The apparent assassination of right-wing activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk has drawn widespread condemnation from leaders across the world, who warned against the rising tide of politically motivated violence.
Kirk, 31, a prominent voice in conservative politics and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead on Wednesday while speaking during a student Q&A session at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Video from the scene showed him addressing a large crowd when a single gunshot rang out. He appeared to collapse in his chair as panic erupted in the hall.
Investigators said the shot was fired from a campus rooftop by someone dressed in black, in what appeared to be a targeted killing. The assailant remains at large.
US President Donald Trump, who credited Kirk with boosting his support among young voters, mourned his ally in a video posted on Truth Social.
“This is a dark moment for America,” Trump said, calling Kirk a “martyr for truth.” He blamed the “radical left” for fueling hate speech that, he argued, encouraged such attacks.
“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. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”
The president vowed to launch a crackdown: “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.”
Vice President JD Vance posted a brief tribute: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson led a moment of silence in the House chamber, calling the killing “detestable” and urging an end to political violence.
Democratic leaders also joined in mourning Kirk. Former President Barack Obama said on X: “We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy.”
President Joe Biden echoed those remarks: “There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom said the nation should “feel a deep sense of grief and outrage at the terrible violence,” stressing that disagreements in a democracy must be resolved through debate, not bloodshed. Former Vice President Kamala Harris said she was “deeply disturbed,” noting that “political violence has no place in America.”
The killing also reverberated abroad, drawing sharp reactions from world leaders.
– Canada: Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “I am appalled by the murder of Charlie Kirk. There is no justification for political violence and every act of it threatens democracy.”
– Britain: Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote, “We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear — there can be no justification for political violence.”
– Italy: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the shooting as “an atrocious murder, a deep wound for democracy and for those who believe in freedom.”
– Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Kirk “a lion-hearted friend of Israel,” saying, “Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom.” He revealed he had invited Kirk to Israel only two weeks earlier.
– Hungary: Prime Minister Viktor Orban blamed the “progressive-liberal left,” saying Kirk’s death was “the result of the international hate campaign” and urging an end to “hate-mongering.”
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