President Donald Trump described conservative activist Charlie Kirk as "like a son" in an emotional interview Friday, praising Kirk's influence on young conservatives and saying investigators may have a suspect in the fatal shooting that killed the 31-year-old earlier this week.
Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday during the opening event of Turning Point's "The American Comeback Tour" at Utah Valley University, where he was speaking at a table organizers called the "Prove Me Wrong Table." Hundreds of audience members, many of them college students, were present when the attack occurred.
In his appearance on Fox & Friends, Trump quoted his son, Donald Trump Jr., saying, "He’s sort of like a son to you," and spoke of having recently spoken with Kirk's wife, Erika, whom he said was "devastated." Trump said he believed authorities had a suspect in custody, telling the program, "I think with a high degree of certainty, we have him," and adding that "essentially, someone who knew him turned him in."
A later press conference Friday that included Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that authorities had a suspect, identified as Tyler Robinson, in custody in connection with the killing. Officials at the briefing did not immediately release additional details about an alleged motive or the status of any formal charges.
Trump lauded Kirk's role in the conservative movement, particularly his appeal to young people. "I’ve never seen young people or any group go to one person like they did to Charlie," Trump said. "He’d go out to Arizona, to any school, to Utah — where he was — but any school… and he would have bigger rallies than any radical left speaker, and it was killing them."
Trump said Kirk's messaging emphasized family and traditional values. "His was basically just good. Family — he talked about family — he talked about, ‘Get married. Go get married,’ you know? It sounds old-fashioned when you think about it, but he’s right. He was just on," the president said. He added, "It’s a shame that that voice has been stopped."
Turning Point USA, the conservative student organization Kirk founded, has said it plans to continue its activities following his death. Trump noted the group's intention to carry on, saying, "But in between the devastation, they want to keep Turning Point going. He was such a great guy that he had to end this way. But you know, in many ways, he’s bigger now because of what happened."
Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA in 2012, became a prominent conservative voice on college campuses and in conservative media. He had cultivated a national following among young conservatives through campus events, social media and political commentary. Organizers said he was 31 at the time of his death.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid speculation while the investigation continues. The press conference on Friday reiterated that law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are coordinating with local officials as they gather evidence and determine the next steps. Trump and other conservative leaders have paid public tributes to Kirk while calling for a full accounting of the circumstances surrounding the shooting.