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Chief of staff Susie Wiles described the grief among White House aides following conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination during an appearance at a university the day prior.
“He was very close to many of us and even those that were not his good friends, we know him. He was so much help in the campaign. So, you know, there’s no question there’s a sadness here,” Wiles said on “The Scott Jennings Show.”
She said she told her staff in the wake of the assassination to be careful but to not lower their voices on issues they care about.
“We have a lot of high-profile people here that engage publicly and in the media and they say things that others might not like,” Wiles said. “So I called everybody in before they went home last night and said, ‘Go home, hug your children, hug your spouse, be careful, take precautions and don’t let your voice get softer. Charlie would want everybody to speak as they had been and more.’”
Kirk, 31, was a political force among young conservatives, using his platform and voice to energize voters on college campuses during the 2024 race. Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, which helped get-out-the-vote efforts for President Trump.
He was shot in the neck Wednesday at Utah Valley University while speaking to a large crowd during an event billed as “The American Comeback Tour.”
Trump earlier Thursday announced he would posthumously award Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Vice President Vance and second lady Usha Vance traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, to meet with Kirk’s family and close friends; they then flew Kirk’s casket to Arizona on Air Force Two.
