anyone so respected by the youth. Charlie was also a man of deep faith, and it comforts us to know that he is now at peace with God in heaven. This is a dark moment for America," Trump began in his speech.
"It is time for all Americans and the media to face the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those who disagree, day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible. For years, the radical left has compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the worst mass murderers and criminals in the world," the president asserted last night. It was not difficult yesterday to find videos, posts, and messages of joy and celebration over the activist's death, who had many enemies and detractors.
Trump, who has turned politics into a fine art of insult, mockery, disrespect, parody, and humiliation, does not take criticism well, and his references are very personal. On Tuesday, the eve of the brutal attack in Utah, the president went out to dinner in Washington as part of his campaign to ensure that he and the military have turned a hellhole into a safe place in just 10 days. He chose a restaurant near the White House, and there he had to endure shouts, reproaches, chants in favor of Palestine, and being compared precisely to Hitler.
The second part of the president's speech was the pointing out. For Trump and the MAGA world, Kirk was a hero of freedom of speech. The influencer became famous by going to campuses across the country challenging left-wing students to debate with him. He recorded the exchanges, edited them for his benefit, and posted them online. "His mission was to engage young people in the political process, something he did better than anyone, sharing his love for the country and spreading common-sense words on college campuses across the country. He defended his ideas with courage, logic, humor, and grace," said the politician.
Kirk, who had notable success that earned him popularity and millions of dollars, was known for his attacks on equality and diversity policies, on transgender individuals, on civil rights struggles, or on the separation between Church and state. For being a mouthpiece for misinformation and for his populist rhetoric that often turned racist and xenophobic (he called 'Mohammadens' to Muslims and recently said that New Yorkers' decision to support a Muslim for Mayor of the city showed they had forgotten 9/11), in addition to misogyny, reveling in immigration raids and mocking deportees. "Islam is the sword that the left is using to cut the throat of the United States," he wrote earlier this week.
He was one of the voices that downplayed the Capitol assault the most and spread conspiracies with the most success, such as those about vaccines or those most beloved by white nationalists, like the "great replacement" theory. An opponent of policies against climate change, lockdowns, or masks during the pandemic, or contraceptive methods, the first time Trump referred to the Covid as the "Chinese virus" was after reading a post by the young man. "Empathy is an artificial new age term that has done a lot of harm," he responded once when accused of lacking it.
The third act of the speech is about responsibilities and threats. "This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism we are seeing in our country today, and it must stop immediately," said the Republican in reference to comparisons with Nazism and totalitarianism. My administration will find each and every one who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund and support it, as well as those who target our judges, law enforcement officers, and all others who maintain order in our country, from the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, to the attacks on ICE agents or the brutal murder of a healthcare executive on the streets of New York, to the shooting of the House Majority Leader, Steve Scalise. The political violence of the radical left has harmed too many innocent people and claimed too many lives," denounced Trump, but only mentioning the victims of his party in the last eight years, overlooking the many cases of violence and murders against politicians of other ideologies, including this same June.
References to the left, the organizations that fund them, and the protesters are not casual either. It is one of the obsessions of the White House and the MAGA world. "The left is the party of murder," Elon Musk incited his 225 million followers last night. "The left has given us lessons over the past decade about the dangers of right-wing violence. From the assassination attempts on President Trump to Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, and now Charlie Kirk. The real danger was actually on the left," added investor Shaun Maguire. "Left-wing violence is out of control, and it is not random. Either we destroy the network of NGO sponsorship and donors that enables and encourages it, or it will destroy us," added another right-wing investor, Blake Masters.
"The Rubicon has been crossed. Not by Trump or MAGA, but by the extreme left. Randy Paul can shove his book reviews up his ass. Screw all those who messed with these dark demonic forces. They will no longer scold us. "Congress hearings now for all the billionaires funding the extreme left. Soros, Bill Gates, Reid Hoffman. Massive investigations applying RICO law now. Every dollar accounted for," urged agitator and conspiracy spreader Mike Cernovich appealing to the Attorney General and the FBI Director to intervene.
The last part of Trump's speech was the most presidential, with references to positive values, mourning a friend and ally. "Tonight, I ask all Americans to commit to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died: the values of freedom of speech, citizenship, the rule of law, patriotic devotion, and love of God. Charlie was the best of America, and the monster that attacked him was attacking our entire country. A killer tried to silence him with a bullet, but failed, because together, we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy endure for countless generations. Today, thanks to this atrocious act, Charlie's voice has become stronger and more magnificent than ever," he concluded.