President Donald Trump is facing fierce backlash after pivoting away from a question about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk to brag about the construction of a new White House ballroom. The bizarre exchange came just days after Kirk, a close Trump ally and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during a Q&A event at the University of Utah. While reporters pressed Trump on how he was holding up following the loss of his friend, the president instead veered into a lengthy detour about renovations on his residence, a response many critics called “cold” and “sociopathic.”
When asked Thursday about how he was coping “on a personal level” with Kirk’s death, Trump initially answered, “I think very good,” before quickly redirecting to the construction project. “And by the way, right there, you see all the trucks,” he said, gesturing toward the White House lawn. “They 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 going to be a beauty. It’ll be absolutely magnificent.”
He continued, “It’ll get done very nice and it’ll be one of the best anywhere in the world.” Trump then walked away without offering further comments about Kirk’s death. The clip went viral on social media, where users didn’t hold back.“Total sociopath. Unreal,” one wrote as another said, “Literally doesn’t care about him except how he can be exploited for his own gain.” A third labeled him as a “Typical narcissist,” while someone else chimed in with, “Part of his psycho brain family. He’s not capable of caring about anything or anyone but himself. No empathy whatsoever.”
The Death of Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk was assassinated Wednesday while speaking at the University of Utah. The young conservative activist had built a massive following as the founder of Turning Point USA and was known for his close ties to Trump and the Republican Party. Authorities confirmed Kirk was targeted in the attack but have not yet revealed a motive. Trump, however, wasted no time blaming what he called “rhetoric from the radical left,” claiming it was “directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.” Law enforcement has not confirmed that assertion, though they did arrest suspect Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old former Utah State University student.
