How Charlie Kirk’s Slaughter Gives Trump Cover For Brutal Crime Laws

A close confidant of Trump and founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA, Kirk had been a regular presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump’s 2024 election win, helping vet appointments and shape policy despite never holding elected office.

His death comes less than a year after the failed attempt on Trump’s life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Trump, 79, paid tribute to his ally on Truth Social by saying: “The great, and even legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.

“He was loved and admired by all, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”

A former White House official said: “Charlie is incredibly close with the president and really the entire administration. He was a trailblazer for the movement, and his leadership was resounding.”