Just hours after announcing that conservative activist Charlie Kirk had been killed on a college campus in Utah, President Donald Trump promised tough consequences.
“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,” Trump said in a video address from the Oval Office on Wednesday.
But a day later, there was little sign of any concrete policy response.
Trump, without offering evidence, continued to blame Kirk’s killing on “the radical left.” He said investigators were making “big progress” in tracking the gunman but declined to share details about a possible motive.
White House officials also stayed vague on Thursday. One said the president’s message was simple: “The perpetrator or perpetrators of this horrific act will pay for what they did. They will be caught and they will be brought to justice. And any other whack jobs who engage in political violence like the tragic assassination of Charlie will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Some senior officials hinted that a broader response could follow, possibly targeting ideological opponents. Trump has often used his presidential powers against perceived adversaries both inside and outside government.
On X, senior aide Stephen Miller criticized “those in positions of institutional authority educators, healthcare workers, therapists, government employees” who he said celebrated Kirk’s death and embraced a “wicked ideology.” He stopped short of saying what action, if any, should be taken against them.
At the State Department, Christopher Landau urged the public to report foreigners who mocked or justified Kirk’s killing so consular officials could “undertake appropriate action.” Defense Secretary Pete Hugest said the Pentagon was tracking online reactions and would address ones it considered “completely unacceptable.”
The administration is also facing mounting pressure from MAGA influencers online, who want Trump to go beyond a manhunt for the shooter. Activist Laura Loomed and others called for sweeping new measures in what they described as a “war” against left-leaning groups, the media, and Democrats.
So far, no suspect has been arrested and no motive established.
As Trump traveled to New York for a Yankees game, where the Secret Service increased security, he was asked how his supporters should respond.
“He was an advocate of non-violence,” Trump said of Kirk. “That’s the way I like to see people.”
