Trump says he will attend funeral for slain ally Charlie Kirk
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Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at an event on a college campus in Utah.
PHOTO: ANNA WATTS/NYTIMES
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WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said he intends to attend the funeral for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed at an event on a college campus in Utah.
“I will be,” Mr Trump told reporters on Sept 11 at the White House as he departed for a trip to New York. “I believe it’s in Arizona. It’s in Arizona, and they’ve asked me to go, and I think I have an obligation to.”
Mr Trump has a trip to Britain scheduled for next week, with the President set to depart Washington on Sept 16. Asked about the timing of the funeral, Mr Trump said he believed it would be “next weekend”.
Mr Kirk, the executive director of the Turning Point USA advocacy group and an ally of Mr Trump’s, was speaking at an event when he was shot and killed. The 31-year-old played a crucial role in rallying younger voters to back Mr Trump in his presidential bids.
A manhunt for the suspect is still ongoing,
“I hear they’re making big progress and we’ll have to see what happens,” Mr Trump said.
The President said he had spoken to Mr Kirk’s wife, Erika, earlier in the day. In remarks to reporters earlier on Sept 11, Mr Trump said he intended to posthumously honour Mr Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The FBI has released photos of an individual in a hat and sunglasses said to be a person of interest in the slaying – and there is a reward of up to US$100,000 (S$128,000) for any information related to the shooting.
The authorities said the shooter appeared to be of college age and was able to blend in with the crowd while climbing to a rooftop before firing. Security footage showed the suspect enter a stairwell and jump from the building before escaping into a nearby neighbourhood.
Mr Kirk, a self-described free speech advocate, was known for his staunchly conservative political views on cultural issues.
In a video tribute to Mr Kirk, Mr Trump blamed the “radical left”, although the shooter and its motivations have not yet been determined, and highlighted other incidents of violence against Republicans without citing attacks against Democrats.
Asked on Sept 11 if he knew the shooter’s motivation, Mr Trump responded: “I have an indication, yeah, but we’ll let you know about that later.”
Vice-President J.D. Vance on Sept 11 scrapped a planned trip to New York City to mark the anniversary of the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to instead fly to Utah to pay respects to Mr Kirk’s friends and family. Mr Vance is slated to bring Mr Kirk’s casket back home aboard Air Force Two. BLOOMBERG
