President Trump said Thursday that Charlie Kirk’s widow is “devastated” after her husband was savagely gunned down by a lone shooter during a speaking event in Utah Wednesday afternoon.
Trump told reporters outside the White House that he had spoken at length with Erika Frantzve, the 31-year-old conservative activist’s wife and mother of his two young children.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, where he spoke about his conversations with Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Frantzve. AP“I spoke to Erika, his wife. And we had a long talk,” the commander in chief said.
“And she’s devastated. She is absolutely devastated, as you can imagine.”
Trump also noted that he has an “indication” to what motivated Kirk’s assassin to carry out the heinous attack but remained tight-lipped when pressed for more information.
He only told reporters there have been “rapid developments” in the hunt for the Turning Point USA founder’s killer.
Kirk was assassinated by a single shot fired by a sniper atop the Losee Center, a building on the Utah Valley University campus, about 200 yards from where he was speaking to thousands as he kicked off his multi-city “American Comeback” tour.
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He was fatally shot in the neck while on stage during the outdoor event, a chaotic scene that sent students screaming and running for their lives as blood poured from his gunshot wound and he fell off his chair.
Trump also announced that he would honor Kirk posthumously with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Instagram/mrserikakirkFollowing the shooting, two individuals were taken into custody and later released after questioning – while the real gunman remains at large as a multi-agency manhunt intensifies.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to his identification and arrest.
Highlights from President Trump's Fox & Friends interview
- President Trump is calling for the death penalty for the person who fatally shot Charlie Kirk.
- While on “Fox and Friends,” Trump announced that Memphis would be the next city to get a federal policing surge following Washington, DC.
- President Trump slammed Democratic megadonor George Soros and called for his prosecution on organized crime counts.
- President Trump said Friday that he was willing to “come down very, very strong” on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he wouldn’t make peace with Ukraine.
The bureau released a pair of surveillance camera photos of a “person of interest,” showing a lanky male wearing dark clothing, wrap-around sunglasses and a T-shirt with an eagle and American flag with the text “Land of the free, home of the brave.”
Charlie Kirk speaks on stage with President Donald Trump at America Fest 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 22, 2024. AFP via Getty ImagesTrump announced earlier in the day that he would posthumously award his close ally the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honor.
“Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people,” said Trump, who publicly confirmed Kirk’s death on Truth Social Wednesday.
“I’m pleased to announce that I will soon be awarding Charlie Kirk posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
