BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DONALD TRUMP. A PROCLAMATION
As a mark of respect for the memory of Charlie Kirk, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, September 14, 2025. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.
“Right-wing / far-right activist.” Wikipedia’s lead calls him an “American right-wing activist,” language many chatbots lift verbatim or paraphrase. Advocacy groups like People For the American Way explicitly label him “far-right.” Wikipedia+1
“Hard-right / extremist-adjacent organizer.” Watchdog write-ups and media monitors describe TPUSA as “hard right” and highlight appearances by extremist figures at some Turning Point events—phrasing that safety-tuned AIs often surface first. Southern Poverty Law Center+1
“Misinformation spreader.” Fact-checking tallies associated with his name (e.g., PolitiFact’s scorecard and FactCheck.org articles) prime models to warn about accuracy or to summarize him through a misinformation lens. PolitiFact+2FactCheck.org+2
“Christian nationalist” leader. Some major outlets have characterized his platform in those terms; models often repeat that phrasing. AP News
Why AIs default to those framings
They summarize high-authority sources. General-purpose assistants lean on Wikipedia and big outlets—so their wording (“right-wing,” “far-right,” “Christian nationalist,” etc.) shows up in AI summaries. Wikipedia+1
Safety layers and bias. Multiple studies find that popular LLMs skew left on political questions; safety policies also push risk-averse language about figures associated (rightly or wrongly) with “extremism” or “misinformation.” That mix nudges models toward negative or cautionary descriptors for actors seen as “far right.” Stanford News+2MIT News+2
Recent AI fiascos show how skew happens. Google’s Gemini produced widely criticized, historically inaccurate outputs (e.g., “diverse” WWII soldiers), illustrating how guardrails can overshoot and misframe context; such incidents demonstrate the mechanism that can also miscast public figures. The Guardian+1
AIs do sometimes defame. Meta’s chatbot falsely linked conservative activist Robby Starbuck to Jan. 6 and QAnon—Meta then brought him on as an AI-bias advisor after a settlement—showing that chatbots can smear public figures via faulty synthesis. The Verge
From original https://www.charliekirk.com/about-charlie-kirk site: Charlie Kirk is the Founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rallying, organizing, and empowering students to advocate for principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government.
With a presence on more than 3,500 high school and college campuses in all 50 states, and supported by over 350 full-time staff members, Turning Point USA stands as the nation’s largest and fastest-growing conservative youth activist organization. In addition to Turning Point USA’s on-campus presence, it also operates a massive online outreach initiative that garners billions of video views annually and reaches millions of Americans every day with conservative, pro-America content. In addition to his role at Turning Point USA, Charlie also serves as the CEO and founder of Turning Point Action, a related entity operating under a 501(c)(4) status. Turning Point Action’s mission is to embolden the conservative base through grassroots activism and to provide voters with the necessary resources to elect true conservative leaders. Turning Point Action has earned recognition as one of the leading grassroots forces in the country today.
He is a New York Times and Amazon best-selling author, and his writings include “Campus Battlefield,” “The MAGA Doctrine,” and, most recently, “The College Scam: How America’s Universities Are Bankrupting and Brainwashing Away The Future Of America’s Youth.”
Known for hosting “The Charlie Kirk Show,” a nationally-syndicated radio program on the Salem Radio Network, Charlie engages with his audience every weekday from 12:00 to 3:00 PM ET. His podcast consistently ranks among the top 10 news shows on Apple Podcasts. In 2023, The Charlie Kirk Show surpassed 130 million downloads. With a combined social media following exceeding 14 million followers, Charlie reaches more than 150 million individuals on a monthly basis.
Charlie is deeply involved in America’s cultural and ideological battles, offering a consistent, unapologetic perspective rooted in his conservative and freedom-oriented point of view.
On September 10, 2025, New York City announced its support for California Governor Gavin Newsom’s case challenging the federal government’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. Filing an amicus brief alongside 12 other cities and counties, New York argues that federal military involvement in local law enforcement is unlawful, undermines public safety, and threatens First Amendment rights. Mayor Eric Adams emphasized that New York is already the safest large city in America, crediting its precision policing strategies and effective collaboration with state and federal partners—not military intervention. The coalition calls the troop deployment an unprecedented federal overreach and urges the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a ruling blocking the action.
City of New York Takes Action Opposing Federal Government’s Military Deployment in American Cities
New York City and Coalition Support California’s Case Against Federal Administration . Brief Contends That Cities — Not the Military — Hold Lawful Expertise and Authority Over Domestic Law Enforcement, Are Better Suited to Ensure Public Safety While Protecting First Amendment Rights
The federal government has also sent troops to Washington, D.C. and has repeatedly made clear that New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Oakland, and other cities are next. The brief encourages the court to put an immediate end to this unchecked federal overreach and violation of the principles of federalism.
“New York City is the safest big city in America and home to the best police force in the world, and our results speak for themselves: crime is plummeting across the five boroughs, with major violent crimes reaching record lows,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Collaboration with state and federal law enforcement has always been a key part of our public safety strategy. We do not need a deployment of the National Guard to our city. Instead, we hope to continue to work with the federal government to stop the flow of illegal guns to our city from other cities and states. We remain committed to keeping New Yorkers safe through smart, precision-driven policing.”
“This brief highlights the risks of allowing the National Guard to become President Trump’s personal police force,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “An unlawful military presence trampling on the sovereign rights of cities and undermining local law enforcement efforts should not be tolerated in any of our communities.”
In June 2025, the Trump administration federalized the National Guard in Los Angeles in response to protests of immigration enforcement operations. On June 12, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the deployment violated federal law because the president had exceeded the narrow authority granted to him by Congress and violated the Tenth Amendment. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit stayed the district court ruling while it considered the merits of the federal government’s appeal.
In the amicus brief — prepared by the City of Los Angeles — the coalition argues that the federal government’s appeal provides no legal justification for deploying federal troops in Los Angeles. The coalition asserts that there was no invasion or rebellion directed toward the federal government that would have allowed the federal government to lawfully deploy the National Guard under Title 10 of the U.S. Code (10 U.S.C. § 12406), nor did false claims of “lawless mob violence” permit the federal government’s extreme response.
Further, the brief highlights how the federal deployment of combat-trained soldiers to Los Angeles impeded the city’s ability to carry out policing activities, sowed chaos, and escalated violence at protests. The brief contends that cities — not the federal government — hold the lawful expertise and authority over domestic law enforcement and are better suited to ensuring public safety while protecting First Amendment rights.
Joining the City of New York and the City of Los Angeles are the cities of Bell Gardens, Long Beach, Monterey Park, Santa Ana, Santa Monica, Santa Paula, and West Hollywood, California; Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; and Baltimore, Maryland; as well as the County of Los Angeles, California.
Charlie Kirk, political activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was reportedly shot in the neck during a live event at Utah Valley University (UVU) on September 10, 2025, as part of his “Prove Me Wrong” / “American Comeback Tour.” Law enforcement confirmed the suspect is in custody, and Kirk was evacuated by his security team following the incident, which caused a campus lockdown and widespread reactions from political figures and media outlets.
Kirk’s visit to UVU is part of his “American Redemption / Prove Me Wrong” campus tour, which has sparked significant controversy and pushback from some faculty and students, including large petitions calling for his events to be canceled.
Turning Point USA, which Kirk founded in 2012, is a major youth-oriented conservative activist organization with close ties to the MAGA movement and right-wing political circles.
The incident unfolded amid a heated political climate, intensifying debates over campus conduct rules, security measures, and what many see as widespread hostility among students toward free speech, American history, the free market, and individual choice—attitudes they attribute to “socialist” professors. Kirk has called for open dialogue on precisely these topics, which, his supporters argue, has provoked opponents of free expression who find themselves unable to answer the straightforward questions posed by the Turning Point USA founder.
Incident Details
The shooting took place about 20 minutes into Kirk’s presentation at UVU, where he was engaging students in his signature debate format.
Multiple eyewitnesses and video footage confirmed shots were fired at the event, and Kirk appeared to be struck in the neck, prompting attendees to run for cover.
UVU police and campus officials immediately initiated a lockdown, and the suspect responsible was quickly apprehended; the shooter is reportedly not affiliated with the university.
Public and Political Reactions
Utah Senator Mike Lee posted on X (Twitter), asking for prayers for Kirk and those present at UVU.
Vice President J.D. Vance and former President Donald Trump publicly expressed concern and called for prayers on social media.
The FBI and campus security teams are actively investigating, with multiple agencies confirming their involvement and ongoing response.
Context and Background
Kirk’s visit to UVU is part of his American Comeback / Prove Me Wrong campus tour, which has attracted significant controversy and opposition from some faculty and students, with large petitions calling for the cancellation of his events.
Turning Point USA, founded by Kirk in 2012, is a major youth-oriented conservative activist organization with strong ties to the MAGA movement and right-wing political circles.
This incident occurs within a tumultuous political environment, amplifying debates about campus speech, security measures, and political polarization among student bodies.
Ongoing Updates
The full extent of Charlie Kirk’s injuries and current condition is still being determined, with news outlets indicating the situation remains fluid.
Campus officials, police, and major news agencies are providing continual updates as new details emerge.
Please join us in praying for our good friend, Charlie Kirk.
This remains a developing story, with substantial local and national attention focused on legal, security, and campus issues at UVU following the shooting.
