WASHINGTON — “In shock.”
“Just sick.”
“Devastated.”
Such were the immediate reactions of White House officials as they noticed reports pouring in about conservative activist Charlie Kirk being shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon.
President Donald Trump was briefed by aides in real-time as the situation developed, convening with his team in the Oval Office while other officials followed the updates from the Situation Room.
Key communications staff quickly gathered in an area of the West Wing known as Upper Press, where the sound of an expletive was heard as the door closed behind them.
The tragedy has deeply unsettled staffers, many of whom have personal ties to Kirk dating back to the 2016 campaign and the years since. With tears in their eyes, they continued to work as news channels ran updates about the shooter still being at large.
Throughout social media, messages of support emerged from all levels of the administration, including Trump—who was the first to confirm Kirk’s passing—and Vice President JD Vance, who called on the public to keep Kirk and his family in their prayers.
Vance shared a close friendship with Kirk. In 2022, during the final days of his tough Ohio Senate primary, Kirk campaigned alongside Vance, and Vance acknowledged Kirk as one of the key people who contributed to his victory.
Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, was a major force in the Trump universe, and it helped drive the Trump campaign’s get-out-the-vote efforts last year.
“Everyone was crushed,” said an adviser to the administration who was at the White House when news of Kirk’s death started to spread.
For many of those officials, Kirk’s killing was personal, both because he was so well-known by staffers and because it brought back painful memories of the two assassination attempts on their boss just over a year ago.
Donald Trump Jr. released a lengthy, heartfelt message Wednesday night on X, saying Kirk was “like a little brother to me.”
“Moments like this remind us just how fragile life is,” he wrote. “We can’t wait to tell people how much they mean to us — we can’t admire them in silence. Charlie knew he was loved, but I want to say it again: he was a brother to me, and I will carry that with me forever.”
In the early evening, flags on campus were lowered to half-staff. At least one senior White House official was seen watching the solemn gesture outside the West Wing doors, wiping away tears.
