Washington – “in shock”.
“Simply sick.”
“Devastated.”
Those were the initial reactions of the White House officials who observed how the reports began to flood that conservative activist Charlie Kirk had shot at an event at the University of Utah Valley on Wednesday afternoon.
The attendees informed President Donald Trump in real time as the events took place, meeting with his team in the Oval office while other officials monitored the developments of the situation room.
The senior communications officials immediately curled up in an area in the west wing known as Upper Press, where an expletive could be heard when a door closed behind them.
The employees are deeply shocked by the tragedy, and many of them point out their own personal connections with Kirk of the 2016 campaign and in the decade since then. Some worked, through the tears, as the cable channels played at the bottom, noting that the shooter was still free.
The solidarity messages extended on social networks of all levels of the administration, including Trump, who was the first to announce Kirk’s death, and vice president JD Vance, who requested prayers for Kirk and his family.
Vance was a close friend of Kirk. In 2022, Kirk campaigned with Vance in the final days of his primary competitives of Ohio’s Senate, and Kirk was one of the people who accredited with his victory.
Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, was an important force in the Trump universe, and helped boost Trump campaign efforts last year.
“All were crushed,” said an advisor to the administration who was in the White House when Kirk’s news began to spread.
For many of those officials, Kirk’s murder was personal, both because he was well known to employees and because he brought painful memories of the two murder attempts in his boss just over a year ago.
Donald Trump Jr. released a long and sincere message on Wednesday night in X, saying that Kirk was “like a little brother for me.”
“Moments like this remind us of how fragile is life,” he wrote. “We cannot wait to tell people how much they mean for us: we cannot admire them in silence. Charlie knew he was loved, but I want to say it again: he was a brother for me and I will take him with me forever.”
At the beginning of the afternoon, the flags on the campus got off the half -mast. At least a tall White House official was seen seeing the solemn gesture outside the west wing doors, cleaning tears.
Amanda Terkel and Vaughn Hillyard contributed.
