Charlie Kirk, the conservative influencer who became the voice of Maga youth 02:03 Media caption, From Republican conventions to Oxford debates, watch Charlie Kirk speak ByGareth Evans Washington DC Published 10 September 2025 Updated 21 September 2025 When the right-wing American activist and influencer Charlie Kirk was shot dead aged 31, he was speaking at the kind of university event that helped propel him to social media stardom. Kirk was just 18 when he co-founded Turning Point USA, a student organisation focused on spreading conservative ideas on college campuses. As he was killed with a single bullet, he was speaking under a sign that read: 'Prove me wrong'. At these events, Kirk became known for his combative style, inviting students to step up to the microphone and challenge his right-wing Christian worldview in front of a baying audience. Clips of these exchanges built him a huge following - more than 5m followers on X and 7m on TikTok - that helped him mobilise the youth vote for President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly praised Kirk for inspiring a generation of young conservative activists. "He's got this army of young people," Trump told the Turning Point Action Conference last year. "These are young patriots. We thank you, Charlie." After Kirk's death on 10 September, Trump said he had once told him he could become president one day. Charlie Kirk stands in profile with confetti falling around him wearing a blue pinstripe suit on a darkened stage Image source,Reuters Image caption, Charlie Kirk greets the crowd during the AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona, last December Born in 1993, to an architect father and stock trader mother, Kirk grew up in the well-to-do Chicago suburb of Prospect Heights. He attended an Illinois community college briefly, before dropping out to devote himself to political activism. He also applied unsuccessfully to West Point, the elite US military academy. Kirk often referred tongue-in-cheek to his lack of a college degree when debating students and academics, revelling in his reputation as a deft public speaker and fluent debater. During his rapid ascent in public life, Kirk, who was always willing to say things that could rouse his supporters and offend his critics, used YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram to spread his message and build his audience. He was one of the youngest speakers when he appeared aged 22 at the Republican National Convention in 2016 and his platform grew further when his hugely successful podcast, The Charlie Kirk Show, began in 2019. Julia Pierce, a member of Turning Point USA for more than a decade, said he would be remembered for giving young conservatives in America the confidence to be themselves. "It used to be that for young people it was cool to be a Democrat. But he made it cool to be a Trump supporter and to wear the Maga hat and live your life with traditional family values," she told the BBC after his death. Kirk's de facto role as communicator - and defender - in chief for the Make America Great Again (Maga) movement on college campuses distinguished him from other right-wing activists because of his willingness to take his fight into conventionally hostile settings. "When you pierce the liberal echo chamber, minds are changed… millions of them in fact," he wrote in one X post. "The campus left is threatened by debate, dialogue, discussion, and differing ideas," he said in another. Charlie Kirk stands outside in a black and white T-shirt smiling and surrounded by people in May 2025. Image source,Getty Images Image caption, Charlie Kirk revelled in the debates he held with liberal students on US campuses Kirk was holding a "Prove me Wrong" debate at Utah Valley University when he was killed, the latest stop in a tour of colleges around the country. This summer, he also visited the UK and debated students at the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. His team would record all of them, posting short clips of the most heated exchanges online, and they followed a similar model to the "You're Being Brainwashed" tour he held across campuses in the run-up to the 2024 election. On stage, in TV appearances and on his podcast, he would often defend the right-wing populist and nationalist thinking that is central to the Maga movement. Kirk would invite students to challenge him directly on these views, and his stances on issues such as immigration, transgender rights, abortion, diversity programmes and climate change often provoked the fiercest exchanges and loudest criticism. On an episode of the online show "Surrounded", for example, Kirk was asked if he had a 10-year-old daughter who was raped and became pregnant whether he would want her to have the baby. "The answer is yes, the baby would be delivered," Kirk said. Charlie Kirk gives a thumbs-up as he stands in profile next to Donald Trump who is waving. Both are wearing suits. Image source,Reuters Image caption, President Trump on stage with Kirk in 2018, as their relationship grew stronger Comments from Kirk on race and crime prompted an angry liberal backlash on numerous occasions. In 2020, he called George Floyd, a black man whose murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer sparked nationwide protests, a "scumbag". When discussing crime on his podcast in 2023, he said "prowling blacks go around for fun to go target white people". Referring to his opposition to affirmative action and hiring practices to boost diversity, he said on the same podcast a year later: "If I see a black pilot, I'm going to be like, boy, I hope he's qualified." When a student accused him of racism in one recent campus debate, Kirk replied: "What have I ever said that's racist? What have I ever said that's hateful? He can't say anything I've ever said that's racist, because I've never said anything that's racist." Kirk would often cite his Christian faith when explaining his positions on issues including Islam, gender and abortion. "The West is the best because of Christianity. We must seek Christ first, and our national and cultural resurgence will naturally follow. For America to be great, we must remain majority Christian," he said. He was also accused of antisemitism in 2023, when he said on his podcast that "Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them". He added: "It is true that some of the largest financiers of left-wing, anti-white causes have been Jewish Americans." 00:47 Media caption, Watch: "The cries of this widow will echo around the world", says Erika Kirk Kirk's evangelical Christianity and his young family were front and centre in his politics. He married Erika Kirk, a businesswoman and former Miss Arizona, in May 2021 and they had two children together. According to her website, Erika Kirk is the founder of Proclaim, a faith-based clothing line, a podcast host and the founder of two non-profit organisations. She also frequently appeared by Kirk's side at public engagements. The couple regularly posted on Instagram about their family life, but kept their children's identities private. In August, Kirk posted a photo of himself at the beach as they celebrated his daughter's third birthday. Erika Kirk has been appointed CEO of Turning Point USA, after the death of her husband. In a livestream she aired after his death, she directly addressed "evil-doers": "You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry. "They should all know this: if you thought that my husband's mission was powerful before you have no idea, you have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world." Donald Trump Jr (left to right), JD Vance, Charlie Kirk, and Kid Rock on stage all smiling, wearing tuxedos except for Kid Rock who is wearing black and a black hat. Image source,Getty Images Image caption, Donald Trump Jr (left to right), Vice-President JD Vance, Charlie Kirk, and singer Kid Rock on stage at an inaugural ball in January Kirk's impact on the conservative movement - and the high regard with which he was held by Trump's inner circle - will be reflected at Sunday's memorial service at 60,000-seat stadium in Arizona. Every senior official from the administration will be in attendance. Over the years Kirk became an increasingly loyal and vocal supporter of the president. The relationship between the pair grew more close after he supported Trump's 2016 campaign, with Kirk attending his most recent inauguration in January in Washington DC. He was a regular visitor at the White House during both Trump terms in office. He remained loyal to the president even when some other Maga stalwarts were critical of him, such as when Trump approved striking Iran in June. "With the weight of the world on his shoulders, President Trump acted for the betterment of humanity," he said at the time. "He cannot be replaced by any one person," Trump's chief-of-staff Susie Wiles said last week of Kirk when Vice-President JD Vance hosted the first episode of the slain activist's podcast after the shooting. "He's got to be replaced by you, by Don Trump, by so many others." Additional reporting by Tiffany Wertheimer and Gabriela Pomeroy Related topics Donald Trump United States Utah More on this story Killing of Trump ally lays bare America's bloody and broken politics Published 11 September President Trump and Charlie Kirk seen on stage together in 2024 'I will never let your legacy die' - Charlie Kirk's widow gives tearful address after shooting Published 13 September Erika Kirk stands on the Turning Point USA livestream next to Charlie Kirk's empty chair Charlie Kirk shooting throws Utah students into heart of US political divide Published 13 September Donald Trump Article Talk Read View source View history Tools Appearance Text Small Standard Large Width Standard Wide Color (beta) Automatic Light Dark Extended-protected article From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Trump" redirects here. For other uses, see Trump (disambiguation) and Donald Trump (disambiguation). Donald Trump Head-and-shoulders shot of Trump with a serious facial expression, his right eye partly closed. He is wearing a dark blue suit, a pale blue dress shirt, a red necktie, and an American flag lapel pin. Parts of the image are slightly out of focus. The background is black. Official portrait, 2025 45th & 47th President of the United States Incumbent Assumed office January 20, 2025 Vice President JD Vance Preceded by Joe Biden In office January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021 Vice President Mike Pence Preceded by Barack Obama Succeeded by Joe Biden Personal details Born Donald John Trump June 14, 1946 (age 79) Queens, New York City, U.S. Party Republican (1969, 1987–1999, 2009–2011, 2012–present) Other political affiliations Reform (1999–2001) Democratic (2001–2009) Independent (2011–2012) Spouses Ivana Zelníčková ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1990)​ Marla Maples ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 1999)​ Melania Knauss ​ (m. 2005)​ Children Donald Jr.IvankaEricTiffanyBarron Parents Fred Trump Mary Anne MacLeod Relatives Trump family Residence White House Education University of Pennsylvania (BS) Occupation Politicianbusinessmanmedia personality Signature Donald J. Trump stylized autograph, in ink Website White House website First presidency: Presidential library White House archives Trump's voice Duration: 9 minutes and 32 seconds.9:32 Trump on the WHO's declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic Recorded March 11, 2020 This article is part of a series about Donald Trump Business and personal Age and health Business career The Trump Organization wealth tax returns cryptocurrency Conspiracy theories Early life and education Endorsements Eponyms Fascism False or misleading statements first term between terms second term Family Foundation grants American football Golf Honors John McCain comments Legal affairs indictments Makeup Media career The Apprentice bibliography filmography Musk feud Nicknames Public image in popular culture in music SNL parodies baby balloon dance handshakes pseudonyms Racial views antisemitism Religion Residences Rhetoric Security incidents Sexual misconduct allegations Epstein ties Social media TikTok controversy Twitter Voters Obama Sanders 45th and 47th President of the United States Presidencies first second Inaugurations first second Portraits Presidential library Tenure Timeline 2016 Transition 2017 First 100 days Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2018 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2019 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2020 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2021 Q1 2024 Transition 2025 First 100 days Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Executive actions Executive orders First term Second term Proclamations Pardons First term Second term Trips 2017 Riyadh summit 2018 Singapore Summit Helsinki Summit 2019 Hanoi Summit United Kingdom state visit DMZ Summit 2020–21 Namaste Trump 2025 Middle East visit Alaska Summit United Kingdom state visit Gaza peace summit Budapest Summit International Shutdowns January 2018 2018–2019 2025 Speeches State of the Union Address 2018 2019 2020 Joint address to Congress 2017 2025 Oval Office Address 2019 2020 Farewell address 2021 Public speeches 2017 speech in Warsaw 2017 National Scout Jamboree Opinion polls First term 2017 2018 2019 Second term Legal affairs First term Second term Protests Federal law enforcement deployment St. John's Church photo op No Kings protests June 2025 October 2025 2020 presidential election overturning attempts January 6 Capitol attack Timeline Reactions Domestic International Aftermath Fake electors plot Eastman memos Jeffrey Clark letter Pre-election lawsuits Post-election lawsuits Texas v. Pennsylvania Policies Domestic First Term Second Term Economy First Term tax cuts tariffs USMCA farmer bailouts Second Term One Big Beautiful Bill Act tariffs China Canada and Mexico Liberation Day TACO Environment Paris Agreement withdrawal America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 Foreign policy First Term Syria strikes 2017 2018 Kosovo–Serbia agreements Second Term Russian invasion of Ukraine Putin phone call Saudi Arabia meeting Zelenskyy Oval Office meeting minerals agreement peace talks Putin summits Alaska Budapest White House multilateral meeting on Ukraine Peace plan for Ukraine Armenia–Azerbaijan agreement Kuala Lumpur accord America First American expansionism Greenland Proposed Venezuela invasion Afghanistan Afghanistan withdrawal Taliban deal Iran First Term nuclear deal withdrawal Second Term Iran negotiations Iran–Israel war June 2025 strikes Iran–Israel war ceasefire Iraq Soleimani Israel First Term Jerusalem recognition Golan Heights recognition Palestine peace plan Abraham Accords Second Term Gaza Strip takeover proposal Gaza peace plan Saudi Arabia 2017 arms deal Syria al-Baghdadi Immigration First Term Second Term travel ban border wall family separation policy migrant detentions deportation troop deployments national emergency Infrastructure Social issues First Step Act cannabis Space First Term Second Term COVID-19 pandemic Taskforce Communication Government response stimulus bills CARES Act Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 Operation Warp Speed Interference with science agencies Targeting of political opponents and civil society Trumpism Appointments ( firstsecond ) Cabinets first second Ambassadors first second Federal judges lower courts Supreme Court candidates Gorsuch Kavanaugh Barrett Executives first second U.S. Attorneys first second Presidential campaigns 2000 primaries 2016 election primaries endorsements rallies Las Vegas incident convention debates foreign policy Make America Great Again Never Trump movement people Access Hollywood tape wiretapping allegations Spygate 2020 election primaries endorsements political non-political opposition rallies convention debates GOP reactions to election fraud claims Raffensperger phone call 2024 election primaries endorsements opposition eligibility Agenda 47 rallies convention debates assassination attempts PA perpetrator photographs FL perpetrator Impeachments Efforts resolutions First impeachment Zelenskyy phone call Ukraine scandal House inquiry Senate trial Second impeachment Capitol attack Senate trial Proposed expungements Legal proceedings 2020 election federal indictment Classified documents federal indictment Special counsel investigation FBI investigation FBI Mar-a-Lago search Trump v. United States New York prosecution Stormy Daniels scandal New York investigations Georgia election indictment Georgia election investigation mug shot Seal of the President of the United States vte Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021. Born into a wealthy family in New York City, Trump graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics. He became the president of his family's real estate business in 1971, renamed it the Trump Organization, and began acquiring and building skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. He also launched side ventures, many licensing the Trump name, and filed for six business bankruptcies in the 1990s and 2000s. From 2004 to 2015, he hosted the reality television show The Apprentice, bolstering his fame as a billionaire. Presenting himself as a political outsider, Trump won the 2016 presidential election against Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton. During his first presidency, Trump imposed a travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries, expanded the Mexico–United States border wall, and enforced a family separation policy on the border. He rolled back environmental and business regulations, signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and appointed three Supreme Court justices. In foreign policy, Trump withdrew the U.S. from agreements on climate, trade, and Iran's nuclear program, and initiated a trade war with China. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020, he downplayed its severity, contradicted health officials, and signed the CARES Act. After losing the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, Trump attempted to overturn the result, culminating in the January 6 Capitol attack in 2021. He was impeached in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and in 2021 for incitement of insurrection; the Senate acquitted him both times. In 2023, Trump was found liable in civil cases for sexual abuse and defamation and for business fraud. He was found guilty of falsifying business records in 2024, making him the first U.S. president convicted of a felony. After winning the 2024 presidential election against then-Vice President Kamala Harris, he was sentenced to a penalty-free discharge, and two felony indictments against him for retention of classified documents and obstruction of the 2020 election were dismissed without prejudice. Trump began his second presidency by initiating mass layoffs of federal workers. He imposed tariffs on nearly all countries at the highest level since the Great Depression and signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. His administration's actions—including targeting of political opponents and civil society, restrictions on transgender rights, deportations of immigrants, and extensive use of executive orders—have drawn over 300 lawsuits challenging the legality and constitutionality of the actions. Since 2015, Trump's leadership style and political agenda—often referred to as Trumpism—have reshaped the Republican Party's identity. Many of his comments and actions have been characterized as racist or misogynistic, and he has made false or misleading statements and promoted conspiracy theories to a degree unprecedented in American politics. Trump's actions, especially in his second term, have been described as authoritarian and contributing to democratic backsliding. After his first term, scholars and historians ranked him as one of the worst presidents in American history. Early life and education Main article: Early life and education of Donald Trump A black-and-white photograph of Trump as a teenager, smiling, wearing a dark pseudo-military uniform with three ribbons and a white shoulder strap At New York Military Academy, 1964 Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at Jamaica Hospital in the New York City borough of Queens, the fourth child of Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump.[1] He is of German and Scottish descent.[2] He grew up with his older siblings, Maryanne, Fred Jr., and Elizabeth, and his younger brother, Robert, in a 23-room mansion in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood of Queens.[3] Fred Trump paid his children each about $20,000 a year, equivalent to $265,000 a year in 2024. Trump was a millionaire in inflation-adjusted dollars by age eight.[4] Trump attended the private Kew-Forest School through seventh grade. He was a difficult child and showed an early interest in his father's business. His father enrolled him in New York Military Academy, a private boarding school, from eighth to twelfth grade.[5] The academy pushed students into sports[6] and taught the imperative of winning.[7] Trump considered a show business career but instead, to be closer to home, enrolled at Fordham University in 1964.[8] He participated in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program during his first year, attending classes in a military uniform every Wednesday, but dropped it in his second year.[9] He dropped football after three or four weeks and was a mediocre squash and tennis player.[10] His Fordham friends introduced him to golf.[11] His junior year, he transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, most often commuting to his father's office on weekends, and graduating in May 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics.[12][13] He was not the top student he sometimes claimed to be.[14][a] By the time he went to Wharton—where he does not appear in a list of those receiving honors[b]—he was eyeing a career in real estate.[16] He was exempted from the draft during the Vietnam War due to a claim of bone spurs in his heels.[17] Growing up, he regarded his father and the family's pastor, Norman Vincent Peale,[18] as mentors.[19] His father told him repeatedly that he was "a king" and to be "a killer".[20] Business career Main article: Business career of Donald Trump Further information: Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia, Tax returns of Donald Trump, and The Trump Organization Real estate Starting in 1968, Trump was employed at Trump Management, his father's real estate company,[21] which managed the middle-class apartment complexes Fred had built in Queens, Staten Island, and Brooklyn.[22] His main tasks were collecting rent and making repairs[23] for about five years.[24] Captivated by its glamor and riches,[25] Trump asked his father to expand to Manhattan where prices were higher, but his father was content in the outer boroughs.[24] In 1971, he moved to Manhattan where he planned to move the business[26] and commuted to his father's office.[27] That year, his father made himself chairman and Trump president, overseeing 48 private corporations and 15 family partnerships.[16] Trump began using the Trump Organization as an umbrella for the corporate names of his father's businesses.[28] Roy Cohn, Trump's most important early influence after his father,[29] was his fixer, lawyer, and mentor[30] for 13 years in the 1970s and 1980s.[31] Cohn taught Trump to think that life is transactional.[32] In 1973, Cohn helped Trump countersue the U.S. government for $100 million (equivalent to $708 million in 2024[33]) over its charges that Trump's properties had discriminated against Black applicants and tenants. Trump's counterclaims were dismissed, and the government's case was settled with the Trumps signing a consent decree agreeing to desegregate. Four years later, the Trumps again faced the courts when they were found in contempt of the decree.[34] Helping Trump projects,[35] Cohn was a consigliere whose Mafia connections controlled construction unions.[36] In 1979, Cohn introduced political consultant Roger Stone to Trump, who enlisted Stone's services to deal with the federal government.[37] Trump moved from his studio to a penthouse with a view and got a real estate broker's license in the mid-1970s.[38] Before age thirty, he showed his propensity for litigation, no matter the outcome and cost; even when he lost, he described the case as a win.[39] Over three decades as of 2018, Trump had been involved in more than 4,000 lawsuits,[40] liens, and other filings, often filed for nonpayment against him by employees, contractors, real estate brokers, and his own attorneys.[41] Between 1991 and 2009, Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for six of his businesses: the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, the casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and the Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts company.[42][43] In 1992, Trump, his siblings Maryanne, Elizabeth, and Robert, and his cousin John W. Walter formed All County Building Supply & Maintenance Corp, each with a 20 percent share. The company had no offices and is alleged to have been a shell company for paying the vendors providing services and supplies for Trump's rental units, then billing those services and supplies to Trump Management with markups of 20–50 percent and more. The owners shared the proceeds generated by the markups. The increased costs were used to get state approval for increasing the rents of his rent-stabilized units. In January 1994, the siblings formed Apartment Management Associates and took over the management fees formerly collected by Trump Management. As well as inflating rents, the schemes served to transfer assets from Fred Trump to his children and nephew and lower the tax burden.[44] Manhattan and Chicago developments In 1985 with a model of one of his aborted Manhattan development projects[45] Trump attracted public attention in 1978 with the launch of his family's first Manhattan venture: the renovation of the derelict Commodore Hotel, adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.[46] The financing was facilitated by a $400 million city property tax abatement arranged for him by his father who also, jointly with Hyatt, guaranteed a $70 million bank construction loan.[47][48] The hotel reopened in 1980 as the Grand Hyatt Hotel,[49] and that same year, he obtained rights to develop Trump Tower, a mixed-use skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan.[50] The building houses the headquarters of the Trump Corporation and Trump's PAC and was his primary residence until 2019.[51] In 1988, Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel with a loan from a consortium of 16 banks.[52] The hotel filed for bankruptcy protection in 1992, and a reorganization plan was approved a month later, with the banks taking control of the property.[53] In 1995, Trump defaulted on over $3 billion of bank loans, and the lenders seized the Plaza Hotel along with most of his other properties in a "vast and humiliating restructuring" that allowed him to avoid personal bankruptcy.[54][55] The lead bank's attorney said of the banks' decision that they "all agreed that he'd be better alive than dead".[54] In 1996, Trump acquired and renovated the mostly vacant 71-story skyscraper at 40 Wall Street, later rebranded as the Trump Building.[56] In the early 1990s, he won the right to develop a 70-acre (28 ha) tract in the Lincoln Square neighborhood near the Hudson River. Struggling with debt from other ventures in 1994, he sold most of his interest in the project to Asian investors, who financed the project's completion, Riverside South.[57] Trump's last major construction project was the 92-story mixed-use Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, which opened in 2008. In 2024, The New York Times and ProPublica reported that the Internal Revenue Service was investigating whether he had twice written off losses incurred through construction cost overruns and lagging sales of residential units in the building he had declared to be worthless on his 2008 tax return.[58] Atlantic City casinos The entrance of the Trump Taj Mahal, a casino in Atlantic City. It has motifs evocative of the Taj Mahal in India. Entrance of the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City In 1984, Trump opened Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a hotel and casino, with financing and management help from the Holiday Corporation.[59] It was unprofitable, and he paid Holiday $70 million in May 1986 to take sole control.[60] In 1985, he bought the unopened Atlantic City Hilton Hotel and renamed it Trump's Castle.[61][62] Both casinos filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1992.[63] Trump bought a third Atlantic City venue in 1988, the Trump Taj Mahal. It was financed with $675 million in junk bonds and completed for $1.1 billion, opening in April 1990.[59] He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1991. Under the provisions of the restructuring agreement, he gave up half his initial stake and personally guaranteed future performance.[64] To reduce his $900 million of personal debt, he sold the Trump Shuttle airline; his megayacht, the Trump Princess, which had been leased to his casinos and kept docked; and other businesses.[65] In 1995, Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of the Trump Plaza.[66] THCR purchased the Taj Mahal and the Trump Castle in 1996 and went bankrupt in 2004 and 2009, leaving him with 10 percent ownership.[59] He remained chairman until 2009.[67] Golf clubs In 1985, Trump acquired the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.[68] In 1995, he converted the estate into a private club with an initiation fee and annual dues. He continued to use a wing of the house as a private residence.[69] He declared the club his primary residence in 2019.[51] He began building and buying golf courses in 1999, owning 17 golf courses by 2016.[70] Licensing the Trump name See also: List of things named after Donald Trump The Trump Organization often licensed the Trump name for consumer products and services, including foodstuffs, apparel, learning courses, and home furnishings.[71] Over 50 licensing or management deals involved Trump's name, generating at least $59 million for his companies.[72] By 2018, only two consumer goods companies continued to license his name.[71] During the 2000s, Trump licensed his name to residential property developments worldwide, 40 of which were never built.[73] Side ventures See also: Donald Trump and American football Trump, Doug Flutie, and New Jersey Generals head coach Walt Michaels standing behind a lectern with big, round New Jersey Generals sign, with members of the press seated in the background 1985 New Jersey Generals press conference in Trump Tower In 1970, Trump invested $70,000 of his father's wealth to receive billing as coproducer of a Broadway comedy—and lost the money.[74] After making low-ball bids for the New York Mets and the Cleveland Indians baseball teams, in 1983 for about $6 million, he purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the United States Football League.[75] The league folded after the 1985 season, largely due to his attempt to move to a fall schedule (when it would have competed with the National Football League for audience) and his attempt to force a merger with the NFL by bringing an antitrust suit.[76] Trump and his Plaza Hotel hosted several boxing matches at the Atlantic City Convention Hall.[59][77] In 1989 and 1990, he lent his name to the Tour de Trump cycling stage race, an attempt to create an American equivalent of European races such as the Tour de France or the Giro d'Italia.[78] From 1986 to 1988, he purchased significant blocks of shares in various public companies while suggesting that he intended to take over the company and then sold his shares for a profit,[79] leading some observers to think he was engaged in greenmail.[80] The New York Times found that he initially made millions of dollars in such stock transactions, but "lost most, if not all, of those gains after investors stopped taking his takeover talk seriously".[79] A red star with a bronze outline and "Donald Trump" and a TV icon written on it in bronze, embedded in a black terrazzo sidewalk Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame In 1988, Trump purchased the Eastern Air Lines Shuttle, financing the purchase with $380 million (equivalent to $1.01 billion in 2024[33]) in loans from a syndicate of 22 banks. He renamed the airline Trump Shuttle and operated it until 1992.[81] He defaulted on his loans in 1991, and ownership passed to the banks.[82] In 1996, he purchased the Miss Universe pageants, including Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.[83] Due to disagreements with CBS about scheduling, he took both pageants to NBC in 2002.[84][85] In 2007, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work as producer of Miss Universe.[86] NBC and Univision dropped the pageants in June 2015 in reaction to his comments about Mexican immigrants.[87] In 2005, Trump cofounded Trump University, a company that sold real estate seminars for up to $35,000. After New York State authorities notified the company that its use of "university" violated state law (as it was not an academic institution), its name was changed to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative in 2010.[88] In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40 million civil suit against Trump University, alleging that the company made false statements and defrauded consumers. Additionally, two class actions were filed in federal court against Trump and his companies. Internal documents revealed that employees were instructed to use a hard-sell approach, and former employees testified that Trump University had defrauded or lied to its students.[89] Shortly after he won the 2016 presidential election, he agreed to pay a total of $25 million to settle the three cases.[90] Foundation Main article: Donald J. Trump Foundation The Donald J. Trump Foundation was a private foundation established in 1988.[91] From 1987 to 2006, Trump gave his foundation $5.4 million, which had been spent by the end of 2006. After donating a total of $65,000 in 2007–2008, he stopped donating any personal funds to the charity,[92] which received millions from other donors, including $5 million from Vince McMahon.[93] The foundation gave to health- and sports-related charities, conservative groups,[94] and charities that held events at Trump properties.[92] In 2016, The Washington Post reported that the charity had committed several potential legal and ethical violations, including self-dealing and tax evasion.[95] Also in 2016, the New York attorney general stated the foundation had violated state law by soliciting donations without submitting to required annual external audits and ordered it to cease its fundraising activities in New York immediately.[96] Trump's team announced in December 2016 that the foundation would be dissolved.[97] In June 2018, the New York attorney general's office filed a civil suit against the foundation, Trump, and his adult children, seeking $2.8 million in restitution and additional penalties.[98] In December 2018, the foundation ceased operation and disbursed its assets to other charities.[99] In November 2019, a New York state judge ordered Trump to pay $2 million to a group of charities for misusing the foundation's funds, in part to finance his presidential campaign.[100] Legal affairs and bankruptcies Main article: Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump According to a review of state and federal court files conducted by USA Today in 2018, Trump and his businesses had been involved in more than 4,000 state and federal legal actions.[40] While he has not filed for personal bankruptcy, his over-leveraged hotel and casino businesses in Atlantic City and New York filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection six times between 1991 and 2009.[43] They continued to operate while the banks restructured debt and reduced his shares in the properties.[43] During the 1980s, more than 70 banks had lent Trump $4 billion.[101] After his corporate bankruptcies of the early 1990s, most major banks, with the exception of Deutsche Bank, declined to lend to him.[102] After the January 6 Capitol attack, the bank decided not to do business with him or his affiliated company in the future.[103] Wealth Main article: Wealth of Donald Trump Ivana Trump and King Fahd shake hands, with Ronald Reagan standing next to them smiling Trump (rightmost) and wife Ivana at a 1985 state dinner for King Fahd of Saudi Arabia with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan Trump has said he began his career with "a small loan of a million dollars" from his father and that he had to pay it back with interest.[104] He borrowed at least $60 million from his father, largely did not repay the loans, and received another $413 million (2018 equivalent, adjusted for inflation) from his father's company.[105][44] Posing as a Trump Organization official named "John Barron", Trump called journalist Jonathan Greenberg in 1984, trying to get a higher ranking on the Forbes 400 list of wealthy Americans.[106] Trump self-reported his net worth over a wide range: from minus $900 million in 1990[107] to $10 billion in 2015.[108] In 2015, Forbes estimated his net worth at $4.5 billion, based on interviews with more than 80 sources.[109] In 2025, the magazine estimated his net worth at $5.1 billion and ranked him the 700th wealthiest person in the world.[110] Media career Main article: Media career of Donald Trump See also: Bibliography of Donald Trump Trump has published 19 books under his name, most written or cowritten by ghostwriters.[111] His first book, The Art of the Deal (1987), was a New York Times Best Seller, and was credited by The New Yorker with making Trump famous as an "emblem of the successful tycoon".[112] The book was ghostwritten by Tony Schwartz, who is credited as a coauthor. Trump had cameos in many films and television shows from 1985 to 2001.[113] Trump acquired his style of politics from professional wrestling—with its staged fights and name-calling.[114] He sporadically appeared for the professional wrestling company WWE from the late 1980s including WrestleMania 23 in 2007.[115][116] Starting in the 1990s, Trump appeared 24 times as a guest on the nationally syndicated Howard Stern Show.[117] He had his own short-form talk radio program, Trumped!,  from 2004 to 2008.[118] From 2011 until 2015, he was a guest commentator on Fox & Friends.[119] In 2021, Trump, who had been a member since 1989, resigned from SAG-AFTRA to avoid a disciplinary hearing regarding the January 6 attack.[120] Two days later, the union permanently barred him.[121] The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice Main articles: The Apprentice (American TV series) and The Celebrity Apprentice Producer Mark Burnett made Trump a television star[122] when he created The Apprentice, which Trump hosted from 2004 to 2015 (including variant The Celebrity Apprentice). On the shows, he was a superrich chief executive who eliminated contestants with the catchphrase "you're fired". The New York Times called his portrayal "a highly flattering, highly fictionalized version" of himself.[123] The shows remade Trump's image for millions of viewers nationwide.[123][124] With the related licensing agreements, they earned him more than $400 million.[125] Early political aspirations Further information: Political career of Donald Trump Trump registered as a Republican in Queens in 1969 and in Manhattan in 1987;[16][126] a member of the Independence Party, the New York state affiliate of the Reform Party, in 1999; a Democrat in 2001; a Republican in 2009; unaffiliated in 2011; and a Republican in 2012.[127] Trump, leaning heavily onto a lectern, with his mouth open mid-speech and a woman clapping next to him Speaking at CPAC, February 2011 In 1987, Trump placed full-page advertisements in major newspapers[128] expressing his views on foreign policy and how to eliminate the federal budget deficit.[129] In 1988, he approached Lee Atwater, asking to be put into consideration to be Republican nominee George H. W. Bush's running mate. Bush found the request "strange and unbelievable".[130][131] Trump was a candidate in the 2000 Reform Party presidential primaries for three months before he withdrew in February 2000.[132][133][134] In 2011, Trump considered challenging President Barack Obama in the 2012 election. He spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February and gave speeches in states with early primaries.[135][136] In May 2011, he announced that he would not run.[135] 2016 presidential election Main article: 2016 United States presidential election Further information: Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign, 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, and First presidential transition of Donald Trump Trump announced his candidacy for the 2016 election in June 2015.[137][138] He campaigned as a rich, successful businessman and an outsider without political experience,[139][140][141] and claimed media bias against him.[142][143] His campaign statements were often opaque and suggestive,[144] and a record number were false.[145][146][147] He became the Republican front-runner in March 2016[148] and was declared the presumptive Republican nominee in May.[149] Trump speaking in front of an American flag behind a lectern, wearing a black suit and red hat. The lectern sports a blue "TRUMP" sign. Campaigning in Arizona, March 2016 Trump described NATO as "obsolete"[150][151] and espoused views described by The Washington Post as noninterventionist and protectionist.[152] His campaign platform emphasized renegotiating U.S.–China relations and free trade agreements such as NAFTA and strongly enforcing immigration laws. Other campaign positions included pursuing energy independence while opposing climate change regulations, modernizing services for veterans, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, abolishing Common Core education standards, investing in infrastructure, simplifying the tax code while reducing taxes, and imposing tariffs on imports by companies that offshore jobs. He advocated increasing military spending and extreme vetting or banning of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.[153] He promised to build a wall on the Mexico–U.S. border and vowed that Mexico would pay for it.[154] He pledged to deport millions of illegal immigrants residing in the U.S.,[155] and criticized birthright citizenship for incentivizing "anchor babies".[156] According to an analysis in Political Science Quarterly, Trump made "explicitly racist and sexist appeals to win over white voters" during his 2016 presidential campaign.[157] In particular, his campaign launch speech drew criticism for claiming Mexican immigrants were "bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists";[158] in response, NBC fired him from Celebrity Apprentice.[159] Trump's FEC-required reports listed assets above $1.4 billion and outstanding debts of at least $315 million.[160][161] He did not release his tax returns, contrary to the practice of every major candidate since 1976 and his promises in 2014 and 2015 to do so if he ran for office.[162][163] He said his tax returns were being audited, and that his lawyers had advised him against releasing them.[164] After a lengthy court battle to block release of his tax returns and other records to the Manhattan district attorney for a criminal investigation, including two appeals by Trump to the U.S. Supreme Court, in February 2021 the high court allowed the records to be released to the prosecutor for review by a grand jury.[165][166] In October 2016, portions of Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from The New York Times. They show that he had declared a loss of $916 million that year, which could have let him avoid taxes for up to 18 years.[167] Trump won the election with 306 pledged electoral votes versus 232 for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. After elector defections on both sides, the official count was 304 to 227.[168] The fifth person to be elected president despite losing the popular vote,[c] he received nearly 2.9 million fewer votes than Clinton, 46.3% to her 48.25%.[169] He was the only president who neither served in the military nor held any government office prior to becoming president.[170] His election marked the return of a Republican undivided government.[d][171] Trump's victory sparked protests in major U.S. cities.[172][173] First presidency (2017–2021) Main article: First presidency of Donald Trump For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the Donald Trump presidencies. Trump, with his family watching, raises his right hand and places his left hand on the Bible as he takes the oath of office. Roberts stands opposite him administering the oath Taking the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., on January 20, 2017 A head-and-shoulders portrait of Trump beaming in front of the U.S. flag, wearing a dark blue suit jacket with American flag lapel pin, white shirt, and light blue necktie. Official portrait, 2017 Early actions See also: First 100 days of the first Trump presidency Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017. The day after his inauguration, an estimated 2.6 million people worldwide, including 500,000 in Washington, D.C., protested against him in the Women's Marches.[174] During his first week in office, Trump signed six executive orders, including authorizing procedures for repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, advancement of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline projects, and planning for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.[175] Conflicts of interest See also: First presidency of Donald Trump § Ethics Before being inaugurated, Trump moved his businesses into a revocable trust,[176][177] rather than a blind trust or equivalent arrangement "to cleanly sever himself from his business interests".[178] He continued to profit from his businesses and knew how his administration's policies affected them.[177][179] Although he said he would eschew "new foreign deals", the Trump Organization pursued operational expansions in Scotland, Dubai, and the Dominican Republic.[177][179] Lobbyists, foreign government officials, and Trump donors and allies generated hundreds of millions of dollars for his resorts and hotels.[180] Trump was sued for violating the Domestic and Foreign Emoluments Clauses of the U.S. Constitution, the first time that the clauses had been substantively litigated.[181] One case was dismissed in lower court.[182] Two were dismissed by the Supreme Court as moot after his term.[183] During the campaign, Trump had pledged to donate his presidential salary[184] and profits from foreign patronage[185] to the U.S. government. He donated his salary to federal agencies and publicized each donation until July 2020. Federal agencies surveyed by The Washington Post in July 2021 reported not having received any gifts after that month.[186] Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington reported in 2024 that he had donated $448,000 of an estimated $13.6 million in payments from foreign governments in his first term.[187] Domestic policy Main articles: Domestic policy of the first Trump administration, Economic policy of the first Trump administration, Environmental policy of the first Trump administration, and Social policy of the first Trump administration Trump took office at the height of the longest economic expansion in American history,[188] which began in 2009 and continued until February 2020, when the COVID-19 recession began.[189] In December 2017, he signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. It reduced tax rates for businesses and individuals and eliminated the penalty associated with the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate.[190][191] The Trump administration claimed that the act would not decrease government revenue, but 2018 revenues were 7.6 percent lower than projected.[192] Under Trump, the federal budget deficit increased by almost 50 percent, to nearly $1 trillion in 2019.[193] By the end of his term, the U.S. national debt increased by 39 percent, reaching $27.75 trillion, and the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio hit a post-World War II high.[194] Trump also failed to deliver on his campaign promise of a $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan.[195] He rejects the scientific consensus on climate change.[196] He reduced the budget for renewable energy research by 40 percent and reversed Obama-era policies directed at curbing climate change.[197] He withdrew from the Paris Agreement, making the U.S. the only nation to not ratify it.[198] He aimed to boost the production and exports of fossil fuels.[199][200] Natural gas expanded under Trump, but coal continued to decline.[201][202] He rolled back more than 100 federal environmental regulations, including those that curbed greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and the use of toxic substances. He weakened protections for animals and environmental standards for federal infrastructure projects, and expanded permitted areas for drilling and resource extraction, such as allowing drilling in the Arctic Refuge.[203] Trump dismantled federal regulations on health,[204][205] labor,[205] the environment,[206][205] and other areas, including a bill that revoked the Obama-era regulation restricting the sale of firearms to severely mentally ill people.[207] During his first six weeks in office, he delayed, suspended, or reversed ninety federal regulations,[208] often "after requests by the regulated industries".[209] The Institute for Policy Integrity found that 78 percent of his proposals were blocked by courts or did not prevail over litigation.[210] During his campaign, Trump vowed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.[211] In office, he scaled back the Act's implementation through executive orders.[212][213] He expressed a desire to "let Obamacare fail"; his administration halved the enrollment period and drastically reduced funding for enrollment promotion.[214][215] In June 2018, the Trump administration joined 18 Republican-led states in arguing before the Supreme Court that the elimination of the financial penalties associated with the individual mandate had rendered the Act unconstitutional.[216][217] Their pleading would have eliminated health insurance coverage for up to 23 million Americans, but was unsuccessful.[216] During the 2016 campaign, Trump promised to protect funding for Medicare and other social safety-net programs. In January 2020, he expressed willingness to consider cuts to them.[218] In response to the opioid epidemic, Trump signed legislation in 2018 to increase funding for drug treatments, but was widely criticized for failing to make a concrete strategy.[219] He barred organizations that provide abortions or abortion referrals from receiving federal funds.[220] He said he supported "traditional marriage", but considered the nationwide legality of same-sex marriage "settled".[221] His administration rolled back key components of the Obama administration's workplace protections against discrimination of LGBTQ people.[222] His attempted rollback of anti-discrimination protections for transgender patients in August 2020 was halted by a federal judge after a Supreme Court ruling extended employees' civil rights protections to gender identity and sexual orientation.[223] Trump has said he is opposed to gun control, although his views have shifted over time.[224] His administration took an anti-marijuana position, revoking Obama-era policies that provided protections for states that legalized marijuana.[225] He is a long-time advocate of capital punishment,[226][227] and his administration oversaw the federal government execute 13 prisoners, more than in the previous 56 years combined, ending a 17-year moratorium.[228] In 2016, he said he supported the use of interrogation torture methods "a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding".[229][230] Race relations Unite the Right rally comments Trump's comments on the 2017 Unite the Right rally, condemning "this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides" and stating that there were "very fine people on both sides", were criticized as implying a moral equivalence between the white supremacist demonstrators and the counter-protesters.[231] In a January 2018 discussion of immigration legislation, he reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African nations as "shithole countries".[232] His remarks were condemned as racist.[233] With a group of officials and advisors walking from the White House to St. John's Church, following the forced removal of protesters at Lafayette Square In July 2019, Trump tweeted that four Democratic congresswomen—all minorities, three of whom are native-born Americans—should "go back" to the countries they "came from".[234] Two days later the House of Representatives voted 240–187, mostly along party lines, to condemn his "racist comments".[235] White nationalist publications and social media praised his remarks, which continued over the following days.[236] He continued to make similar remarks during his 2020 campaign.[237] In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, federal law-enforcement officials used tear gas and other crowd control tactics to remove a largely peaceful crowd of lawful protesters from Lafayette Square, outside the White House.[238][239] Trump then posed with a Bible for a photo-op at the nearby St. John's Episcopal Church,[238][240][241] with religious leaders condemning both the treatment of protesters and the photo opportunity itself.[242] Many retired military leaders and defense officials condemned his proposal to use the U.S. military against anti-police-brutality protesters.[243] Pardons and commutations Further information: List of people granted executive clemency in the first Trump presidency During his first term, Trump granted 237 requests for clemency, fewer than all presidents since 1900 with the exception of George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.[244] Only 25 of them had been vetted by the Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney; the others were granted to people with personal or political connections to him, his family, and his allies, or recommended by celebrities.[245][246] In his last full day in office, he granted 73 pardons and commuted 70 sentences.[247] Several Trump allies were not eligible for pardons under Justice Department rules, and in other cases the department had opposed clemency.[245] The pardons of three military service members convicted of or charged with violent crimes were opposed by military leaders.[248] Immigration and family separation Main articles: Immigration policy of the first Trump administration and Mexico–United States border crisis § First Trump administration (2017–2021) Further information: Travel bans under the Trump administrations, Trump administration family separation policy, and Mexico–United States border wall § First Trump administration (2017–2021) As president, Trump described illegal immigration as an "invasion" of the United States[249] and drastically escalated immigration enforcement.[250][251] He implemented harsh policies against asylum seekers[251] and deployed nearly 6,000 troops to the U.S.–Mexico border to stop illegal crossings.[252] He reduced the number of refugees admitted to record lows, from an annual limit of 110,000 before he took office to 15,000 in 2021.[253][254][255] Trump also increased restrictions on granting permanent residency to immigrants needing public benefits.[256] One of his central campaign promises was to build a wall along the U.S.–Mexico border;[257] during his first term, the U.S. built 73 miles (117 km) of wall in areas without barriers and 365 miles (587 km) to replace older barriers.[258] In 2018, Trump's refusal to sign any spending bill unless it allocated funding for the border wall[259] resulted in the longest-ever federal government shutdown, for 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019.[260][261] The shutdown ended after he agreed to fund the government without any funds for the wall.[260] To avoid another shutdown, Congress passed a funding bill with $1.4 billion for border fencing in February.[262] Trump later declared a national emergency on the southern border to divert $6.1 billion of funding to the border wall[262] despite congressional disagreement.[263] In January 2017, Trump signed an executive order that denied entry to citizens from six Muslim-majority countries for four months and from Syria indefinitely.[264][265] The order caused many protests and legal challenges that resulted in nationwide injunctions.[264][265][266] A revised order giving some exceptions was also blocked by courts,[267][268] but the Supreme Court ruled in June that the ban could be enforced on those lacking "a bona fide relationship with a person or entity" in the U.S.[269] Trump replaced the ban in September with a presidential proclamation extending travel bans to North Koreans, Chadians, and some Venezuelan officials, but excluded Iraq and Sudan.[270] The Supreme Court allowed that version to go into effect in December 2017,[271] and ultimately upheld the ban in 2019.[272] Children, sleeping mats, and foil blankets in wire mesh compartment, Ursula detention facility, June 2018 From 2017 to 2018, the Trump administration had a policy of family separation that separated over 4,400 children, some as young as four months old,[273] from migrant parents at the U.S.–Mexico border.[274][275] The unprecedented[276] policy sparked public outrage in the country.[277] Despite Trump initially blaming Democrats[278][279] and insisting he could not stop the policy with an executive order, he acceded to public pressure in June 2018 and mandated that illegal immigrant families be detained together unless "there is a concern" of risk for the child.[280][281] A judge later ordered that the families be reunited and further separations stopped except in limited circumstances,[282][283] though over 1,000 additional children were separated from their families after the order.[275] By April 2024, 1,360 children had not been confirmed as reunified with their families.[273] Foreign policy Main articles: Foreign policy of the first Trump administration and Tariffs in the first Trump administration Further information: Russia–United States relations § First Trump administration (2017–2021), China–United States relations § First Trump administration (2017–2021), 2017–2018 North Korea crisis, and 2018–19 Korean peace process A group of seven men and one woman, sitting at a round conference table. Trump wears a dark blue suit, white dress shirt, and light blue necktie. A small sign reading "G7 France Biarritz 2019" hangs on the wall behind them. G7 leaders at the 45th summit in France, 2019 Trump described himself as a "nationalist"[284] and his foreign policy as "America First".[285] He supported populist, neo-nationalist, and authoritarian governments.[286] Unpredictability, uncertainty, and inconsistency characterized foreign relations during his tenure.[285][287] Relations between the U.S. and its European allies were strained under Trump.[288] He criticized NATO allies and privately suggested that the U.S. should withdraw from NATO.[289][290] Trump supported many of the policies of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[291] In 2020, Trump hosted the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to normalize their foreign relations.[292] Shaking hands with Russian president Vladimir Putin during the 2018 summit in Helsinki, Finland Trump began a trade war with China in 2018 after imposing tariffs and other trade barriers he said would force China to end longstanding unfair trade practice and intellectual property infringement.[293] Trump weakened the toughest U.S. sanctions imposed after the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea.[294][295] Trump praised and, according to some critics, rarely criticized Russian president Vladimir Putin,[296][297] though he opposed some actions of Russia's government.[298] He withdrew the U.S. from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, citing alleged Russian noncompliance,[299] and supported Russia's possible return to the G7.[300] As North Korea's nuclear weapons were increasingly seen as a serious threat,[301] Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader, meeting Kim Jong Un three times: in Singapore in June 2018, in Hanoi in February 2019, and in the Korean Demilitarized Zone in June 2019.[302] Talks in October 2019 broke down and no denuclearization agreement was reached.[303][304] Personnel Main articles: Political appointments of the first Trump administration and First cabinet of Donald Trump Further information: Hiring and personnel of Donald Trump By the end of Trump's first year in office, 34 percent of his original staff had resigned, been fired, or been reassigned.[305] By July 2018, 61 percent of his senior aides had left[306] and 141 staffers had left in the previous year.[307] Both figures set a record for recent presidents.[308] Close personal aides to Trump quit or were forced out.[309] He publicly disparaged several of his former top officials.[310] Trump had four White House chiefs of staff, marginalizing or pushing out several.[311] In May 2017, he dismissed FBI director James Comey, saying a few days later that he was concerned about Comey's role in the Trump–Russia investigations.[312][313] Three of Trump's 15 original cabinet members left or were forced to resign within his first year.[314][309] Trump was slow to appoint second-tier officials in the executive branch, saying many of the positions are unnecessary. In October 2017, there were hundreds of sub-cabinet positions without a nominee.[315] By January 8, 2019, of 706 key positions, 433 had been filled and he had no nominee for 264.[316] Judiciary Further information: List of federal judges appointed by Donald Trump and Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies Trump appointed 226 federal judges, including 54 to the courts of appeals and three to the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.[317] His Supreme Court appointments politically shifted the Court to the right.[318][319][320] In the 2016 campaign, he pledged that Roe v. Wade would be overturned "automatically" if he were elected and given the opportunity to appoint two or three anti-abortion justices. He later took credit when Roe was overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022; all three of his Supreme Court nominees voted with the majority.[321][322] Trump disparaged courts and judges he disagreed with, often in personal terms, and questioned the judiciary's constitutional authority. His attacks on courts drew rebukes from observers, including sitting federal judges, concerned about the effect of his statements on the judicial independence and public confidence in the judiciary.[323][324] COVID-19 pandemic Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Further information: U.S. federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Communication of the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic See also: Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Trump speaks in the West Wing briefing room with various officials standing behind him, all in formal attire and without face masks Conducting a COVID-19 press briefing with members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force on March 15, 2020 Trump initially ignored public health warnings and calls for action from health officials within his administration.[325] Trump established the White House Coronavirus Task Force on January 29.[326] On March 27, he signed into law the CARES Act—a $2.2 trillion bipartisan economic stimulus bill—the largest stimulus in U.S. history.[327][328] After weeks of attacks to draw attention away from his slow response, Trump halted funding of the World Health Organization in April.[329] In April 2020, Republican-connected groups organized anti-lockdown protests against the measures state governments were taking to combat the pandemic;[330][331] Trump encouraged the protests on Twitter,[332] although the targeted states did not meet his administration's guidelines for reopening.[333] He repeatedly pressured federal health agencies to take actions he favored,[334] such as approving unproven treatments.[335][336] In October, Trump was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three days with a severe case of COVID-19.[337] Investigations Further information: Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, Mueller special counsel investigation, and Mueller report After he assumed office, Trump was the subject of increasing Justice Department and congressional scrutiny, with investigations covering his election campaign, transition, and inauguration, actions taken during his presidency, his private businesses, personal taxes, and charitable foundation.[338] There were ten federal criminal investigations, eight state and local investigations, and twelve congressional investigations.[339] In July 2016, the FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane, an investigation into possible links between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign.[340] After Trump fired Comey in May 2017, the FBI opened a second investigation into Trump's personal and business dealings with Russia.[341] In January 2017, three U.S. intelligence agencies jointly stated with "high confidence" that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to favor Trump.[342][343] Many suspicious[344] links between Trump associates and Russian officials were discovered.[345][346][347] Trump told Russian officials he was unconcerned about Russia's election interference.[348] Crossfire Hurricane was later transferred to Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation;[349] the investigation into Trump's ties to Russia was ended by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after he told the FBI that Mueller would pursue the matter.[350][351] At the request of Rosenstein, the Mueller investigation examined criminal matters "in connection with Russia's 2016 election interference".[350] Mueller submitted his final report in March 2019.[352] The report found that Russia did interfere in 2016 to favor Trump[353] and that Trump and his campaign welcomed and encouraged the effort,[354][355][356] but that the evidence "did not establish" that Trump campaign members conspired or coordinated with Russia.[357][358] Trump claimed the report exonerated him despite Mueller writing that it did not.[359] The report also detailed potential obstruction of justice by Trump but "did not draw ultimate conclusions"[360][361] and left the decision to charge the laws to Congress.[362] In April 2019, the House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas seeking financial details from Trump's banks, Deutsche Bank and Capital One, and his accounting firm, Mazars USA. He sued the banks, Mazars, and committee chair Elijah Cummings to prevent the disclosures.[363] In May, two judges ruled that both Mazars and the banks must comply with the subpoenas;[364][365][366] Trump's attorneys appealed.[367] In September 2022, Trump and the committee agreed to a settlement regarding Mazars, and the firm began turning over documents.[368] Impeachments Main articles: First impeachment of Donald Trump and Second impeachment of Donald Trump Displaying the headline "Trump acquitted" in 2020 Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives, though acquitted by the Senate on both occasions. The first impeachment arose from a whistleblower complaint that in July 2019 Trump had pressured Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden,[369] in an attempt to gain an advantage in the 2020 presidential election.[370] In December 2019, the House voted to impeach Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress,[371] and the Senate acquitted him in February 2020.[372] The second impeachment came after the January 6 Capitol attack, for which the House charged Trump with incitement of insurrection on January 13, 2021.[373] Trump left office on January 20, and was acquitted on February 13. Seven Republican senators voted for conviction.[374] 2020 presidential election Further information: 2020 United States presidential election and Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign Trump filed to run for reelection only a few hours after becoming president in 2017.[375] He held his first reelection rally less than a month after taking office[376] and officially became the Republican nominee in August 2020.[377] Trump's campaign focused on crime, claiming that cities would descend into lawlessness if Democratic nominee Joe Biden won.[378] He repeatedly misrepresented Biden's positions[379][380] and appealed to racism.[381] Starting in early 2020, Trump sowed doubts about the election, claiming without evidence that it would be rigged and that widespread use of mail balloting would produce massive election fraud.[382][383] He blocked funding for the U.S. Postal Service, saying he wanted to prevent any increase in voting by mail.[384] He repeatedly refused to say whether he would accept the results if he lost and commit to a peaceful transition of power.[385][386] Loss to Biden and rejection of outcome Further information: Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election and 2020–21 United States election protests Joe Biden won the November 2020 election, receiving 81.3 million votes (51.3 percent) to Trump's 74.2 million (46.8 percent)[387][388] and 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232,[389] with the Electoral College formalizing Biden's victory on December 14.[389] Trump declared victory before the results were known on the morning after the election.[390] Days later, when Biden was projected the winner, Trump baselessly alleged election fraud.[391] As part of an effort to overturn the results, Trump and his allies filed many lawsuits challenging the results, which were rejected by at least 86 judges in both state and federal courts for having no factual or legal basis.[392][393] Trump's allegations were also refuted by state election officials,[394] and the Supreme Court declined to hear a case asking it to overturn the results in four states won by Biden.[395] Trump repeatedly sought help to overturn the results, personally pressuring Republican local and state office-holders,[396] Republican legislators,[397] the Justice Department,[398] and Vice President Pence,[399] urging actions such as replacing presidential electors,[397] or that Georgia officials "find" votes and announce a "recalculated" result.[396] He initially blocked government officials from cooperating in Biden's presidential transition.[400][401] After three weeks, the administrator of the General Services Administration declared Biden the "apparent winner" of the election, allowing the disbursement of transition resources to his team.[402] Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration on January 20.[403] January 6 Capitol attack Main article: January 6 United States Capitol attack In December 2020, reports emerged that U.S. military leaders were on high alert, and ranking officers had discussed what to do if Trump declared martial law.[404] CIA director Gina Haspel and Army general Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, grew concerned that Trump might attempt a coup or military action against China or Iran.[405][406] Milley insisted that he be consulted about any military orders from Trump, including the use of nuclear weapons.[407][408] A crowd of Trump supporters during the attack At noon on January 6, 2021, while Congress was certifying the presidential election results in the U.S. Capitol, Trump held a rally at the nearby Ellipse. Speaking from behind a glass barrier,[409] he called for the election to be overturned and urged his supporters to "fight like hell" and "take back our country" by marching to the Capitol.[410] His supporters then formed a mob that broke into the building, disrupting certification and causing the evacuation of Congress.[411] During the attack, Trump posted on social media but did not ask the rioters to disperse. In a tweet at 6 p.m., he told them to "go home with love & in peace", called them "great patriots", and restated that he had won the election.[412] Congress later reconvened and confirmed Biden's victory in the early hours of January 7.[413] More than 140 police officers were injured, and five people died during or after the attack.[414][415] The event has been described as an attempted self-coup by Trump.[e] Between presidencies (2021–2025) Upon leaving the White House, Trump began living at Mar-a-Lago, establishing an office there as provided for by the Former Presidents Act.[419] His continuing false claims concerning the 2020 election were commonly referred to as the "big lie" by his critics, although in May 2021, he and many of his supporters began using the term to refer to the election itself.[420][421] The Republican Party used his false claims about the election to justify imposing new voting restrictions in its favor.[422][423][424] He continued to pressure state legislators to overturn the election.[425] Unlike other former presidents, Trump continued to dominate his party; a 2022 profile in The New York Times described him as a modern party boss.[426] He continued fundraising, raising a war chest containing more than twice that of the Republican Party, and profited from fundraisers many Republican candidates held at Mar-a-Lago. Much of his focus was on party governance and installing in key posts officials loyal to him.[426] In the 2022 midterm elections, he endorsed over 200 candidates for various offices.[427] In February 2021, he registered a new company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), for providing "social networking services" to U.S. customers.[428][429] In March 2024, TMTG merged with special-purpose acquisition company Digital World Acquisition and became a public company.[430] In February 2022, TMTG launched Truth Social, a social media platform.[431] Legal issues See also: Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump and Legal affairs of the first Donald Trump presidency In 2019, journalist E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s and sued him for defamation over his denial.[432] Carroll sued him again in 2022 for battery and further defamation.[433] He was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation and ordered to pay $5 million in one case[434] and $83.3 million in the other.[435] Federal appeals courts upheld both findings and awards in December 2024 and September 2025, respectively.[436][435] In 2022, New York filed a civil lawsuit against Trump accusing him of inflating the Trump Organization's value to gain an advantage with lenders and banks.[437][438] He was found liable and ordered to pay nearly $355 million plus interest.[438] In August 2025, the appeals court upheld his liability and nonmonetary penalties, but voided the monetary penalty as excessive.[439] Classified intelligence material found during search of Mar-a-Lago In connection with Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his involvement in the January 6 attack, in December 2022 the U.S. House committee on the attack recommended criminal charges against him for obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and inciting or assisting an insurrection.[440] In August 2023, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, indicted him on 13 charges, including racketeering, for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election in the state.[441][442] The case was dismissed in November 2025 after the new prosecutor declined to pursue the charges.[443] In January 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of documents Trump had taken to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House, some of which were classified.[444] In the ensuing Justice Department investigation, officials retrieved more classified documents from his lawyers.[444] On August 8, 2022, FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago for illegally held documents, including those in breach of the Espionage Act, collecting 11 sets of classified documents, some marked top secret.[445][446] A federal grand jury constituted by Special Counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump in June 2023 on 31 counts of "willfully retaining national defense information" under the Espionage Act, among other charges.[444][447][448] Trump pleaded not guilty.[449] In July 2024, judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case, ruling Smith's appointment as special prosecutor was unconstitutional.[450] After his reelection, the 2020 election obstruction case and the classified documents case were dismissed without prejudice due to Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.[451] In May 2024, Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.[452] The case stemmed from evidence that he booked Michael Cohen's hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels as business expenses to cover up his alleged 2006–2007 affair with Daniels during the 2016 election.[452][453] On January 10, 2025, the judge gave Trump a no-penalty sentence known as an unconditional discharge, saying that punitive requirements would have interfered with presidential immunity.[454] 2024 presidential election Main article: 2024 United States presidential election Further information: Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign, 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries, and Second presidential transition of Donald Trump In November 2022, Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election and created a fundraising account.[455][456] In March 2023, the campaign began diverting ten percent of the donations to his leadership PAC. His campaign had paid $100 million towards his legal bills by March 2024.[457][458] During the campaign, Trump made increasingly violent and authoritarian statements.[459] He said that he would weaponize the FBI and the Justice Department against his political opponents[460][461] and use the military to target Democratic politicians and those that did not support his candidacy.[462][463] He used harsher and more dehumanizing anti-immigrant rhetoric than during his presidency.[464] His rhetoric, calling his political opponents "the enemy", vermin, and fascists, has been described by some historians and scholars as authoritarian, fascist,[465] and unlike anything a political candidate has ever said in American history.[466][463][467] Age and health concerns also arose during the campaign, with several medical experts highlighting an increase in rambling, tangential speech and behavioral disinhibition.[468] Trump mentioned "rigged election" and "election interference" earlier and more frequently than in the 2016 and 2020 campaigns and refused to commit to accepting the 2024 election results.[469][470] Analysts for The New York Times described this as an intensification of his "heads I win; tails you cheated" rhetorical strategy; the newspaper stated that the claim of a rigged election had become the backbone of the campaign.[470] On July 13, 2024, Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler Township, Pennsylvania.[471][472][473] Two days later, the 2024 Republican National Convention nominated him as their presidential candidate.[474] In September he was targeted but unharmed in an assassination attempt in Florida.[475] Trump won the election in November 2024 with 312 electoral votes to incumbent vice president Kamala Harris's 226.[476] He also won the popular vote with 49.8% to Harris's 48.3%.[477] His victory in 2024 was in large part due to the 2021–2023 inflation surge.[478][479] Several outlets described his reelection as an extraordinary comeback.[480][481] Second presidency (2025–present) Main article: Second presidency of Donald Trump For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the Donald Trump presidencies. Taking the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, January 20, 2025 Original portrait Trump began his second term upon his inauguration on January 20, 2025.[482] He became the oldest individual to assume the presidency,[483] the first president with a felony conviction, and the second person to serve two nonconsecutive terms as president.[484] His attempts to expand presidential power and conflict with the courts have been described as a defining characteristic of his second term.[485] Early actions, 2025–present See also: First 100 days of the second Trump presidency More than a month before the 100-day mark of Trump's second term, he had issued more executive orders than any other U.S. president's first 100 days.[486] Many of these tested his legal authority, and drew immediate legal action.[487] Four days into his second term, analysis conducted by Time found that nearly two-thirds of his executive actions "mirror or partially mirror" proposals from Project 2025.[488] In his first weeks, several of his actions ignored or violated federal laws, regulations, and the Constitution according to American legal scholars.[489][490][491] His orders and actions were challenged by over 300 lawsuits nationwide. By mid-November, 149 had been blocked or partially blocked, 102 left in effect, and 107 were pending.[492] Following legal setbacks, Trump increased his criticism of the judiciary and called for impeachment of federal judges who ruled against him.[493] By mid-July, a Washington Post analysis found he defied judges and the courts in roughly one third of all cases against him, actions which were described by legal experts as unprecedented for any presidential administration.[494] Multiple analyses conducted by academic scholars and The New York Times found that both Republican and Democratic judicial appointees have found numerous constitutional and statutory flaws with Trump administration policies.[495] His administration asserted a constitutional right to ignore federal law in its justification of several actions such as in his refusal to enforce a federal ban on TikTok, with legal experts describing it as claiming a "constitutional power to immunize private parties to commit otherwise illegal acts with impunity".[496][497][498] Conflicts of interest, 2025–present Further information: Second presidency of Donald Trump § Ethics, and Cryptocurrency in the second Trump presidency Trump's second presidency was described as having fewer guardrails against conflicts of interest than his first,[499] and breaking with decades of ethical norms.[500] He maintained a publicly traded company in Trump Media & Technology Group, and diversified it into financial services.[501] He pursued new overseas real estate deals involving state-affiliated entities, and had several branding and licensing deals selling Trump-branded merchandise.[499] He profited from events held at his hotels and golf courses and did not place his assets in a blind trust, as previous presidents had done.[502] In August 2025, Trump's mandatory disclosure of investment showed that, since taking office, he had made 690 purchases of municipal bonds and corporate stock totaling at least $103.7 million. Included was stock in companies affected by his changes to federal policies.[503] Trump launched, promoted, and personally benefited from two cryptocurrency tokens ("meme coins"), $Trump and $Melania.[504][505] He also directly benefited from his family's cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial, which engaged in an unprecedented mixing of private enterprise and government policy.[506] In July 2025, the Trump administration accepted a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar. The aircraft will serve as Air Force One until the end of his second term, when it will be transferred to his presidential library. The retrofitting as Air Force One is estimated to cost up to $1 billion.[507] Mass terminations of federal employees Main article: 2025 United States federal mass layoffs Trump implemented a hiring freeze across the federal government and ordered telework of federal employees to be discontinued within 30 days.[508][509] He ordered a review of many career civil service positions with the intention of reclassifying them into at-will positions without job protections.[509][510][511] He initiated mass job terminations of federal employees,[512] which were described by legal experts as unprecedented or in violation of federal law,[513] with the intent of replacing them with workers more aligned with his agenda.[514] By late February, the administration had fired more than 30,000 people.[515] To facilitate further terminations, it adopted a novel legal interpretation that vastly expands the range of departments and agencies considered as having national security for their primary function,[516][517][518] declaring various federal workers' unions "hostile".[519][520] A late March executive order based on this interpretation excluded dozens of departments and agencies from federal labor-management relations programs, prompting them to sue to invalidate their collective bargaining agreements,[521][518] which could remove union protections from one million federal employees.[519][522] He ordered an end to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) projects in the federal government and rescinded Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 Executive Order 11246, which had mandated that federal contractors take affirmative action to end racial discrimination.[523][524] Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency largely dismantled several federal agencies including USAID and the Department of Education, unilaterally fired several thousand staff, and reduced administrative functions to statutory minimums.[525][526][527] Some actions, such as attempts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were paused by federal courts.[528] Many of his actions attempted to bring historically independent institutions under direct executive branch control in diminished forms.[529] Targeting political opponents Main article: Targeting of political opponents and civil society under the second Trump administration During his second presidency, the Trump administration took a series of actions using the government to target political opponents and civil society. His actions were described by the media as part of his promised "retribution" and "revenge" campaign, within the context of a strongly personalist and leader-centered conception of politics.[530][512][531] He threatened, signed executive actions, and ordered investigations into his political opponents, critics, and organizations aligned with the Democratic Party.[532] He ended the post-Watergate norm of Justice Department independence, weaponizing it and agencies across the federal government to target his political enemies.[533][534] He continued filing personal lawsuits against his political opponents, companies, and news organizations that angered him.[535] By July 2025, Trump had extracted more than $1.2 billion in settlements in a "cultural crackdown" against a variety of institutions that largely chose to settle rather than fight back.[536][537] Trump's actions against civil society were described by hundreds of legal experts and political scientists as authoritarian, contributing to democratic backsliding, and negatively impacting the rule of law.[538][539][540] Pardons and commutations, 2025–present Further information: List of people granted executive clemency in the second Trump presidency Trump's pardons and grants of clemency favored political allies and loyalists,[541][542] and disproportionately pardoned "the powerful, famous, well-connected and wealthy" accused of white-collar crime.[542] Trump granted clemency to all January 6 rioters convicted or charged on his first day in office, including those who violently attacked police, by pardoning more than 1,500 and commuting the sentences of 14.[543][544] Domestic policy, 2025–present Main articles: Domestic policy of the second Trump administration, Economic policy of the second Trump administration, Education policy of the second Trump administration, Science policy of the second Trump administration, and Persecution of transgender people under the second Trump administration Trump inherited a resilient economy from the Biden administration, with increasing economic growth, low unemployment, and declining inflation.[545] He ordered agencies to stop enforcement of disfavored rules in an attempt at large-scale deregulation that legal experts described as illegal and contrary to decades of federal law.[546][547] He sought greater government control over private businesses and shifted away from traditional conservative free market orthodoxy,[548] engaging in state capitalism by taking direct government equity stakes in multiple U.S. corporations.[549][550][551] Trump canceled and paused federal grants and made large cuts to scientific research,[552] several of which were found by judges and the Government Accountability Office as being illegal and unconstitutional.[553][554] Trump and his administration's Make America Healthy Again agenda promoted anti-science and anti-vaccine activism, resulting in a resurgence of whooping cough and measles.[555][556] He promoted climate change denial and misinformation,[557] appointed oil, gas, and chemical lobbyists to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reverse climate regulations and pollution controls,[558] and by October 2025 had cancelled $7.6 billion in funding for clean energy projects approved by the previous administration.[559] Trump relied on declaring national emergencies to justify hundreds of actions and bypass congressional approval or regulatory review.[560] For instance, he declared a national energy emergency, allowing the suspension of environmental regulations, loosening the rules for fossil fuel extraction and limiting renewable energy projects.[561][562] Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change during his first presidency, Biden reentered the agreement in 2021, and Trump again withdrew from the agreement during his second presidency.[563] Dismantling government agencies enforcing the laws against political corruption and white-collar fraud,[564] Trump reduced the Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section from 30 to five lawyers,[565][566] dismissed 17 independent inspectors general at government agencies[567] and 12 members of independent oversight boards and watchdog agencies,[568] and disbanded the squad in the FBI's Washington field office that investigated allegations of fraud and corruption against government officials and members of Congress.[569][570] He pardoned or dropped charges against officials accused of corruption.[569] Trump attributed societal problems to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and wokeness.[571] Equating diversity with incompetence,[571] he reversed pro-diversity policies in the federal government.[572][573] He sought to remake civil society to his preferences by executive order.[574][575] On DEI and antisemitism grounds, he threatened cultural institutions[576] and sixty universities,[577] and forced law firms to capitulate to his political agenda.[575] Trump expanded the domestic use of the military and ordered military deployments to several Democratic Party-led cities, and threatened to expand his deployments further.[578][579] Trump had crews demolish the White House's East Wing in October 2025 to make room for a White House State Ballroom, which is planned to be nearly twice the size of the White House.[580][581] Through a series of executive orders and other actions, Trump banned trans people from the military,[582] restricted or defunded gender-affirming healthcare, opposed inclusive language,[583] censored research and education materials,[584] and targeted schools, universities, and cultural institutions accused of promoting what his government calls "gender ideology",[585] barred transgender athletes from sports, and required US passports to state transgender people's sex assigned at birth.[586] One Big Beautiful Bill Act In July 2025, Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law. The bill made the temporary tax cuts of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent and added additional tax deductions for a total of around $4.5 trillion, mostly benefiting the highest income brackets and costing people in the lowest income bracket $1,600 per year. It increased funding for national defense, deportations, the border wall, and Trump's proposed Golden Dome missile defense system. It removed tax credits for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power and for buyers of electric vehicles. The bill cut funding for Medicaid and SNAP and added additional work requirements for eligibility and a $35 co-payment for some Medicaid services; the cuts and additional requirements will take effect after the 2026 general election. The bill was projected by the Congressional Budget Office to increase the budget deficit by $3.4 trillion by 2034, cause 11.8 million people to lose Medicaid coverage, and eliminate SNAP benefits for three million people.[587][588] Immigration, 2025–present Main articles: Immigration policy of the second Trump administration and Deportation in the second Trump administration Further information: Mexico–United States border crisis § Second Trump administration (2025–present), and Mexico–United States border wall § Second Trump administration (2025–present) In his first days in office, Trump instructed Border Patrol agents to summarily deport illegal immigrants crossing the border and disabled the CBP One app that was being used to schedule border crossings. He resumed the remain in Mexico policy, designated drug cartels as terrorist groups, and ordered construction to be resumed on a border wall.[589][590] Trump also revoked the parole status of immigrants who entered the U.S. under CBP One and ended humanitarian parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans.[590] In March, he used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to imprison illegal immigrants without trial at the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador.[591] Trump targeted activists, legal immigrants, tourists, and students with visas who expressed criticism of his policies or pro-Palestinian advocacy.[592] Several American citizens were detained and deported.[593] Foreign policy, 2025–present Main article: Foreign policy of the second Trump administration Further information: Tariffs in the second Trump administration, China–United States trade war, 2025 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico, and American expansionism under Donald Trump His administration favored hard power to achieve its America First foreign policy goals,[594] and dismantled or withdrew support from domestic and international organizations dedicated to advancing American soft power.[595][596] The moves were described as ceding American global influence and creating a void filled by Russia and China.[597][f] Trump's relations with allies were transactional and ranged from indifference to hostility, including threats of annexation.[599][600] Meeting with Zelenskyy, February 2025 In February 2025, Trump and Vice President Vance berated Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a highly contentious televised meeting. Media outlets described it as an unprecedented public confrontation between an American president and a foreign head of state.[601][602] Trump and his incoming administration helped broker a Gaza war ceasefire alongside the Biden administration, enacted a day prior to his inauguration.[603][604][605] In March, Israel broke the ceasefire.[605] On October 9, 2025, Israel and Hamas signed an agreement to cease fire and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners as part of the first phase of Trump's initiative to end the Gaza war.[606] Trump's economic policies have been described as protectionist,[607] with Trump imposing tariffs on most countries, including large tariffs on major trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico.[608] He started a global trade war, imposing tariffs at the highest level since the 1930 Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act at the onset of the Great Depression.[609][610] Economists argued that the administration misunderstood the relationship between trade deficits and tariffs, using flawed assumptions.[611] Trump suspended American financial contributions to the World Trade Organization.[612] Personnel, 2025–present Main articles: Political appointments of the second Trump administration and Second cabinet of Donald Trump In his second term, Trump selected cabinet members with personal loyalty to him,[613][614] with the "focus on loyalty over subject-matter expertise".[614] In February 2025, the White House stated that Elon Musk was a special government employee.[615] Trump gave Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to many federal government agencies.[615] Musk's teams operated in eighteen departments and agencies in the administration's first month,[616] including in the Treasury Department's $5 trillion payment system,[617] the Small Business Administration, the Office of Personnel Management, and the General Services Administration.[618] Political practice and rhetoric Further information: Trumpism, Political positions of Donald Trump, and Rhetoric of Donald Trump Part of a series on American nationalism Ideologies Principles History Intellectuals Politicians Bolton DeSantis Flynn Grant Greene Hamilton Hawley Jackson Jefferson Lincoln Long Polk Roosevelt Taylor Trump Vance Washington Wilson Commentators Activists Parties Literature Organizations Movements Related flag United States portal Conservatism portal vte Beginning with his 2016 campaign, Trump's politics and rhetoric led to the creation of a political movement known as Trumpism.[619] His political positions are populist,[620][621] more specifically described as right-wing populist.[622][623] He has been described as embracing far-right extremism,[624][625] and he helped bring far-right fringe ideas and organizations into the mainstream.[626] Many of his actions and rhetoric have been described as authoritarian and contributing to democratic backsliding.[627] Trump pushed for an expansion of presidential power under a maximalist interpretation of the unitary executive theory.[628][629] His political base has been compared to a cult of personality.[g] Trump's rhetoric and actions have been accused of creating and exacerbating anger and distrust through the use of an "us" versus "them" narrative.[637] He explicitly and routinely disparages racial, religious, and ethnic minorities,[638] and scholars consistently find that racial animus regarding blacks, immigrants, and Muslims are the best predictors of support for Trump.[639] His rhetoric has been described as using fearmongering and demagogy which intensified during his 2024 presidential campaign.[640] He has said that he believes real power comes from fear.[641] The alt-right movement coalesced around and supported his candidacy, due in part to its opposition to multiculturalism and immigration.[642][643][644] He has a strong appeal to evangelical Christian voters and Christian nationalists,[645] and his rallies take on the symbols, rhetoric, and agenda of Christian nationalism.[646] Trump has also used anti-communist sentiment in his rhetoric, regularly calling his opponents "communists" and "Marxists".[647][648] Racial and gender views Main articles: Racial views of Donald Trump and Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations Many of Trump's comments and actions have been characterized as racist.[649] In a 2018 national poll, about half of respondents said he is racist; a greater proportion believed that he emboldened racists.[650] Several studies and surveys found that racist attitudes fueled his political ascent and were more important than economic factors in determining the allegiance of Trump voters.[651] Racist and Islamophobic attitudes are strong indicators of support for Trump.[652] He has been accused of racism for insisting a group of five black and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the 1989 Central Park jogger case, even after they were exonerated in 2002.[653] In 2011, Trump became the leading proponent of the racist "birther" conspiracy theory that Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president, was not born in the United States.[654] He claimed credit for pressuring the government to publish Obama's birth certificate, which he considered fraudulent.[655] In September 2016, he acknowledged that Obama was born in the U.S.,[656] though he reportedly expressed birther views privately in 2017.[657] During the 2024 presidential campaign, he made false attacks against the racial identity of his opponent, Kamala Harris, that were described as reminiscent of the birther conspiracy theory.[658] His 2024 campaign made extensive use of dehumanizing language and racial stereotypes.[659] In 2025, he promoted false claims of white genocide in South Africa[660] and created the White South African refugee program.[661] Trump has a history of belittling women when speaking to the media and on social media.[662][663] He made lewd comments, disparaged women's physical appearances, and referred to them using derogatory epithets.[663] As of 2020, 26 women have publicly accused him of sexual misconduct, including rape, kissing without consent, groping, looking under women's skirts, and walking in on naked teenage pageant contestants. He has denied the allegations.[664] In October 2016, a 2005 "hot mic" recording surfaced in which he bragged about kissing and groping women without their consent, saying that, "when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the pussy."[665] He characterized the comments as "locker-room talk".[666][667] The incident's widespread media exposure led to his first public apology, videotaped during his 2016 presidential campaign.[668] Link to violence and hate crimes Further information: Rhetoric of Donald Trump § Violence Trump has been identified as a key figure in increasing political violence in the U.S., both for and against him.[669][670][671] He is described as embracing extremism, conspiracy theories such as Q-Anon, and far-right militia movements to a greater extent than any modern American president,[624][672] and engaging in stochastic terrorism.[673] Research suggests that Trump's rhetoric is associated with an increased incidence of hate crimes,[674][675] and that he has an emboldening effect on expressing prejudicial attitudes due to his normalization of explicit racial rhetoric.[676] During his 2016 campaign, he urged or praised physical attacks against protesters or reporters.[677][678] Numerous defendants investigated or prosecuted for violent acts and hate crimes cited his rhetoric in arguing that they were not culpable or should receive leniency.[679][680] A nationwide review by ABC News in May 2020 identified at least 54 criminal cases, from August 2015 to April 2020, in which he was invoked in direct connection with violence or threats of violence mostly by white men and primarily against minorities.[681] Trump's refusal to condemn the white supremacist Proud Boys during a 2020 presidential debate[682] and his comment, "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by", were said to have led to increased recruitment for the pro-Trump group.[683] Counterterrorism researchers described his normalization and revisionist history of the January 6 Capitol attack, and grant of clemency to all January 6 rioters, as encouraging future political violence.[684][685] Conspiracy theories Main article: List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump Since before his first presidency, Trump has promoted numerous conspiracy theories, including Obama "birtherism", climate change denial, and alleged Ukrainian interference in U.S. elections.[686][687][688] After the 2020 presidential election, he promoted conspiracy theories for his defeat that were characterized as "the big lie".[689][690] False or misleading statements Main article: False or misleading statements by Donald Trump Chart depicting false or misleading claims made by Trump Fact-checkers from The Washington Post,[691] the Toronto Star,[692] and CNN[693] compiled data on "false or misleading claims" (orange background) and "false claims" (violet foreground). Trump frequently makes false statements in public remarks,[694][145] to an extent unprecedented in American politics.[694][695][696] His falsehoods are a distinctive part of his political identity[695] and have been described as firehosing.[697] His false and misleading statements were documented by fact-checkers, including at The Washington Post, which tallied 30,573 false or misleading statements made by him during his first presidency,[691] increasing in frequency over time.[698] Some of Trump's falsehoods were inconsequential,[699][700] while others had more far-reaching effects, such as his unproven promotion of antimalarial drugs as a treatment for COVID-19,[701][702] causing a U.S. shortage of these drugs and panic-buying in Africa and South Asia.[703][704] Other misinformation, such as misattributing a rise in crime in England and Wales to the "spread of radical Islamic terror", served his domestic political purposes.[705] His attacks on mail-in ballots and other election practices weakened public faith in the integrity of the 2020 presidential election,[706][707] while his disinformation about the pandemic delayed and weakened the national response to it.[708][709][710] He habitually does not apologize for his falsehoods.[711] Until 2018, the media rarely referred to his falsehoods as lies, including when he repeated demonstrably false statements.[712][713][714] Social media Main articles: Social media use by Donald Trump and Twitter use by Donald Trump See also: Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump § Lawsuits over social media ban Trump's social media presence attracted worldwide attention after he joined Twitter in 2009. He posted frequently during his 2016 campaign and as president until Twitter banned him after the January 6 attack.[715] He often used Twitter to communicate directly with the public and sideline the press;[716] in 2017, his press secretary said that his tweets constituted official presidential statements.[717] During his 2024 campaign and second presidency he frequently posted AI-generated content of himself as pop-culture icons or mocking immigrants.[718][719] After years of criticism for allowing Trump to post misinformation and falsehoods, Twitter began to tag some of his tweets with fact-checks in May 2020.[720] In response, he said social media platforms "totally silence" conservatives and he would "strongly regulate, or close them down".[721] After the January 6 attack, he was banned from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms.[722] The loss of his social media presence diminished his ability to shape events[723][724] and correlated with a dramatic decrease in the volume of misinformation on Twitter.[725] In February 2022, he launched social media platform Truth Social where he attracted a fraction of his Twitter following.[726] Elon Musk, after acquiring Twitter, reinstated his Twitter account in November 2022.[727][728] The two-year ban at Meta Platforms lapsed in January 2023, allowing him to return to Facebook and Instagram.[729] Relationship with the press Further information: First presidency of Donald Trump § Relationship with the news media, Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump, and Donald Trump's conflict with the media Trump, seated at the Resolute Desk in the White House, speaking to a crowd of reporters with boom microphones in front of him and public officials behind him Talking to the press, March 2017 Trump sought media attention throughout his career, maintaining a "love-hate" relationship with the press.[730] In the 2016 campaign, he benefited from a record amount of free media coverage,[731] estimated at $2 billion.[732] As a candidate and as president, he frequently accused the press of bias, calling it the "fake news media" and "the enemy of the people".[733] The first Trump presidency reduced formal press briefings from about one hundred in 2017 to about half that in 2018 and to two in 2019. They also revoked the press passes of two White House reporters, which were restored by the courts.[734] His 2020 presidential campaign sued The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN for defamation in opinion pieces about his stance on Russian election interference. All the suits were dismissed.[735][736] By 2024, he repeatedly voiced support for outlawing political dissent and criticism,[737] and said that reporters should be prosecuted for not divulging confidential sources and media companies should possibly lose their broadcast licenses for unfavorable coverage of him.[738] In his second term, Trump's actions against the media were unprecedented in modern American history,[739] and historians described them as mirroring actions by authoritarian leaders to censor political opponents and negatively impacting the freedom of speech and free press.[740][741] The campaign to police speech drew comparisons to cancel culture, government censorship, and McCarthyism.[742][743][744] Some were sued and many social media companies,[745] broadcasters, and newspapers capitulated to the Trump agenda.[746] Trump launched lawsuits and created blacklists against certain media outlets, took over the process run by the White House Correspondents' Association to choose what outlets have access to him and made a policy of limited access for all wire services.[747][748] The Federal Communications Commission launched investigations into media outlets accused of bias against him.[749] As a result of Trump's threats, media executives instructed journalists and their staff to self-censor and reduce criticism of Trump,[750] and CBS agreed to create an Ombudsman to monitor its news channels to root out "bias" at CBS News.[751] Personal life Family Further information: Trump family In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelníčková.[752] They had three children: Donald Jr. (b. 1977), Ivanka (b. 1981), and Eric (b. 1984). The couple divorced in 1990, following his affair with model and actress Marla Maples.[753] He and Maples married in 1993 and divorced in 1999. They have one daughter, Tiffany (b. 1993), whom Maples raised in California.[754] In 2005, he married Slovenian model Melania Knauss.[755] They have one son, Barron (b. 2006).[756] Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein Main article: Relationship of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Trump had a 15-year friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Persons who knew them at the time said they frequently hit on and competed for women.[757] Media attention and public pressure mounted in 2025, when his administration did not release files relating to Epstein, despite Trump's promise to do so during the 2024 campaign.[758] Health Main article: Age and health concerns about Donald Trump Trump says he has never drunk alcohol, smoked cigarettes, or used drugs,[759][760] and that he sleeps about four or five hours a night.[761][762] He has called golfing his "primary form of exercise", but usually does not walk the course.[763] Trump considers exercise a waste of energy as he believes the body is "like a battery, with a finite amount of energy", which is depleted by exercise.[764][765] In 2015, his campaign released a letter from his longtime personal physician, Harold Bornstein, stating that he would "be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency".[766] In 2018, Bornstein said Trump had dictated the contents of the letter and that three of Trump's agents had seized his medical records in a February 2017 raid on Bornstein's office.[766][767] Religion Main article: Donald Trump and religion Trump called himself a Presbyterian and a Protestant in 2016.[768][769] In 2020, he said he was a nondenominational Christian.[770] However, many have questioned the depth of these religious affiliations. A survey during his first presidency (2017–2021) showed that 63 percent of Americans did not believe that he was religious, despite professing a Christian affiliation, and that only 44 percent of Americans believed Trump was a Christian.[771] Some of Trump's comments on the Bible or Christian practice have led critical observers to suggest that his knowledge of Christianity is superficial or erroneous, and few biographers have described him as deeply or even particularly religious.[772][773] In his first term, Trump appointed his personal pastor[774] and spiritual advisor,[775] millionaire televangelist Paula White-Cain, to the White House Office of Public Liaison.[776] During his second term, he appointed her senior advisor of the newly created White House Faith Office.[777][778] Assessments Public image Main articles: Public image of Donald Trump and Donald Trump in popular culture See also: Opinion polling on the first Trump presidency and Opinion polling on the second Trump presidency In Trump's first term, from 2017 to 2021, international approval ratings of U.S. leadership dropped from about 22 percent in a Gallup poll[779] of 134 countries to just 16 percent—lower than China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin—in a Pew Research poll[780] of 13 countries. In 2017, estimation of U.S. leadership declined most among allies.[781] Domestically, in his first term, Trump had chiefly partisan support: 88 percent among Republicans and 7 percent among Democrats.[782] In a 2021 Gallup poll, he was the only president never to reach a 50 percent approval rating, and he was the first not to be named most admired in his first year in office.[783] In his second term's first quarter according to Gallup, Trump's approval rating was 45 percent—somewhat better than his first term, and far below the 60 percent average of other presidents. Support remained polarized; he had the approval of 90 percent among Republicans, 37 percent among independents, and 4 percent among Democrats.[784] His second term also saw large drops in global public opinion of the United States.[785] Scholarly rankings Further information: Historical rankings of presidents of the United States After Trump's first term, historians ranked Trump as the fourth-worst president in C-SPAN's 2021 survey of presidential historians.[786] He rated lowest in the leadership characteristics categories for moral authority and administrative skills.[787][788] The Siena College Research Institute's 2022 survey ranked him third-worst. He was ranked near the bottom in all categories except for luck, willingness to take risks, and party leadership, and ranked last in several categories.[789] In 2018 and 2024, members of the American Political Science Association ranked him the worst president.[790][791] See also List of awards and honors received by Donald Trump Pseudonyms used by Donald Trump Notes In 2015, he threatened his high school, colleges, and the College Board with legal action if they released his academic records.[15] UPenn's 1968 commencement program lists Trump as a recipient of a Bachelor's of Science in Economics and not a recipient of Academic Honors.[13] Presidential elections in the U.S. are decided by the Electoral College. Each state names a number of electors equal to its representation in Congress and (in most states) all electors vote for the winner of their state's popular vote. 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The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-5011-3936-9. Buettner, Russ; Craig, Susanne (2024). Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father's Fortune And Created The Illusion of Success. Penguin Press. ISBN 978-0-593-29864-0. D'Antonio, Michael (2015). Never enough : Donald Trump and the pursuit of success. Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04238-5. Haberman, Maggie (2022). Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America. Penguin Press. ISBN 978-0-593-29734-6. Harvey, Michael (2022). "Introduction: History's Rhymes". In Harvey, Michael (ed.). Donald Trump in Historical Perspective. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781003110361-1. ISBN 978-1-003-11036-1. Hassan, Steven (2024) [2019]. The Cult of Trump. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-9821-2734-3. Hurt III, Harry (1993). Lost Tycoon. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 447. ISBN 0-393-03029-6. Johnston, David Cay (2016). The Making of Donald Trump. Melville House Publishing. ISBN 978-1-61219-658-9. Johnston, David Cay (2021). The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America And Enriched Himself And His Family. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-9821-7804-8. Kakutani, Michiko (2018). "The Firehose of Falsehood: Propaganda and Fake News". The Death of Truth: Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump. Crown/Archetype. ISBN 978-0-525-57484-2. Klein, Naomi (2017). No Is Not Enough. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-198679-1. Kranish, Michael; Fisher, Marc (2017) [2016]. Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-5011-5652-6. Meacham, Jon (2016). Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush. Random House. ISBN 978-0-8129-7947-3. O'Brien, Timothy L. (2005a). TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0-446-69617-3. O'Donnell, John R.; Rutherford, James (1991). Trumped!. Crossroad Press Trade Edition. ISBN 978-1-946025-26-5. ​​​​​ Journals Adams, Kenneth Alan (Spring 2021). "The Trump Death Cult". Journal of Psychohistory. 48 (4): 256–276. ISSN 0145-3378. Retrieved November 6, 2024. Almond, Douglas; Du, Xinming (December 2020). "Later bedtimes predict President Trump's performance". Economics Letters. 197 109590. doi:10.1016/j.econlet.2020.109590. ISSN 0165-1765. PMC 7518119. PMID 33012904. Berman, Sheri (May 2021). "The Causes of Populism in the West". Annual Review of Political Science. 24: 71–88. doi:10.1146/annurev-polisci-041719-102503. ISSN 1094-2939. Campani, Giovanna; Concepción, Sunamis Fabelo; Soler, Angel Rodriguez; Savín, Claudia Sánchez (November 2, 2022). "The Rise of Donald Trump Right-Wing Populism in the United States: Middle American Radicalism and Anti-Immigration Discourse". Societies. 12 (6): 154. doi:10.3390/soc12060154. Castañeda, Ernesto; Jenks, Daniel (April 17, 2023). Costa, Bruno Ferreira; Parton, Nigel (eds.). "January 6th and De-Democratization in the United States". Social Sciences. 12 (4). MDPI: 238–253. doi:10.3390/socsci12040238. ISSN 2076-0760. Diamond, Michael J. (February 22, 2023). "Perverted Containment: Trumpism, Cult Creation, and the Rise of Destructive American Populism". Psychoanalytic Inquiry. 43 (2): 96–109. doi:10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147. Edwards, Jason A. (2018). "Make America Great Again: Donald Trump and Redefining the U.S. Role in the World". Communication Quarterly. 66 (2): 176. doi:10.1080/01463373.2018.1438485. Franks, Andrew S.; Hesami, Farhang (September 18, 2021). "Seeking Evidence of The MAGA Cult and Trump Derangement Syndrome: An Examination of (A)symmetric Political Bias". Societies. 11 (3): 113. doi:10.3390/soc11030113. Gaufman, Elizaveta; Ganesh, Bharath (2024). "The Trump Carnival: Populism, Transgression and the Far Right Bias - Chapter 6: Laughing Culture". De Gruyter Contemporary Social Sciences. 35: 69–70. doi:10.1515/9783111238135-006. Johnson, Kevin R. (2017a). "Immigration and civil rights in the Trump administration: Law and policy making by executive order". Santa Clara Law Review. 57 (3): 611–665. Johnson, Kevin R.; Cuison-Villazor, Rose (May 2, 2019). "The Trump Administration and the War on Immigration Diversity". Wake Forest Law Review. 54 (2): 575–616. Kaufman, Robert R.; Haggard, Stephan (2019). "Democratic Decline in the United States: What Can We Learn from Middle-Income Backsliding?". Perspectives on Politics. 17 (2): 417–432. doi:10.1017/S1537592718003377. S2CID 149457724. Lajevardi, Nazita; Oskooii, Kassra A. R. (2018). "Old-Fashioned Racism, Contemporary Islamophobia, and the Isolation of Muslim Americans in the Age of Trump". Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics. 3 (1): 112–152. doi:10.1017/rep.2017.37. McGurk, Brett (January 22, 2020). "The Cost of an Incoherent Foreign Policy: Trump's Iran Imbroglio Undermines U.S. Priorities Everywhere Else". Foreign Affairs. Nacos, Brigitte L.; Shapiro, Robert Y.; Bloch-Elkon, Yaeli (2020). "Donald Trump: Aggressive Rhetoric and Political Violence". Perspectives on Terrorism. 14 (5): 2–25. ISSN 2334-3745. JSTOR 26940036. Retrieved January 20, 2025. O'Brien, Shannon (July 22, 2020). "Donald Trump and the Kayfabe Presidency - Wrestling with the Presidency: How Donald Trump Uses Wrestling and Theatrical Tactics in the Public Sphere". Rhetoric, Politics and Society: 39–58. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-50551-6_3. Parker, Christopher Sebastian; Towler, Christopher C. (May 2019). "Race and Authoritarianism in American Politics". Annual Review of Political Science. 22: 503–519. doi:10.1146/annurev-polisci-050317-064519. ISSN 1094-2939. Perry, Samuel L.; Whitehead, Andrew L.; Grubbs, Joshua B. (April 21, 2021). "The Devil That You Know: Christian Nationalism and Intent to Change One's Voting Behavior For or Against Trump in 2020". Politics and Religion. 15 (2): 229–246. doi:10.1017/S175504832100002X. hdl:11244/334967. Piazza, James; Van Doren, Natalia (October 8, 2022). "It's About Hate: Approval of Donald Trump, Racism, Xenophobia and Support for Political Violence". American Politics Research. 51 (3): 299–314. doi:10.1177/1532673X221131561. ISSN 1532-673X. PMC 12333664. PMID 40787175. Pion-Berlin, David; Bruneau, Thomas; Goetze, Richard B. Jr. (April 7, 2022). "The Trump self-coup attempt: comparisons and civil–military relations". Government and Opposition. FirstView (4): 789–806. doi:10.1017/gov.2022.13. S2CID 248033246. Reyes, Antonio (May 4, 2020). "I, Trump The cult of personality, anti-intellectualism and the Post-Truth era". Journal of Language and Politics. 19 (6): 869–892. doi:10.1075/jlp.20002.rey. ISSN 1569-2159. Rothe, Dawn L.; Collins, Victoria E. (November 17, 2019). "Turning Back the Clock? Violence against Women and the Trump Administration". Victims & Offenders. 14 (8): 965–978. doi:10.1080/15564886.2019.1671284. Ross, Bertrall L. (July 1, 2024). "Polarization, Populism, and the Crisis of American Democracy". Annual Review of Law and Social Science. 20: 293–308. doi:10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-041922-035113. Schaffner, Brian F.; Macwilliams, Matthew; Nteta, Tatishe (March 2018). "Understanding White Polarization in the 2016 Vote for President: The Sobering Role of Racism and Sexism". Political Science Quarterly. 133 (1): 9–34. doi:10.1002/polq.12737. Stephens-Dougan, LaFluer (May 2021). "The Persistence of Racial Cues and Appeals in American Elections". Annual Review of Political Science. 24: 301–320. doi:10.1146/annurev-polisci-082619-015522. ISSN 1094-2939. Sundahl, Anne-Mette Holmgård (May 4, 2022). "Personality Cult or a Mere Matter of Popularity?". International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society. 36 (4): 431–458. doi:10.1007/s10767-022-09423-0. PMC 9066393. PMID 35528318. Urbinati, Nadia (May 2019). "Political Theory of Populism". Annual Review of Political Science. 22: 111–127. doi:10.1146/annurev-polisci-050317-070753. ISSN 1094-2939. Retrieved December 20, 2024. Further reading Books credited to Trump Books about Trump External links Library resources about Donald Trump Resources in your library Resources in other libraries By Donald Trump Resources in your library Resources in other libraries Archive of Donald Trump's tweets (Enter 2021-01-09 into the End Date field to view tweets from before the suspension.) 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Donald J. Trump, et al. defendantsTelevision personalities from New York CityTelevision producers from Queens, New YorkTime Person of the YearTrump familyThe Trump Organization employeesTrumpismUnited States Football League executivesWar on drugsWharton School alumniWWE Hall of Fame inductees Assassination of Charlie Kirk Article Talk Read View source View history Tools Appearance hide Text Small Standard Large Width Standard Wide Color (beta) Automatic Light Dark Coordinates: 40°16′39.1″N 111°42′50.5″W Page semi-protected From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Assassination of Charlie Kirk The tent in which Kirk was fatally shot, cordoned off with police tape Map Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap Interactive map of Assassination of Charlie Kirk Location 40°16′39.1″N 111°42′50.5″W Utah Valley University Orem, Utah, US Date September 10, 2025; 2 months ago 12:23 p.m. MDT (UTC−06:00) Target Charlie Kirk Attack type Sniper assassination Weapon Mauser M 98 .30-06 bolt-action rifle Deaths 1 (Kirk) Motive See § Views and possible motives Accused Tyler James Robinson Charges 10 counts[a] On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing political activist, was assassinated while addressing an audience on the campus of Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah, United States. The outdoor event was the first stop of the Fall 2025 season for the American Comeback Tour, a speaking and debate series planned by Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization he co-founded. Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while engaging with an audience member about mass shootings in the United States by a shooter on the roof of a building approximately 142 yards (130 m) away from him. The next day, the accused shooter, 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson, surrendered himself to the local sheriff. Prosecutors charged Robinson with aggravated murder on September 16 and announced they would seek the death penalty, alleging the attack was politically motivated.[2][3][4] The assassination was highlighted as an instance of increasing political violence within the United States and was condemned by national and foreign leaders. Video footage of the shooting spread rapidly on social media, and reactions ranged from heartfelt messages expressing anguish about the political climate to sharply partisan comments and celebrations of his death.[5][6][7] President Donald Trump, members of the Republican Party, and other conservative figures blamed members of the Democratic Party and left-wing or liberal beliefs before a suspect was in custody or a motive was identified.[8][9] The Trump administration called for a crackdown against what it called "political extremism" on the left,[10][11][12][13] which was widely criticized by free speech advocates and legal experts as using the assassination as a pretext to silence political opposition.[14][15][13][11] A campaign by right-wing organizations and US government agencies resulted in mass firings and disciplinary actions against people seen as celebrating Kirk's death or making critical comments about him in the aftermath of the assassination.[5][16] Kirk's memorial service was held at State Farm Stadium on September 21. Background Further information: Political violence in the United States § Contemporary landscape Kirk speaking at Florida State University during an earlier stop of his "American Comeback Tour" on February 27, 2025 Charlie Kirk was an American right-wing political activist, author, and media personality, known for co-founding and serving as CEO of Turning Point USA.[17][18] A close ally of US president Donald Trump, Kirk utilized his skills in social media and campus organizing to become a highly influential figure in the MAGA movement.[19][20] Described as "something of a kingmaker" by The New York Times and as a "youth whisperer" by The Guardian, Kirk was able to rally support to protect embattled Trump cabinet nominees and against Republican Party figures he deemed insufficiently supportive of Trump.[21][22] The Washington Post described him as "one of the most prominent voices on the right" in recent years.[23] Axios described Kirk as a "driving force" in Trump's presidential campaigns.[24] Kirk's assassination occurred during a period of deepening division and increasingly frequent violence in American politics.[25][26][27] It followed a series of violent political incidents, including the June 2025 shootings of two Democratic Minnesota legislators and their spouses,[28][29] the May 2025 killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.,[30][31] the April 2025 arson attack on Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro's residence,[32][33] the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson,[34][35] and assassination attempts on Trump in July and September 2024.[27][36] At a campaign event in Kentucky with Nate Morris in June 2025, Kirk himself spoke about the potential for violence. He told the crowd: "We're on the front lines where it's not always safe."[37] Kirk's Utah Valley University appearance Turning Point USA announced on August 27 that Kirk would be visiting several college campuses during September–October 2025 as a continuation of a speech and debate series titled the American Comeback Tour, which began in February.[38][39] Kirk's appearance at UVU was scheduled to be the first tour stop of the season.[18] Kirk had previously visited UVU in 2019 for a Turning Point USA event which he hosted with conservative political commentator Candace Owens.[40] A petition was circulated calling on the university to cancel his tour appearance, but university officials permitted the speech, citing free speech and open discussion policies.[41] Preventable flaws in how the event was coordinated and secured were revealed by Kirk's security director, including rooftop exposure, drone restrictions and staffing gaps in the days before the event.[42] Security was provided by six police officers and Kirk's private security personnel.[43][44] Although the event was ticketed, the ticketing was not enforced. Metal detectors were not used for entry to the event.[45] Timeline of the assassination Kirk was under a tent in the grassy amphitheater at bottom left; the shot reportedly came from the roof of the building at upper right. A map of locations: (1) suspect at 11:50 a.m., (2) pedestrian tunnel, (3) parking garage, (4) stairway to roof, (5) shooter on roof, (6) Charlie Kirk, (7) suspect drops to ground, (8) rifle found in wooded area Officials stated the suspected gunman arrived on campus in a gray Dodge Challenger at 8:29 a.m. MDT (UTC–6). Security camera footage examined by investigators showed that he was dressed differently than he was around the time of the shooting.[46] Investigators said that the suspect reappeared on video at around 11:50 a.m., when he moved through a grassy area into a parking lot just north of the campus.[46][b] He was wearing a black shirt with a United States flag at its center, a dark baseball cap, and large sunglasses.[48] At 11:53 a.m., he stopped at the top of some stairs and "pulled out his phone" before proceeding down into a pedestrian tunnel. Still images released by the FBI show him ascending a stairwell in a parking garage adjacent to the tunnel.[46] The speaking event began at noon[49] with about 3,000 people in attendance.[50] Authorities said the suspected gunman was seen at 12:02 p.m. walking on the north side of the Losee Center, where they said he would later shoot Kirk from the roof.[46] Kirk appeared at the event at about 12:09 p.m. and started throwing hats into the crowd. Then, at 12:11 p.m. he began speaking.[50] According to an affidavit, the suspect entered the Losee Center from the southeast side and was seen ascending the stairs next to the building 13 minutes later.[46] The stairs connected with a public walkway adjacent to the roof, and surveillance video showed the suspect crossed a railing from the walkway onto the roof at about 12:15 p.m. He disappeared from view for a short time before running across the roof, then crawling into the suspected shooting position.[48] Investigators said that by 12:22 p.m., the suspected shooter was in position on the roof, lying on his stomach, facing the location where Kirk was speaking about 430 feet (130 m) away.[46] Sitting under a tent displaying the tour title, Kirk engaged in a back-and-forth discussion with Hunter Kozak, a UVU student, about mass shootings in the United States.[51][52][53][54][55] Kozak asked "Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?", to which Kirk responded, "Too many". Kozak followed up with, "Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?", and Kirk's last words before being shot were his reply, "Counting or not counting gang violence?", to which then Kozak said "Great", with Kirk immediately being struck after.[56] At 12:23:30 p.m., Kirk was shot in the neck with a single bullet, which investigators believed had come from the roof of the Losee Center.[47] Emma Pitts, a Deseret News reporter who witnessed the event, told NPR, "I just saw so much blood come out of the left side of Charlie's neck, and then he went limp."[55] Former U.S. representative Jason Chaffetz, who was in attendance, said, "As soon as the shot went out, everybody hit the deck and everybody started scattering and yelling and screaming."[44] At 12:23:55 p.m.[47] six men carried Kirk to an SUV, which took him to Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem,[50][44][57] where he was later pronounced dead.[58] His death was announced by Donald Trump at 2:40 p.m. on Truth Social.[59] Video footage also surfaced of the suspected shooter running from the south corner of the Losee Center roof, where he purportedly shot Kirk, to the north corner, where the ground was higher and he could hang from the edge of the roof and drop to the ground, which occurred at about 12:24 p.m.[49] Palm prints were later found at the edge of the roof, as well as smudges from which samples were collected to look for DNA evidence. A footprint was found on the ground, which showed he was wearing Converse sneakers. He then moved into a wooded area north of the campus, where a rifle with a scope on top and containing inscribed bullet casings was later found.[49][60] According to available audio, regional law enforcement became aware of the shooting no later than 12:26 p.m.[61] At 12:31 p.m., an officer reported "gunshots heard near the library". At 12:35 p.m., the officer added "maybe the CS building", before describing the suspected shooter as "wearing jeans, black shirt, black mask, long rifle". A minute later, the officer elaborated, "on top of the building on the far north side, just east of the library".[61] A UVU police officer was the first to investigate the suspected shooting position on the roof of the Losee Center.[48] At 12:39 p.m. FBI agents and chiefs of police arrived at the location of the event.[59] At 1:37 p.m., the university closed the campus and urged everyone to leave.[62] At 2:01 p.m., the university instructed those remaining on campus to "secure in place until police officers can escort you safely off campus".[63] Classes and activities at all campuses, including satellite locations, were suspended until September 15.[64][65] Manhunt Duration: 1 minute and 40 seconds.1:40 FBI-released CCTV footage of a suspect jumping from the rooftop of a building following the shooting. The jumping starts at 18 seconds into the video. The Utah Department of Public Safety was investigating the crime with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).[66] Initial arrests Two people were arrested soon after the shooting, but were later released.[67] One was a libertarian conservative who was arrested on campus grounds after claiming to have shot Kirk.[68] He later told police he "was glad he said he shot the individual so the real suspect could get away".[69] He reportedly had a history of mental health issues and was known to Utah authorities for his habit of disrupting public events.[68] He was taken to a hospital.[69] After his release on September 14, he was admitted into jail for obstruction of justice; after police discovered images of child sexual abuse on his phone, he was also charged with sexual exploitation of minors.[70] Hours after the shooting, FBI director Kash Patel announced on social media that "the subject" in Kirk's assassination had been apprehended; Utah governor Spencer Cox said that a "person of interest" had been detained. Within two hours of making his initial announcement, Patel said that the subject had been "released after an interrogation by law enforcement".[71][67] Evidence and leads Law enforcement recovered an older-make Mauser-type bolt-action hunting rifle, which was chambered in .30-06,[72][73] from a wooded area near the shooting,[74] engraved cartridges, and "a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints for analysis".[75][76] In a press conference on September 11, officials said that they had "good video footage" and were applying facial recognition technology to it.[75][74] Later that day, the FBI indicated that facial recognition efforts had been unsuccessful, released photographs of a person of interest,[77] and offered up to $100,000 for information in the case.[78][76] The FBI also investigated various social media accounts with posts that appeared to indicate foreknowledge of the assassination.[79] The investigators reported that cartridges found in the rifle were inscribed with various messages, which were rumored to be slogans relating to anti-fascist and "transgender ideology", but were described as a mix of Internet memes and popular culture after an FBI briefing on September 12 revealed the messages. The spent cartridge case was inscribed with "Notices Buldge OWO what’s this?" [sic], a reference to furry online roleplay.[80] Three unfired rounds were engraved with "hey fascist! CATCH! ↑→↓↓↓", the arrows referring to a sequence of inputs (code) used to summon a 500 kg bomb in the 2024 video game Helldivers 2; "O Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Ciao, ciao!", a reference to the Italian anti-fascist song "Bella ciao" ("Goodbye, Beautiful"); and "If you read This, you are GAY Lmao".[80][81][82] The song "Bella ciao" remains widely known as an anti-fascist anthem; however, it had also resurfaced in popular media since the mid-2010s and early 2020s through the television series Money Heist and the video games Hearts of Iron IV and Far Cry 6.[83][84][85] During the manhunt, law enforcement agencies reportedly received more than 7,000 leads related to the incident and conducted more than 200 interviews.[72] Congressional hearing FBI director Kash Patel testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, September 16, 2025 On September 16, 2025, FBI director Kash Patel faced questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee about the investigation and criticism for his social media posts about it. He stated that over 20 users on a Discord discussion group that Robinson was a part of would be investigated.[86] Patel had previously faced criticism for his leadership and handling of the case from federal and local officials, with particular focus on his social media post on the day of the shooting that a suspect was in custody, a statement which he retracted 90 minutes later.[87] The hearing escalated into a shouting match after California Senator Adam Schiff questioned Patel on why the FBI transferred child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell to a lesser-security prison. Patel called Schiff "the biggest fraud in the U.S. Senate", a "disgrace", an "utter coward", and a "political buffoon".[87] The hearing led to bipartisan criticism of Patel, and came after a considerable upheaval at the agency under Patel's leadership that involved widespread reassignments, firings, and loyalty tests. The shooting also occurred hours after a lawsuit by former FBI agents accused Patel of a politically motivated purge of agency leadership.[88] Accused CCTV still of Robinson visiting a Dairy Queen restaurant six hours after allegedly carrying out the assassination. Tyler James Robinson (born April 16, 2003) is a 22-year-old American man accused of being the shooter.[48] The day after the shooting, his parents convinced him to come to their residence in Washington, Utah, after they recognized his likeness from news images that authorities alleged were of the shooter. As they discussed the situation, Robinson allegedly implied that he was the shooter.[89][90][91] Robinson also told them he was fearful of being shot by police, or a SWAT team being sent to his parents' house.[92] His parents contacted a member of their LDS congregation who was a retired detective and had previously worked for the Washington County sheriff.[93] The retired detective called the sheriff and made arrangements for Robinson to surrender.[93] He and Robinson's father then drove Robinson to the sheriff's office the evening of September 11 and Robinson was taken into custody without incident.[93][94] Governor Spencer Cox said the next day that Robinson was the only suspect.[95][96] The manhunt had lasted 33 hours.[94][97] If found guilty of Kirk's assassination, Robinson could face the death penalty.[98] Robinson, son of a social worker and a business owner,[99] was born and raised in Washington, Utah,[100][101] alongside his two younger brothers.[102] Robinson's family are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[103] Robinson's grandmother said most of the family are Republicans, and added that she did not know "a single Democrat".[104] Childhood photographs show the Robinson family on trips to shoot guns and see weapons displays.[105] He graduated from Pine View High School in 2021,[106] while earning college credit from Dixie State University from 2019 to 2021. On May 31, 2022, Robinson appeared in a police body camera video being questioned by law enforcement after a traffic collision at an intersection.[107] At the time of his arrest, Robinson was living in St. George, Utah, some 240 miles (390 km) southwest of Utah Valley University.[108][109] He was in his third year of an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College.[107] He had previously enrolled at Utah State University but dropped out after one semester.[107] Investigation Investigators interviewed Robinson's roommate, who was not considered a suspect,[105] and was described as being "aghast" and "shocked" by the shooting and denied having any knowledge of the crime.[110][111][105] Governor Cox said that the roommate had been "very cooperative" with investigators,[111] and had turned over private messages incriminating Robinson which discussed the "need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel."[112] The messages also referenced a scope and engraved bullets.[112] After the shooting, someone in a private Discord group chat of which Robinson was a member, said that Robinson looked like the man in the suspect images released by the FBI. Robinson reportedly joked that he had a doppelgänger who was trying to frame him, that the group should give him a cut of the FBI reward money for turning him in, that he would avoid going to McDonald's (a reference to Luigi Mangione, who was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania for allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson), and that he would get rid of his manifesto and rifle.[113][105] Another recovered message, posted later the same day, read: "Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. im [sic] sorry for all of this. im [sic] surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments, thanks for all the good times and laughs, you've all been so amazing, thank you all for everything."[114] A friend in the Discord group wrote the next morning that the confession appeared to be true while also calling for prayers, both for Robinson's repentance and for Kirk's family.[114] Discord later suspended Robinson's account.[115] On September 15, the FBI announced that Robinson's DNA matched that found on a towel that was wrapped around the suspected rifle and on a screwdriver found on the roof from where the shot was fired.[116] Views and possible motives Utah County prosecutor Jeffrey Gray said that Robinson's mother told investigators that her son had become more political over the last year and had started to "lean more to the left, becoming more pro-gay and trans rights–oriented".[90] Robinson was registered to vote but not affiliated with any party, and there is no record of him voting in Washington County.[117] Robinson had no criminal record prior to his arrest.[118] On September 14, Governor Cox said that Robinson had very different political views than those of his conservative family and adhered to "leftist ideology",[119][120][121] although he did not provide specifics.[122] According to Cox, Robinson appeared to have become radicalized after dropping out of Utah State University and may have been influenced by aspects of Internet culture. Cox also said that one of Robinson's relatives had told investigators that during a family dinner, Robinson had expressed dislike of Kirk and discussed his upcoming visit to Utah Valley University.[99] While Trump and other elected Republicans have alleged Robinson was connected to left-wing groups and threatened a crackdown on them, sources familiar with the investigation stated that, as of September 21, no such evidence had been found.[123][124] On September 16, Gray stated that the "suspect had become increasingly concerned about gay and trans rights" and that he had grown apart from his family's conservative views, citing Robinson's relationship with his transgender roommate as a factor. Gray further outlined details of text messages that the prosecution believes Robinson sent to his roommate, which stated that he had been planning the shooting for just over a week. When the roommate asked why Robinson had done it, he answered, "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."[1][90] According to ABC News, the charging documents did not "indicate the relevance of those stances or whether Kirk's remarks about those issues were a motivating factor", and reported "Gray said he would let a judge determine whether the statements allegedly made constituted a confession."[1] Legal proceedings After his arrest, Robinson was transferred to Utah County Jail in Spanish Fork, where a judge ordered him held without bail.[125] He made his first court appearance by video feed on September 16 before Judge Tony Graf in the Utah County Justice Court in Provo.[97][126][127] Graf read Robinson the charges,[98] which included one count of aggravated murder, one count of felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and one count of violence committed in the presence of a child.[48] Utah state prosecutors announced that they would seek the death penalty,[3][4] citing aggravating factors; Robinson allegedly targeted Kirk for his political expression and had acted knowing children would witness the assassination.[2] On September 24, Salt Lake City attorney Kathryn Nester was appointed to defend Robinson.[128] On 29 September, Nester asked the judge for more time to review the large amount of evidence in the case before deciding if the defense would seek a preliminary hearing.[129] On October 24, a judge heard arguments over whether Robinson could wear civilian clothes and appear unrestrained during future court appearances; the defense argued that Robinson appearing in a prison uniform would undermine his right to a fair trial.[130] On October 27, the judge ruled that Robinson could wear civilian clothes, although, citing security concerns, the judge also ruled that Robinson would have to remain physically restrained.[131] The judge did prohibit members of the media from photographing or filming Robinson's restraints.[131] On November 5, following a motion from the prosecution to limit media coverage in the courtroom while Robinson was present, a number of media organizations, spearheaded by The Salt Lake Tribune, and including The New York Times, CNN, the Associated Press, and Fox News, filed a motion asking the court to notify them of any future requests to limit access to proceedings.[132] Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, supported the media's request, saying: "There have been cameras all over me. We deserve to have cameras in there."[133] Robinson's next court appearance is scheduled for January 16, 2026.[132] Aftermath Government Following Kirk's assassination, Republican government officials at the state and federal level called on the public to turn in anyone who made statements about the assassination that were considered inappropriate or distasteful. The campaign later broadened to also include statements that were critical of Kirk.[16] The New York Times has described the campaign as morphing into a conservative version of "cancel culture".[134] On September 15, the Trump administration threatened a widespread crackdown of liberal groups and donors, asserting that a network of liberal organizations promoted violence and would be dismantled. Trump stated he was looking into labeling some "terrorist organizations", and Vice President JD Vance promised to go after non-profits such as the Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation that had provided financial support for liberal and progressive causes. The New York Times suggested that First Amendment rights would make it difficult for the Trump administration to do so.[10] The announcement came amidst the Trump administration's concurrent widespread crackdowns on political opponents and civil society.[10][12][13] The administration's threats against investigating and dismantling liberal groups received widespread criticism from free speech advocates and legal experts, who denounced the moves as using Kirk's assassination as a pretext to crack down on political opposition.[14][15][13] NBC News described the Trump administration as appearing "to be using Kirk's assassination as an excuse to crack down on left-wing people and groups".[11] In response to Trump's threats, 100 liberal philanthropies wrote an open letter defending their work and criticizing the administration's intentions to dismantle them, writing: Organizations should not be attacked for carrying out their missions or expressing their values in support of the communities they serve. We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize our good work or restrict our fundamental freedoms, like freedom of speech and the freedom to give. Attempts to silence speech, criminalize opposing viewpoints, and misrepresent and limit charitable giving undermine our democracy and harm all Americans.[135] Attorney General Pam Bondi received bipartisan pushback after stating the administration would target and prosecute some criticism against Kirk as "hate speech",[136] including veiled criticism by Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor.[137] Bondi's comment was also criticized by some conservative political commentators, including Tucker Carlson and Erick Erickson.[138][139] Following the comments by Bondi, Jonathan Karl of ABC News asked the president for his opinion on comments made by some of his allies who considered hate speech to be free speech. In response, Trump said that his administration would "probably go after people like you, because you treat me so unfairly, it's hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart."[140] According to Fox News, Bondi lost confidence in FBI director Kash Patel due to his handling of the investigation and manhunt.[141] A former federal prosecutor and legal analyst at MSNBC said Patel's actions could potentially hurt the accused's right to a fair trial.[142] Since Kirk's assassination, the US Department of Justice reportedly removed a 2024 study,[143][144] titled "What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism",[145] which showed that white supremacist and far-right violence "continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism" in the United States,[146] in contrast to statements made by the Trump administration.[147] It was replaced by a notice saying: "The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs is currently reviewing its websites and materials in accordance with recent Executive Orders and related guidance. During this review, some pages and publications will be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."[146] The US State Department said it would review the legal status of immigrants found to be "praising, rationalizing, or making light" of Kirk's assassination.[148] White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller said Kirk's assassination was the result of an "ideology" that is "at war with family and nature ... that leads, always, inevitably and willfully, to violence."[149][150] He later vowed to "dismantle and take on" the violent radical left organizations in the United States by using "the power of law enforcement, under President Trump's leadership".[151] On September 17, one week after the shooting, Trump declared that he would designate antifa as a terrorist group.[152][153][154] On September 25, Trump signed a national security memorandum to direct the Justice Department, the FBI, and Joint Terrorism Task Force to focus on anti-fascist political violence "before they result in violent political acts", citing "indicators" such as anti-capitalism, anti-Americanism, and "hostility towards those who hold traditional American views".[155] Funeral, memorials, and posthumous honors Main article: Memorial service of Charlie Kirk Vice President JD Vance hosting Kirk's podcast in his honor, September 15, 2025 Memorial of Kirk on the campus of UVU; September 17, 2025. On September 11, Kirk's casket, accompanied by United States vice president JD Vance, second lady Usha Vance, and Kirk's widow Erika Kirk,[156] was transported on Air Force Two from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Phoenix, Arizona.[157] Trump ordered all federal government flags to be flown at half-staff until September 14 at 6 p.m. in Kirk's honor.[44] Critics noted that Trump had not done the same when Democratic Minnesota representative Melissa Hortman was killed in June.[158][28][159] The New York Times criticized Trump's comments,[160][161] and described him as abandoning the traditional presidential role as a unifier to instead blame his opponents and vow revenge.[8] Trump later released a video tribute to Kirk and announced that he would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[162] President Donald Trump embracing Erika Kirk at her husband's memorial; September 21, 2025 Also on September 11, a letter was published online from 16 Congressional Republicans to House speaker Johnson calling for a statue to be erected in Kirk's memory in the US Capitol.[163] On September 15, New College of Florida announced plans to erect a statue of Kirk on its campus in Sarasota.[164] Various government officials such as Karoline Leavitt, Mike Johnson, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gathered at a prayer vigil at the Kennedy Center on September 14 to honor and give remarks on Kirk's life and work."[165] A memorial service took place on September 21 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and was attended by Erika Kirk, Trump, Vance, and Elon Musk, among others.[166] During the service, Trump said in part that Kirk "did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don't want the best for them."[167] During an interview on Fox & Friends on September 19, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Catholic Church likened Kirk to a modern-day Saint Paul.[168] Firings over comments Main article: Reprisals against commentators on the Charlie Kirk assassination Further information: Suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Following the assassination of Kirk, there were widespread terminations or suspensions of workers and students for comments or social media posts either celebrating Kirk's death, or alleged to be critical of Kirk or of Republican efforts to capitalize on his death. Those fired included teachers, firefighters, and members of the military and U.S. Secret Service; many received death threats.[5][169][170] Politicians, public figures, and public and private-sector workers also faced firings, investigations, and suspensions over their comments about the killing.[171] Far-right activists like Laura Loomer called for violence and revenge,[172] and doxxed people they accused of celebrating or justifying Kirk's death.[173] An organization initially named Expose Charlie's Murderers (later rebranded to the Charlie Kirk Data Foundation) reportedly collected more than 63,000 submissions of public comments about Kirk.[174][175][176] The website, hosted under the web platform Epik, was removed on September 16 after violating its Terms of Service.[177][178] According to Epik, the domain was registered using false information and they had received credible DDoS threats.[177][179] Three days after the shooting, the site had accumulated 30,000 submissions; cybersecurity experts characterized the site as a means to coordinate harassment, and as an echo of Turning Point USA's Professor Watchlist.[169][180] Reuters reported that some right-wing influencers who encouraged reporting social media posts had previously mocked political violence; Reuters cited comments from right-wing activists, including Kirk, about past events including the attack on Paul Pelosi.[170] Several people were mistakenly identified as having made hateful comments about Kirk or his death, including a Wisconsin elementary school teacher and an IT technician for Walmart whose family had to flee their home after he was doxxed.[174] Jimmy Kimmel's show Jimmy Kimmel Live! was temporarily suspended following threats by the Federal Communications Commission to the show's broadcaster, ABC, to revoke its broadcast licences after Kimmel's comments on the assassination. On September 12, comedian Jimmy Kimmel, on his ABC late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, blamed Trump for not uniting the country after Kirk's killing and instead attacking Democrats.[181] On the September 15 episode, Kimmel said the "MAGA gang" was "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them" and was trying to "score political points" from the crime rather than sincerely grieving. FCC chief Brendan Carr said Kimmel appeared to "directly mislead the American public" and threatened possible actions against ABC, including the revocation of the broadcast licenses of its owned-and-operated stations.[182][183] On September 17, Nexstar Media Group announced that they would pre-empt Kimmel on their 32 ABC affiliated stations "for the foreseeable future".[184] Nexstar had been seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc. at the time.[183] ABC then announced that it would suspend the program indefinitely.[182][185] Variety described the suspension coming after "several prominent conservatives have called for any critic of [Kirk's] work to be silenced, no matter how nuanced the argument may be".[186][187] Kimmel's show ultimately returned days later after a public backlash.[188] On September 15, while hosting Kirk's podcast, Vice President Vance called on Americans to report those celebrating Kirk's assassination to their employers and promised to use the federal government to investigate and punish liberal organizations and donors. The Associated Press described the campaign as having "broadened to include even those whose statements were critical of Kirk without celebrating his assassination". Adam Goldstein of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression described the shift as a form of right-wing cancel culture, noting that people were being targeted for simply quoting Kirk or failing to mourn his passing adequately. Goldstein said that "government involvement in this does inch this closer to looking like McCarthyism".[16] CNN reported that Disney employees and staff members received death threats and had their email addresses and phone numbers publicized.[189] Senator Ted Cruz denounced the FCC's act by calling it "unbelievably dangerous for government to put itself in the position of saying, 'We're going to decide what speech we like and what we don't, and we're going to threaten to take you out there if we don't like what you're saying'", and noting that this behavior could be used against conservatives in the future.[190] Reactions and analysis Shortly after Kirk's death, his widow Erika spoke to viewers in a livestream from his old podcast studio at Turning Point USA's headquarters. She began the broadcast by thanking first responders, Kirk's staff, and the White House, and she pledged: "My husband's voice will remain."[165] She also called for retribution on "evil-doers", stating: "You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry."[165] She vowed to continue carrying her husband's ideals and movement and told viewers that she would make sure his name would never be forgotten.[165][191] In a later interview with The New York Times, Erika explained how she pushed to see Kirk's body against advisement by law enforcement. She reportedly told authorities, "With all due respect, I want to see what they did to my husband", before kissing him goodbye and stating that he looked like he died happy with a "Mona Lisa like half smile".[192][193] Domestic response President Donald Trump addressing the nation from the Oval Office about the shooting, September 10, 2025 The shooting saw bipartisan condemnation from politicians.[194] Messages of sympathy came from United States president Donald Trump, vice president JD Vance,[195] first lady Melania Trump,[196] House speaker Mike Johnson, Senate majority leader John Thune,[197] and former president George W. Bush,[198] among other Republicans.[44] Vance took over as host of The Charlie Kirk Show podcast for the September 15 episode, saying that he would not have become Vice President without Kirk and vowing to carry his legacy forward.[199] Democratic politicians condemned the shooting, including former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden,[44][58] Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries,[200] California governor Gavin Newsom, and Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar.[175] Politicians linked the shooting to broader political debates. Several congressional Republicans blamed Democrats and accused the left of inciting violence with rhetoric.[9][201][202] Democrats and several analysts countered that Trump's divisive rhetoric was also a factor in coarsening public debate, and that political violence had impacted both parties. Democrats also cited the killing to further discussion of gun safety legislation.[203] Trump blamed Kirk's killing on rhetoric from the "radical left".[204] However, various studies have shown that right-wing violence in the US has exceeded left-wing violence and Islamist-inspired violence.[204] In his nationwide address, Trump solely blamed the radical left for Kirk's and other recent deaths, and did not mention recent Democratic victims of violence.[205][203] NBC News called Trump's response "far more polarizing than many of the other messages offered by politicians and representatives of both parties".[203] Several publications, including among others The Economist,[204] The New York Times,[161] PBS (republishing The Conversation),[206] and Time,[207] noted that contrary to Trump's accusations, most perpetrators of political violence have been right-leaning,[208][209] a research finding that has been repeatedly confirmed.[210][211] A week after the assassination, the Department of Justice deleted from its website "What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism", a 2024 study from its National Institute of Justice that found that the majority of ideologically motivated homicides in the United States since 1990 (excluding the September 11 attacks) had been committed by right-wing extremists.[145][212] In response to Trump, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, himself the target of an arson attack some months earlier, said: "The president shouldn't cherry-pick what counts and what doesn't count. When he does that, it gives a pass to some. We can't have that. This is a moment where leaders need to speak and act with moral clarity, where we need to condemn this type of violence in our communities, in our politics."[213] The next day, Trump stated: "We have radical left lunatics out there and we just have to beat the hell out of them", but later said he hoped his supporters would be nonviolent.[214] During a Fox & Friends interview on September 12, when asked about the presence of radicals on both political sides, Trump responded: "I'll tell you something that's going to get me in trouble, but I couldn't care less. The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime ... The radicals on the left are the problem."[215][216] Trump's adviser Stephen Miller said that left-wing political organizations constitute "a vast domestic terror movement" and that "we are going to use every resource we have ... throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle and destroy these networks".[206] Opinion editors,[217] as well as both far-right commentators[176] and Trump critics,[218] have compared Kirk's killing to the Reichstag fire—the 1933 arson of the German parliament building that Hitler used as a pretext to suspend civil liberties and prosecute political opposition[218]—some calling the killing Trump's "Reichstag fire moment".[217] How Democracies Die author, professor Steven Levitsky, argued that exploiting Kirk's killing to justify unleashing attacks on critics is "page one of the authoritarian playbook".[219] Experts on political violence described the rush to assign blame as potentially leading to more conflict.[16][211] Counter-terrorism experts also described Trump's previous pardon of the January 6 attack defendants as having created a permission structure for them to commit political violence.[16][211][c] A congressional subcommittee hearing on October 28, 2025 about political violence in the United States, where Kirk's assassination is often mentioned Johnson held a 30-second moment of silence in the US House of Representatives for Kirk, observed by all House members. Following disagreements on the floor, the event descended into partisan rancor and accusations by both sides.[220] Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that The Pentagon is "tracking ... very closely" any civilian and military employee who is a Kirk detractor or who celebrated his death, to impose punishment.[221][222] Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau urged social media users to turn in foreign residents of the U.S. who mocked or celebrated Kirk's death.[223] Elon Musk said in a video clip that "people of the left" were celebrating Kirk's death, commenting: "Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die."[224] At the end of September, Musk called the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) a "hate group" and accused it of being anti-Christian in nature. This came after the assassination brought new attention to the ADL's historical work on right-wing antisemitism and other alleged extremism which included TPUSA and Kirk.[225][226][227] Following the backlash from Musk and other prominent conservatives, the FBI cut ties with the ADL and Director Kash Patel made a statement condemning the ADL.[228] ADL announced that it was retiring its "Glossary of Extremism" because "an increasing number of entries in the Glossary were outdated."[229] International responses Kirk's death garnered messages of condolence from world leaders and foreign politicians.[230][231] Argentine president Javier Milei,[232] Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese,[233] British prime minister Keir Starmer and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper,[230][234] Canadian prime minister Mark Carney,[231] Czech prime minister Petr Fiala,[235] the French foreign ministry,[230] Georgian president Mikheil Kavelashvili and prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze,[236] Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán,[230] Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu,[237] Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni,[230] Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum,[238] New Zealand deputy prime minister David Seymour,[239] Polish president Karol Nawrocki,[230] Scottish first minister John Swinney,[240] Swedish deputy prime minister Ebba Busch,[241] and the Vatican City secretary of state Pietro Parolin offered their condolences and condemned the shooting.[242] Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele criticized the media's coverage of the event.[243] Paraguayan president Santiago Peña paid tribute to Kirk during a speech commemorating the 138th anniversary of the ruling Colorado Party.[244] Pope Leo XIV expressed concern about political violence and prayed for Kirk and his family.[245][246] Russian president Vladimir Putin offered his condolences and called the assassination a "disgusting crime".[247][248] Spanish politician Santiago Abascal four days after Kirk's death, holding a shirt similar to the one Kirk had been wearing when he was shot European right-wing populist leaders drew upon Kirk's killing to galvanize their supporters and denounce the left.[230] Orbán, of the ruling Hungarian Fidesz party, linked Kirk's assassination to the attacks on the Czech former prime minister Andrej Babiš and Slovak prime minister Robert Fico and urged to "stop the hate-mongering left".[231] Georgian president Mikheil Kavelashvili and Georgian prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze similarly linked the assassination to left-wing politics, with Kobakhidze claiming the assassination showed "where these so-called liberals and pseudo-liberals are dragging the modern world".[236] Geert Wilders of the Dutch Party for Freedom said: "I repeat his true words that are valid for Europe as well: Islam is the sword the left is using to slit the throat of Europe."[230] Jordan Bardella of the French National Rally blamed the "dehumanising rhetoric of the left and its intolerance [which] fuels political violence" and Alice Weidel of Alternative for Germany said that Kirk had been killed by "a fanatic who hates our way of life".[249] Matteo Salvini, Italian deputy prime minister and leader of Lega, said that he had "cried" over Kirk's death and wished to emulate him by talking directly to youngsters.[250] In Spain, Vox and Patriots.eu president Santiago Abascal paid tribute to Kirk during his party's annual convention by wearing a shirt similar to the one Kirk had been wearing when he was shot.[251] In the United Kingdom, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage paid tribute to Kirk in the House of Commons, saying he mourned the loss of a friend,[252] and Tommy Robinson used the killing to mobilize support for the anti-immigration Unite the Kingdom rally in London on September 13.[253][254] On September 11, the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR Group) and Europe of Sovereign Nations Group (ESN Group), the right-wing and far-right political groups in the European Parliament, put forward a motion to hold a minute of silence to honor Kirk. The motion was rejected by Parliament president Roberta Metsola, although Swedish ECR Group MEP Charlie Weimers was permitted to make a statement on Kirk's shooting before the voting session began. Weimers' attempt to yield part of his time for a moment of silence was interrupted by Parliament vice president Katarina Barley.[255] French MEP Nathalie Loiseau of Renew Europe said that she had received death threats after opposing the minute of silence, and commented that even though Kirk was a victim, he "would have been considered a delinquent in France" for his "racist, antisemitic, and homophobic" opinions.[256] Valérie Hayer, leader of the Renew Europe group, similarly said that the European Parliament should not honor Kirk because of his "supremacist, racist, anti-abortion, and pro-Russian" views.[257] A moment of silence was held for Kirk at the Seimas (the Lithuanian parliament) on September 18 following a resolution from Lithuanian Farmers, Greens and Christian Families Union MP Rimas Jonas Jankūnas.[258] On September 18, Czech cardinal Dominik Duka celebrated a Requiem Mass for Kirk at the Church of Our Lady before Týn. The mass was attended by hundreds of worshippers, including politicians, while dozens of demonstrators gathered in front of the church holding banners describing Kirk as "fascist, racist and sexist".[259] Following the announcement of Kirk's killing, Russian state media said on social platforms that the United States was gearing up for a potential civil war. Chinese state media depicted the incident as indicative of a disordered and deteriorating society, afflicted by political turmoil and gun violence.[260] Media News of Kirk's shooting and subsequent death dominated the day's news agenda, with major news networks entering into "breaking news mode" around 2:50 p.m. ET, upon receiving word that Kirk had been shot in the neck area, with rolling coverage continuing throughout the day.[261] Significant public interest in the event saw Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN all "drawing larger audiences than usual". On September 10, 2025, the three networks collectively averaged 6.9 million viewers, a 65% jump from the 4.2 million who watched a week earlier. September 11 saw the three networks draw a combined audience of 6.2 million, up 72% from the prior week's 3.6 million.[262] On September 12, Fox News hosted a primetime special titled Charlie Kirk: An American Original.[263] While condemning the shooting, left-wing publications including The National, The Nation, and The New Republic accused the mass media of "whitewashing" Kirk's career.[264][265][266] Fox News host Jesse Watters commented, "They are at war with us ... We're going to avenge Charlie's death in the way he would want it avenged ... Charlie would want us to put as much pressure on these people as possible."[267][268] Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, who had been due to debate Kirk later in September, called the killing a "terrifying incident" and said, "The reverberation of people seeking out vengeance in the aftermath of this violent, abhorrent incident is going to be genuinely worrisome."[180] Popular culture "We Are Charlie Kirk" by SPALEXMA Duration: 3 minutes and 45 seconds.3:45 "We Are Charlie Kirk", an AI-generated tribute song to Kirk by SPALEXMA that became an Internet meme.[269] Problems playing this file? See media help. On the night of Kirk's assassination, Comedy Central cancelled all scheduled reruns of the South Park episode "Got a Nut", in which the character of Eric Cartman portrays a parodic version of Kirk.[270] This followed an online campaign to have the show cancelled over its satirical portrayal of Kirk shortly before his death.[271] Kirk himself had called his parody in South Park "hilarious".[272] Several National Football League and Major League Baseball teams paid tribute to Kirk in their games following his death, although teams in both leagues faced criticism from fans for either honoring Kirk or not honoring Kirk.[273][274][275] On September 12 and 13, country singer Morgan Wallen dedicated his song "I'm a Little Crazy" to Kirk's widow in performances in Edmonton.[276] On September 14, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin mentioned Kirk's family during the segment of the group's Music of the Spheres World Tour where he asks the audience to send love out into the world, adding: "You can send it to people you disagree with, but you send them love anyway."[277][278] On the same day, English rap duo Bob Vylan mocked Kirk's death at a concert in Amsterdam, with frontman Bobby Vylan saying, "The pronouns was/were. Because if you talk shit, you will get banged. Rest in piss, Charlie Kirk, you piece of shit."[279][280][d] Subsequently, a Vylan concert in Tilberg was cancelled by the venue.[281] Social media News of Kirk's death prompted fervent reactions on social media.[282][283][284] The New York Times described social media as featuring heartfelt messages from the left and right, anguish about political violence, and sharply partisan and political takes.[6] Mentions of, and comparisons with, the Reichstag fire and the murder of Horst Wessel soared.[7][285] A remark Kirk had made in 2023—"It's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights"—was reposted numerous times on social media after the shooting.[6] Several far-right figures encouraged retaliatory violence against Democrats and saw the death as a recruiting event.[172][176][149] Before the shooter's identity and motivations were known, several influential right-wing voices called for vengeance and war.[201][202] In the days after the shooting, social media platforms including Meta, YouTube, Reddit, and Bluesky issued statements denouncing posts that glorified Kirk's killing, which in extreme cases included incitement to commit violence against other right-wing commentators, or figures like J. K. Rowling.[286] According to the Associated Press, uncensored videos showing Kirk being shot spread across social media with "lightning speed".[287] Politico described this as a result of major platforms as having "dismantled many of their safeguards against toxic content — in many cases to avoid Republican criticism".[288] The Tech Transparency Project, a nonprofit watchdog organization, reported that Instagram's teen accounts, which are designed with additional safety features for teens, could readily find videos of the shooting. Organizations that monitor media for children, including Common Sense Media and parental controls app Bark, reported spikes in traffic following the shooting as parents sought out advice on how to talk to their kids about it and prevent them from seeing the video. The day after the shooting, most of the graphic videos had been removed from social media, although they still showed up in searches and algorithmic feeds, particularly on Twitter and TikTok.[289] Use of artificial intelligence on social media Artificial intelligence was initially utilized on social media mainly by supporters and mourners of Kirk to memorialize him, with popular edits depicting him being welcomed into heaven by Jesus. Since then, Kirk's likeness has been widely edited onto existing memes, music artists, and popular culture figures in a decentralized, anonymous, difficult-to-police social media trend called Kirkification.[290][291] A notable example of this is the AI-generated gospel song "We Are Charlie Kirk". Kieran Press-Reynolds, writing for GQ, called this phenomenon "a reaction or backlash to the way some conservatives have attempted to elevate Kirk into a kind of folk hero in the wake of his murder", further describing it as "cruelty for the sake of clicks and engagement" and a "hate-bait nuclear arms race".[292] Public reaction Opinion polling Public concern about political violence was high after Kirk's killing.[293] In a September 12 YouGov poll, 87% agreed that political violence is a problem. 18% of liberals and 7% of conservatives interviewed said that political violence "can sometimes be justified". Of those aged 18–29, 22% agreed, while only 3% over 65 did. YouGov said that public attitudes have varied over time depending on the identity of the victims, with concern rising more after an attack on a member of one's own party.[294] Other outlets noted earlier polls with differing results: in a May 2025 poll, roughly 20% of both parties considered violence "acceptable" for political ends,[211] while in two polls from 2023 and 2024, roughly 10% of Democrats and 30% of Republicans said that violence may be "necessary".[295][296] According to G. Elliott Morris, polling exaggerates approval of political violence; research by Bright Line Watch has found that less than 5% condone violent felonies to achieve political goals, with little difference between parties.[297] Furthermore, individuals tend to significantly overestimate approval of violence within the other party, and are less likely to support it themselves when informed of the actual statistics.[298] The day after the shooting, a YouGov poll asked if it was acceptable to be happy at the death of a public figure; 56% said it was never acceptable, 22% said it was usually unacceptable, 6% said it was usually acceptable, and 3% said it was always acceptable. Republicans were more likely than Democrats and independents to say that it was always rather than usually unacceptable.[299][300] In a September 14 poll, 51% said that the person who assassinated Kirk was driven by political beliefs, including 63% of Republican, 44% of Democrats, and 46% independents. 40% of respondents were not sure of the political affiliations of the killer; 24% said they believed he was a Republican (41% of Democrats and 13% of Republicans); 21% a Democrat (40% of Republicans and 8% of Democrats); and 15% affiliated with neither.[301][302] A September 19 Associated Press–NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found a surge in negative sentiment amongst Republican voters in the aftermath of Kirk's assassination. Just 49% of Republican voters said they felt the country was headed in the right direction, compared to the previous June 2025 survey, in which 70% of respondents who identify as Republican said the country is heading in the right direction. The same poll found 8% of Democrats said the country is moving in the right direction, down from 12% in June, and 14% of independents, down from 23% in the June poll.[303] Vigils and donations Following Kirk's death, a mural and memorial site were set up on the Utah Valley University campus, close to the site of the shooting.[65] Candlelight vigils—mostly, but not exclusively, organized by Turning Point—took place in various cities across the United States.[304] Similar vigils were also held in Albania,[305] Australia,[306] Canada,[307][308] France,[309] Germany,[310] Italy,[310] Malta,[311] Spain,[310] South Africa,[309] South Korea,[312] and the United Kingdom.[306][313] Several online fundraisers were set up in Kirk's name to honor his legacy and provide financial support for his family. By September 14, the different fundraisers had received donations of over $6 million.[314] Misinformation and conspiracy theories A lack of initial information sparked mass speculation about the killing.[315] Also, disinformation about Robinson was widely shared on social media by both the political left and right, including a doctored photo of him wearing a pro-Trump shirt, and false claims he was a registered Republican, had donated to Trump's campaign, or was a registered member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[316][317] China, Iran, and Russia spread disinformation using social media bots to inflame divisions and promote their foreign policy objectives.[318][260] Artificial intelligence tools such as Grok, Perplexity AI, and AI Overviews also disseminated misinformation.[319] Hours after the shooting, conservative media and commentators began speculating that the shooter was transgender because Kirk was in the middle of answering a question about transgender people when he was shot.[320][321] Further, The New York Times noted that this was "a grim coincidence that has fed into online conspiracies and speculation", and Hunter Kozak, who asked Kirk the question, later said: "I couldn't have asked a worse question."[322] Kirk himself had been a strong proponent of the idea that there was a prevalence of transgender mass shooters despite this not being the case, as shown by multiple statistical analyses.[clarification needed][323] Numerous conspiracy theories about the assassination were posted online.[324] Political consultant Roger Stone said the attack appeared to have been "a professional hit either by a nation state, rogue elements of our own government or a terrorist organization".[315] One theory, promulgated by Russian state media RT, centered on people standing near Kirk, who were purported to have made "unusual gestures" before he was killed.[324][315] Several senior Russian officials, including former president Dmitry Medvedev and Kremlin special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, speculated on social media about a connection between Kirk's killing and United States support for Ukraine because Kirk had been a critic of Western financial and political support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.[325][326] Following the publication of alleged text messages between Robinson and his partner in the September 16 indictment, observers on both sides of the political spectrum expressed serious doubts about their authenticity. Conspiracy theory experts, such as Joseph Uscinski, called those contentions into question, and criminal law expert Steven B. Duke stated: "There is nothing in those messages making it even plausible that they were written by law enforcement."[327] "Transgender ideology" misinformation See also: Misinformation about violence by transgender people Early reporting, notably in The Wall Street Journal, falsely said that the inscriptions on the bullets were found as having messaging related to "transgender ideology", citing what they claimed was an internal bulletin of the ATF.[328] These reports were met with calls for caution from trans journalists—who said that "transgender ideology" was a term commonly used in right-wing circles to frame transgender identity as a political choice—and The New York Times reported that a senior law enforcement official with knowledge of the case said that the alleged bulletin had not been verified, and that it did not match other summaries of evidence; however, prominent conservative figures still seized on The Wall Street Journal's report to call for further action against the trans community, including banning pride flags and incarcerating all transgender people en masse.[328][329] When the details of the actual messages, which did not contain any such references, were made public, the Human Rights Campaign published an open letter demanding a retraction and a public apology for publishing of the misinformation, saying: "This reporting was reckless and irresponsible, and it led to a wave of threats against the trans community from right-wing influencers—and a resulting wave of terror for a community that is already living in fear."[328][330] The Wall Street Journal later amended the story with a note from the editor but did not issue a retraction.[331][332][333] More transgender conspiracy theories were spread after it was reported that the suspected shooter had a transgender partner, with some speculating that Robinson may have been motivated to kill Kirk because of Kirk's views and rhetoric on transgender people. Jacey Thornton, an executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group Rainbow Utah, noted, "It sounds like [they're] really stretching to find a way to tie this in to the trans community", adding that this is "very harmful to this ongoing dialogue that's happening, especially on social media".[105][110] This theorizing was further amplified by the timing of the Charlie Kirk assassination, which occurred just two weeks after a transgender individual shot and killed 2 children and wounded 21 others at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on August 27, 2025.[334] Purported Groyper motive It was speculated by social media users that one of the inscriptions found on the bullets could be a reference to the far-right Groyper culture,[83] based in part on the adversarial stance that the Groypers had towards Kirk, such as during their 2019 heckling campaign.[335] Axios described these speculations as "baseless".[336] Groyper leader Nick Fuentes also rejected the speculation, stating that his followers were being "framed".[335][336] Alleged involvement of Israel In the days immediately following Kirk's assassination, conspiracy theories emerged about the involvement of Israel. Many sources, including Israeli media, have stated that these theories are rooted in antisemitism.[337][338][339] Some commentators attempted to link the event to the Israeli Mossad and to Kirk's comments about the Epstein files,[340][338][339] and Maram Susli resurfaced an August 2025 post by an Infowars host who stated that Kirk believed "Israel will kill [him] if he turns against them".[339] Tucker Carlson was accused by some pro-Israel groups in the United States of making antisemitic comments at the service for Kirk by suggesting he supported the conspiracy theory that Jews or Israel were responsible for the assassination. Carlson said that Kirk's assassination reminded him of the death of Jesus Christ, whom he said was killed by powerful people for telling the truth.[341][342] Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the theories, calling them "insane" and issuing multiple video messages claiming no Israeli government involvement in the assassination.[338][343][344] On October 6, right-wing commentator Candace Owens revealed private WhatsApp group messages where Kirk claimed to have "no choice but to leave the pro-Israel cause" due to having lost $2 million from a Jewish donor over his refusal to condemn Tucker Carlson.[345][346] A day later, Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet published a video confirming the authenticity of the leaked text messages.[347][348][needs update] See also Gun violence in the United States Political violence in the 2024 United States presidential election List of school shootings in the United States by death toll Notes Aggravated murder Felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury Obstruction of justice (2 counts) Witness tampering (2 counts) Commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child Victim targeting enhancement (3 counts)[1] The New York Times linked to this video, posted on September 11, 2025, by TMZ, and stated it seemed to show the suspect in the area described by the investigators. The article also includes a satellite view showing the movements of the suspect around this time, with a location labelled "Seen in TMZ video".[46] The Washington Post published a satellite view with a nearby location labelled "TMZ video point-of-view".[47] Most perpetrators do not belong to any formal organization; instead, extremist ideologies spread on social media, where "a crude language of memes, slang and jokes blurs the line between posturing and provoking violence, normalizing radical ideologies and activities".[211] For an overview of experts' views predating Kirk's assassination, see Hsu, Spencer S.; Silverman, Ellie; Zakrzewski, Cat (January 22, 2025). "Clemency for Oath Keepers, Proud Boys fuels extremism threat, experts say". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025. Vylan's imperative was variously transcribed as "rest in peace" or "rest in piss".[279][280] References Haworth, Jon; Forrester, Megan (September 16, 2025). "Tyler Robinson said he killed Charlie Kirk because he 'spreads too much hate': Officials". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 19, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025. Lee, Ella (September 16, 2025). "Utah seeks death penalty against Charlie Kirk's suspected killer". The Hill. Archived from the original on September 17, 2025. Retrieved October 3, 2025. "Live updates: Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson charged with murder; prosecutors seek death penalty". NBC News. September 16, 2025. Archived from the original on September 17, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025. "Live updates: Charlie Kirk shooting suspect charged with murder, prosecutors to seek death penalty". The Washington Post. September 16, 2025. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on September 16, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025. Feuer, Alan; Bensinger, Ken; Salhotra, Pooja (September 12, 2025). "Right-Wing Activists Urge Followers to Expose Those Celebrating Kirk Killing". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2025. "After Charlie Kirk's death, teachers and professors nationwide fired or disciplined over social media posts". NBC News. September 12, 2025. Nguyen, Audrey; Joffe-Block, Jude; Jingnan, Huo (September 13, 2025). "People are losing jobs due to social media posts about Charlie Kirk". NPR. Archived from the original on September 13, 2025. Luscombe, Richard (September 13, 2025). "Several people fired after clampdown on speech over Charlie Kirk shooting". The Guardian. Riccardi, Nicholas; Konstantin, Toropin (September 15, 2025). "Trump administration joins Republicans' campaign to police speech in reaction to Kirk's murder". Associated Press. Retrieved September 15, 2025. Kircher, Madison Malone; McKinley, Jesse (September 10, 2025). "Social Media Falls Into Well Worn Grooves After Charlie Kirk's Death". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 11, 2025. Retrieved September 11, 2025. Cramer, Philissa (September 11, 2025). "Antisemitism flares and 'Reichstag' mentions soar online in wake of Charlie Kirk assassination". Jewish Telegraph Agency. Archived from the original on September 11, 2025. Retrieved September 21, 2025. Baker, Peter (September 14, 2025). "In an Era of Deep Polarization, Unity Is Not Trump's Mission". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2025. Retrieved September 14, 2025. Karni, Annie; Mineiro, Megan; Gold, Michael; Edmondson, Katie; Jimison, Robert (September 11, 2025). "After Kirk Assassination, Fear and Vitriol Intensify in Congress". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 12, 2025. Retrieved September 12, 2025. Other Republicans used the opportunity to condemn liberal beliefs as evil. 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