Celebrity Reactions To Charlie Kirk's Death
The public is reeling following the assassination of conservative political activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on September 10. "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," President Donald Trump said in a statement on Truth Social, confirming 31-year-old Kirk's death, shortly after he was gunned down during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University. "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!"
As one can imagine, following Trump's statement, many took to the internet to give their real-time reactions to the news. "I don't really know where you go from here. I don't know where we go from here in a news program, and I don't know where we go from here in America," Fox News host Will Cain of "The Will Cain Show" lamented upon reporting the confirmation of Kirk's death. Meanwhile, the mood at the White House was equally somber, full of shock and dismay, with White House officials stating they were "just sick" and "devastated," as reported by NBC News.
High-profile Republicans and Democrats alike have publicly paid tribute to Charlie Kirk
As a high-profile Donald Trump ally, whom the president himself has credited for helping him win the 2024 presidential election, Charlie Kirk was respected by many in the conservative political sphere. "A while ago, probably in 2017, I appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox show to talk about God knows what. Afterwards a name I barely knew sent me a DM on twitter and told me I did a great job. It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today," Vice President JD Vance began in a lengthy and nostalgic X post honoring Kirk. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also shared a personal anecdote about Kirk. "When I ran for Congress at 23 years old, Charlie Kirk was one of the first people to believe in me and endorse my grassroots campaign," she wrote on Instagram.
House Speaker Mike Johnson even called for a moment of silence for Kirk on the House floor. "We ask everyone to pray for him and his family," he later told a gaggle of reporters, per Politico. "Political violence has become all too common in American society, and this is not who we are."
Reactions to Kirk's death transcended party lines, with many Democrats speaking out against the senseless act of violence and offering condolences to Kirk's wife and family. "I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah," former Vice President Kamala Harris penned in an X post. "Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family. Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence." California Governor Gavin Newsom, who featured Charlie Kirk on the March 6 episode of his podcast, also publicly condemned the violence. "The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form," he wrote.
A-list celebrities have also offered their condolences
A-list celebrities also clamored to honor Charlie Kirk as well, denouncing the violence behind his tragic death and offering up support for Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, and their two young children. "Praying for Charlie Kirk right now, for his wife and young children, for our country," actor Chris Pratt penned in a statement on X. "We need God's grace. God help us." Meanwhile, comedian and late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel, who has made his feelings on President Donald Trump crystal clear over the years, called on the public to temporarily push partisan politics to the side. "Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?" he asked on social media. "On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence," he added.
However, there were a few that had a different kind of reaction. Author Stephen King took to X to speculate that the killer was "probably mentally unstable–duh," before declaring that the deadly shooting was "another example of American gun violence." Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk eschewed Kimmel's advice and used his X platform to blame Democrats for Kirk's death despite the bipartisan condemnations of the shooting.