Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump announced he would posthumously award Kirk the nation’s highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Turning Point USA co-founder was “a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people”, Trump said.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump during a ceremony to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.Credit: AP
Speaking at the Pentagon in Washington for an official memorial for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Trump said the US was a nation that would always honour its heroes.
“There’s a group of people that don’t want to talk about our heroes, but we will always talk about our heroes,” he said. “We will defend the nation they serve, the values they upheld and the freedom for which they died. We will build taller, grow stronger, fight harder and soar higher.”
The president is expected to speak with Kirk’s family today, while Vice President JD Vance was headed to Utah to pay his respects.
Kirk was fatally shot while appearing at the first stop on a speaking tour of college campuses in which he was to invite opponents to debate him on stage.
The assassination of the prominent Trump ally and evangelical Christian campaigner has stunned the country and once again focused attention on the US’s problem with political violence.
It follows the assassination of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota three months ago, alongside an attempt on the life of her colleague, an arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally last year.
“This is a dark moment for America,” Trump said in a video message to the nation on Wednesday night, US time. “It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonising those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible.”
Loading
The president went on to blame the “radical left” for comparing Kirk to Nazis and mass murderers – rhetoric he said was “directly responsible for the terrorism we are seeing in our country today”.
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.
