Maggie Haberman says Trump is ‘struggling’ to process Charlie Kirk’s death due to their close bond

OREM, UTAH: The killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk sent shockwaves through political circles. CNN analyst Maggie Haberman has now suggested that President Donald Trump is grappling with the loss of the conservative icon.

Kirk was shot in the neck on Wednesday, September 10, while speaking at Utah Valley University and died at the scene. Two days later, authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who faces charges in connection with the killing.

Trump struggling to process Charlie Kirk’s death

Haberman, a longtime Trump watcher and New York Times correspondent, appeared on CNN’s 'The Source' Friday night, where host Kaitlan Collins pressed her on how the president handled the tragedy.

She explained that Trump’s responses varied depending on the circumstances in which he was asked about the incident.

“So many people around President Trump were very close to Charlie Kirk. President Trump was very close to Charlie Kirk,” she noted, adding that Trump himself survived two attacks, including a near miss last year. “All of that is a lot of the context for how people in the White House and the president are responding to this. I think he is struggling with this in terms of how to deal with it.”

Haberman emphasized that Trump is not known for offering carefully measured statements in such moments. “He’s never going to be the person who is the clearest talker about this,” she said. “I don’t think you’re ever going to hear him say something like what Utah Governor Spencer Cox said. He is who he is, and people knew that before they voted for him.”

Trump’s deflection outside White House

On Thursday, September 11, Trump was asked directly by a reporter outside the White House how he was holding up after Kirk’s death. Rather than dwell on the tragedy, he quickly pivoted.

“I think very good,” Trump said. Gesturing toward a construction site on the White House grounds, he added, “And by the way, right there, you see all the trucks? They’ve just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they’ve been trying to get, as you know, for about 150 years. And it’s gonna be a beauty.”

On Wednesday, September 10, Trump directed that US flags be flown at half-staff through Sunday as a tribute to Kirk.

Trump calls Charlie Kirk a ‘martyr for freedom’

Trump delivered an emotional Oval Office address, vowing that his administration would pursue justice for Charlie Kirk, whom he hailed as a “martyr for truth and freedom.”

In a video message shared on the official White House X account, Trump said he was “filled with grief and anger” over the killing of the 30-year-old Turning Point USA founder, fatally shot at Utah Valley University.

Calling Kirk “deeply admired by America’s youth,” Trump said his legacy would live on beyond his death. “There’s never been anybody who was so respected by youth. Charlie was the best of America,” he added.

Trump used the address to condemn what he described as a climate of hatred fueled by political opponents. “It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year,” he said.

The president pointed directly at the “radical left,” accusing them of fostering a culture of hostility that enabled Kirk’s killing. “For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”

Trump vowed that his administration would track down everyone responsible for Kirk’s death and other acts of political violence.

“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, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country,” he said.