Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump (Photo Via Imagn Images)
Grief and sadness usually slows people down. But when Donald Trump was asked how he is tackling it after the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk, he gave an answer that left many confused.
Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. Over 3,000 people saw the attack unfold, and his security rushed him to the hospital. Doctors could not save him. Police arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson two days later after a statewide search.
Trump, who often referred to Kirk as a close friend, issued several tributes on Truth Social. He praised him as “great” and “legendary” and even ordered U.S. flags flown at half-mast until Sunday evening. In a video message, Trump called the shooting “heinous” and described Kirk as a “very good friend.” Kirk’s wife, Erika, also spoke about, thanking Trump, saying, “Mr President, my husband loved you. And he knew that you loved him too.”
Yet when a reporter asked Trump on Friday how he was coping with the loss, the president responded in a way that even his supporters did not accept.
Fans React To Trump’s Odd Answer
The reporter asked: “How are you holding up over the last three and a half days?” Trump answered: “I think very good.” He then shifted the conversation to the new White House ballroom. “By the way, you see all the trucks? They just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House,” he said. He described the $200 million project as “magnificent” and “one of the best anywhere in the world.”
Social media lit up.
One user on X wrote: “What a bizarre way to respond.”
Another added: “I vehemently disagreed with every single thing Charlie Kirk ever said, and I was able to express more empathy than this.”
Others defended Trump. “Stay busy so the mind doesn’t wander,” someone commented.
Another wrote: “Some people don’t react the way you think is best & they don’t owe you an explanation & that’s o.k.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson hit back at the criticism. She told UNILAD: “President Trump has delivered numerous heartfelt, powerful, and unifying remarks following the tragic assassination of his dear friend, Charlie Kirk. It’s disgusting that leftists are using Charlie’s death as a political cudgel to attack the President — they should be ashamed.”
Trump’s tributes to Kirk show deep admiration. But his off-the-cuff remark about “doing very good” while shifting focus to construction trucks was not taken well by the people at all.