Donald Trump reveals Charlie Kirk's last request to him
US President Donald Trump took part in an hours-long memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot in Utah on Sept. 10. Speaking in front of a packed crowd for over 40 minutes, Trump shared what was apparently Kirk’s final plea to the president.
“Please, sir, save Chicago,” Trump recalled Kirk telling him in one of their last conversations at the latter's memorial in Arizona. Kirk was a native of the Chicago suburb Arlington Heights.
In his eponymous podcast last month, Kirk, who was the co-founder and CEO of non-profit organization Turning Point USA, decried escalating crime in Chicago.
“I want to be able to walk the Magnificent Mile in Chicago without having to look over my shoulder,” Kirk said. “In Chicago, the new guidance is that if you get a fender bender, drive to the nearest police station to trade insurance, just in case they’re there to steal your car.”
At Kirk’s memorial, Trump told the crowd he would, in fact, heed Kirk’s request.
“We’re gonna do that. We’re gonna save Chicago from horrible crime,” the president said.
Further into his speech, Trump shared that his strategy of bringing the National Guard troops into Washington, D.C. would also work in Chicago.
“I’m so proud of Washington, D.C., and now we’re going into Memphis, and we’ll get that one straightened out fast. And then we’re going into some others. But we’re going to go do Chicago, and we’re going to have Charlie very much in mind when we go into Chicago, and we’ll get that one straight,” Trump said.
He also touched on what Erika Kirk, Kirk’s widow, said in her eulogy, where she said she had already forgiven her husband’s shooter.
“[Charlie] did not hate his opponents; he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagree with Charlie. I hate my opponent. And I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry, Erika,” Trump said.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University while he was speaking to a crowd during one of his regular campus debates.
The alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, has been arrested and formally charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray has said he plans to seek the death penalty for Robinson.