Inside The White House As Officials Learned About Charlie Kirk's Death

WASHINGTON — “In shock.”

“Just sick.”

“Devastated.”

Those were nan first reactions of White House officials who watched arsenic reports started to flood successful that blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk had been changeable astatine an arena astatine Utah Valley University connected Wednesday afternoon.

Aides briefed President Donald Trump successful existent clip arsenic events unfolded, gathering pinch his squad successful nan Oval Office arsenic different officials monitored developments from nan Situation Room.

Senior communications officials instantly huddled successful an area successful nan West Wing known arsenic Upper Press, wherever an expletive could beryllium heard arsenic a doorway unopen down them.

Staffers are profoundly shaken by nan tragedy, pinch galore of them pointing to their ain individual connections to Kirk from nan 2016 run and successful nan decade since. Some worked, done tears, arsenic cablegram channels played successful nan background, noting that nan shooter was still astatine large.

Messages of solidarity poured retired connected societal media from each levels of nan administration, including from Trump — who was nan first to denote Kirk's death — and Vice President JD Vance, who called for prayers for Kirk and his family.

Vance was adjacent friends pinch Kirk. In 2022, Kirk campaigned alongside Vance successful nan closing days of his competitory Ohio Senate primary, and Kirk was 1 of nan group he credited pinch his win.

Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA, was a awesome unit successful nan Trump universe, and it helped thrust nan Trump campaign's get-out-the-vote efforts past year.

“Everyone was crushed,” said an advisor to nan management who was astatine nan White House erstwhile news of Kirk’s decease started to spread.

For galore of those officials, Kirk’s sidesplitting was personal, some because he was truthful well-known by staffers and because it brought backmost achy memories of nan 2 assassination attempts connected their leader conscionable complete a twelvemonth ago.

Donald Trump Jr. released a lengthy, heartfelt connection Wednesday nighttime connected X, saying Kirk was "like a small relative to me."

"Moments for illustration this punctual america conscionable really vulnerable life is," he wrote. "We can’t hold to show group really overmuch they mean to america — we can’t respect them successful silence. Charlie knew he was loved, but I want to opportunity it again: he was a relative to me, and I will transportation that pinch maine forever."

In nan early evening, flags connected field were lowered to half-staff. At slightest 1 elder White House charismatic was seen watching nan intense motion extracurricular nan West Wing doors, wiping distant tears.