Trump recalls last conversation he had with Charlie Kirk before his assassination

President Donald Trump has spoken about his final conversation with Charlie Kirk, calling the late conservative commentator a “very good friend.”

Kirk, 31, was shot dead on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University during the launch of his “American Comeback Tour” with Turning Point USA. The assassin fired from a rooftop using a bolt-action rifle, according to investigators.

Before authorities arrested the suspect—identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah—Trump delivered a tribute, describing Kirk as a patriot and “martyr for truth and freedom.”

Trump recalled that Kirk often urged him to attend Turning Point USA events, sometimes at short notice. “The last time I spoke to him, he asked me to come to Phoenix the very next day,” Trump said with a laugh. “I told him, ‘Charlie, I’m the President—you can’t do that to me.’ But I usually ended up going. He was a great guy, and he didn’t deserve this.”

Kirk’s body has since been flown to Phoenix aboard an Air Force Two jet. His funeral and memorial service will be held on September 21 at State Farm Stadium, where over 60,000 people are expected to gather. Trump confirmed he will attend and announced Kirk would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.

Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha accompanied Kirk’s widow Erika on the return flight to Arizona. Vance later hosted a special episode of The Charlie Kirk Show from the White House, blaming “left-wing extremism” for the tragedy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also plans to attend, praising Kirk’s influence on young conservatives. Erika Kirk vowed to continue her husband’s mission, promising his work would carry on “with even greater force.”