Following the assassination of 31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on 10/9, President Donald Trump was the first to announce his death and express his grief on social media.

In his post, Trump called the political activist "a legend". "He was loved and admired by everyone, especially me," he wrote. The president announced he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian award, and suggested he might attend the funeral in Arizona.

Charlie Kirk (right) appears on stage with US President Donald Trump at AmericaFest, TPUSA's annual conference, in 12/2024. Photo: AFP

Charlie Kirk (right) appears on stage with US President Donald Trump at AmericaFest, TPUSA's annual conference, in 12/2024. Photo: AFP

Observers note these actions and tributes from the president demonstrate how close he was to and valued Kirk. He likely views Kirk's death as a personal loss.

In the summer of 2016, it was Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, who introduced Kirk to the family. After the then 22-year-old Kirk offered advice on how Trump could attract young voters, Trump Jr. immediately hired him as a personal campaign assistant.

A year later, when Kirk attended Trump Jr.'s birthday party at the Mar-a-Lago resort, the president beckoned him to sit nearby. The two spoke privately for about 40 minutes.

After that conversation, Kirk was frequently seen at the White House, but he was always careful not to appear to be exploiting his access. "He was professional and easy to work with," Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, said of Kirk in an interview earlier this year. "No leaks to the press. He just focused on getting things done effectively."

Kirk's relationship with President Trump grew even stronger after Trump lost the 2020 election. Kirk became a prominent voice promoting the claim that the election was fraudulent.

In 2/2021, a few weeks after the Capitol Hill riot, Kirk visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Sometime later, Kirk showed off a photo of the two of them at a presentation to donors and said, "This was the easiest meeting I've ever arranged with President Trump. Because all the slick guys who acted like they were his best friends now don't want to be anywhere near him."

As an advisor to Trump, Kirk carefully considered every piece of advice he offered. Kirk encouraged Trump to endorse JD Vance in the 2022 Senate race and to choose the Ohio senator as his running mate in 2024.

After Trump won the election and began the transition process late last year, Kirk participated in discussions about cabinet appointments, but didn't express particular support for any candidates. However, he did help ensure that Stacey Feinberg, one of the top donors to the conservative organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), which he co-founded, was chosen as US ambassador to Luxembourg.

Kirk also occasionally disagreed with Trump. In those instances, he presented himself as a loyal defender of the MAGA platform, fearing that the president was inadvertently deviating from his own principles. Despite publicly supporting the raid on Iran's nuclear facilities in June, Kirk frankly expressed his concerns to the president in the Oval Office about the risk of the US sparking another intractable conflict in the Middle East.

Kirk founded TPUSA, a student organization that promotes conservative thought, in 2012 at the age of 18. TPUSA has over 850 chapters at US universities, where they host discussions on a range of issues like immigration, abortion rights, and race. The group also produces several podcasts, such as The Charlie Kirk Show, which attracts more than 500,000 listeners each month.

Kirk's assassination will undoubtedly disrupt TPUSA's operations, indirectly impacting President Trump. Through TPUSA events, Kirk attracted a large number of young people to support Trump and strengthened the MAGA movement.

While difficult to measure, experts believe the MAGA movement fostered by Kirk played a key role in building support for the president and his campaign.

"Charlie Kirk had significant political influence and a formidable ability to rally young people behind Trump," said Ico Maly, an associate professor at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, adding that his death is certainly a major loss for the US president.

According to Maly, Kirk's success stemmed from his skillful use of cyberspace for political purposes. "Digital culture laid the foundation for his power to mobilize crowds in support of President Trump's agenda," he explained.

The moment Charlie Kirk was shot. Video: X/IAmyLeigh

TPUSA invested millions of USD in various initiatives to increase voter turnout for Trump, building relationships with Republican voters in battleground states, registering them to vote, and helping them get to the polls.

Before the 2024 election, Kirk organized a series of events called "You Are Being Brainwashed" at 25 US universities, where he urged young voters to vote for Trump. "This tour was hailed as the most important driver of increased support for Trump among the youngest voters," according to commentator Daryl McCann from Australia, who frequently writes about conservative politics in the US.

In May, President Trump himself praised Kirk's contributions, saying they helped him significantly in his efforts to win votes from young people. "Kirk will tell you that TikTok was the key factor in that outcome, but Charlie Kirk also played a significant role," Trump said at a ceremony in the Oval Office.

Not only does Kirk's assassination weaken the momentum for attracting young voters, it also exposes the challenge President Trump faces in healing the deep divisions within American politics. No one seems better equipped to soothe the nation than the president. However, many say they don't currently see that in Trump.

"I'm looking, but I haven't seen anyone like that yet," said former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. Republican Congressman Don Bacon said he hopes President Trump will address the challenge, but added that Trump "is a populist" and could let his anger over Kirk's assassination overshadow efforts to reconcile and heal the divided nation.

In a video statement recorded from the Oval Office on 10/9, President Trump condemned Kirk's assassination, but also blamed the "radical left", who had compared Kirk to "fascists and the world's worst criminals or serial killers".

For many, Trump is even seen as part of the problem. As president, he can either ease tensions or inflame them.

"There is an undercurrent of violence, and we have to be very careful not to unleash it," said William Barber, an influential pastor and civil rights activist in the US.

Charlie Kirk speaks inside the Capital One Arena on the day of Trump's second inauguration in January. Photo: Reuters

Charlie Kirk speaks inside the Capital One Arena on the day of Trump's second inauguration in January. Photo: Reuters

But he argued that the president alone cannot take on the role of calming the situation. "In American history, one person has never done that. So, in addition to the president, those who stand on the pulpit or politicians in key leadership positions must also act," Barber said.

When asked if the president could be the one to unite the country, a White House spokesperson on 10/9 did not directly address the question.

"Tonight, I ask all Americans to commit to the American values that Charlie Kirk lived and died for: freedom of speech, citizenship, the rule of law, patriotism, and love for God. Charlie was the best citizen America could have, and the monster who attacked him is attacking our entire country. The assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed because, together, we will ensure that Kirk’s voice, message, and legacy live on for generations to come," the spokesperson said.

And when asked how he wanted his supporters to react to Kirk's assassination, President Trump said Kirk always advocated non-violence and "that's how I want to see everyone follow.".

Vu Hoang (Al Jazeera, Politico, AFP, Reuters)