By Gunjan Rajput

Copyright republicworld

US President Donald Trump on Thursday mourned the death of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder, who was fatally shot during an event on a Utah college campus.In a nationally televised address, Trump described the killing as “a dark moment for America,” hailing Kirk as “a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country he loved.”“Charlie inspired millions, and tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,” Trump said. “He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He is a model for truth and freedom.”The President ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in Kirk’s honor, calling him “the best of America.”Tribute to Kirk’s Legacy and FamilyTrump highlighted Kirk’s impact on young Americans, crediting him with shaping political debate and championing free speech.“He is a model for truth and freedom, and there has never been anyone who was so respected by youth,” Trump said. “Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith, and we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God and heaven.” The President extended condolences to Kirk’s family: “Our prayers are with his wife, Erika, the two young, beloved children, and his entire family, whom he loved more than anything in the world. We ask God to watch over them in this terrible hour of horror and pain.”Read More – PM Modi–Xi Thaw Opens Door For BYD’s Next Big EV Bet In IndiaWarning Against Political ViolenceVowing accountability, Trump pledged that his administration would pursue those responsible.“My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country,” he said. The President linked the attack to a broader trend of escalating political violence. “From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania last year which killed a husband and father, to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a health care executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others, radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” Trump said.He warned that inflammatory rhetoric has consequences: “It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequences of demonising those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible.”Utah Governor Spencer Cox Labels Killing a ‘Political Assassination’Utah Governor Spencer Cox, speaking at a press conference, called Kirk’s killing “a political assassination.”“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” Cox said. “I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination.”Cox highlighted a troubling pattern, citing recent violence targeting public officials. “Our nation is broken. We’ve had political assassinations recently in Minnesota. We had an attempted assassination on the governor of Pennsylvania. And we had an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate and former president of the United States and now current president of the United States.” The Symbolism of a Campus ShootingThe governor stressed the significance of the attack taking place on a college campus, a space traditionally associated with free speech and debate.“Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and to persuade people,” Cox said. “Historically, our university campuses in this nation and here in the state of Utah have been a place where truth and ideas are formulated and debated, and that’s what he does.”He added, “Nothing I say can unite us as a country … Nothing I can say can bring back Charlie Kirk. Our hearts are broken … we mourn as a nation.”Cox also reminded the public that Utah still has the death penalty, signaling potential consequences for the assassin if convicted.‘An Assassin Tried to Silence Him, But Failed’“Charlie was the best of America, and the monster who attacked him was attacking our whole country. An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed because together we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come,” Trump declared.In his closing remarks, Trump emphasized that Kirk’s influence would endure.