Trump officials rush to Washington D.C. to pay | Political News

Politicians, Trump administration officials, and other conservative figures had been reportedly rushed in on short discover to pay tribute to the murdered right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk during a memorial service at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Sunday night, as controversy surrounding the 31-year-old’s killing persists, with quite a few people making an attempt to pin duty on opposing political factions.

Those current at the ceremony, designed to rejoice Kirk’s contributions and grieve his passing, included House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA. ), Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. and Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL.) Arizona state Sen. Jake Hoffman (R) organized the gathering.

“The service will be a unifying event focused on prayer, mourning, and celebrating the life, legacy, and memory of Charlie Kirk – a national treasure whose life was cut far too short,” a press release saying the event said.

The solemn ceremony included musical acts, visitor audio system, quiet reflection intervals and prayers to pay respects to Kirk and commemorate his existence.

Guest audio system included Turning Point USA members who recounted tales about their involvement with the group and their connection to Kirk. Turning Point USA’s Malia Shirley shared her first encounter with Charlie Kirk, stating: “I met Charlie for the first time back in 2014 when I was only a freshman in college trying to start a Turning Point USA chapter on my own campus. We really got to know each other in 2017 when that same campus in Nebraska had professors and administrators harassing and yelling profanities at our chapter leader there. We, of course, got video footage of the insanity, sent it to Charlie immediately, and his response was, Oh, we’re going to make these people famous.”

Arizona state Sen. Jake Hoffman (R), who served as the event’s MC, claimed that 85 members of Congress had been current. He praised Kirk for having “sacrificed” his life in protection of American civil liberties.

DON’T MISS:

Speaker Johnson expressed the nation’s grief over Kirk’s death, saying it has reverberated all the best way to Capitol Hill.

“It’s as if the ground was shifted beneath us. We all felt it deep, deep inside. And in spite of that, we remember that our dear friend Charlie would never want us to be overcome by despair. He would want exactly the opposite. You know, Charlie Kirk recruited and trained and educated a generation of happy warriors, and we do well to be reminded that the best way to honor his memory and honor his unmatched legacy is to live as Charlie did,” Johnson said.

Leavitt said that while President Donald Trump could not attend the vigil, she spoke on his behalf and added that he cherished Kirk, a sentiment met with resounding applause. Leavitt also attributed Kirk’s efforts to Trump’s victory last 12 months.

“President Trump’s win in November was fueled in no small part by the tireless work of Charlie’s Turning Point organization that he built from scratch out of a garage, the true essence of the American dream and the MAGA movement that he helped so many young people join,” Leavitt said.

Gabbard, on the other hand, said Kirk did not do his work for accolades but for considerate debate and political discourse. She added that he lived by the rules of free speech and that, although he could disagree with somebody’s phrases, he would defend their proper to say them.

“Charlie Kirk, every single day carried out his mission, motivated by his faith in Jesus Christ and his unwavering dedication to defending our God given freedoms enshrined In our Constitution and Bill of Rights because of his commitment and dedication, his impact here and around the world is profound, and it is a beautiful thing to see it playing out now, probably, like many of you, I had the privilege of joining Charlie at some of his different campus visits, and it was truly something to behold, because he did things that no one else would do as I sat with him in the very first time huge crowd,” Gabbard said.

Kirk, a outstanding determine in Turning Point USA, was tragically shot and killed during one of his signature debate occasions at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. On Friday, federal and state officials in Utah announced the arrest of 22 12 months previous local resident Tyler Robinson, suspected of finishing up Kirk’s homicide.

The premature death of Kirk has ignited heated debates about political violence, free speech, and the potential motives of the alleged shooter. Right-wing lawmakers and commentators, including Trump, had been fast to level fingers at the left for Kirk’s death, citing their rhetoric about the conservative commentator’s controversial and often provocative political stances, even before a suspect was taken into custody.

However, no clear motive for the taking pictures has been established yet. Reports counsel that the alleged shooter inscribed messages on the bullet casings purportedly used in Kirk’s homicide, indicating an affiliation with the far-right political commentator Nick Fuentes’ Groypers, a group that leans even additional proper than Kirk on a number of points, including his assist for Israel.

Fuentes has publicly condemned Kirk’s homicide and refuted any claims that his rhetoric may have motivated the alleged suspect’s actions.

Robinson is slated to be formally charged with Kirk’s homicide on Tuesday. Meanwhile, hypothesis and investigation into his background continue on social media, as both political factions seemingly persist in blaming each other for Kirk’s death.