Trump Hints At Discovery Of Shooter’s Motive: ‘I Have An Indication’

President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that investigators may be closing in on understanding the motive behind the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk. While speaking with reporters, Trump hinted he had received information on the matter but stopped short of revealing specifics.

When asked directly whether authorities had made progress, Trump responded, “Well, I hear they’re making big progress, and we’ll have to see what happens.” Pressed further about whether he had any indication of the shooter’s motive, the President replied, “I have an indication, yeah, but we’ll let you know about that later.”

His comments come just over 24 hours after Kirk, 31, was gunned down while hosting an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, an attack being treated as an apparent targeted political assassination.

Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and one of the most influential voices among America’s younger generation, was seated at a “Prove Me Wrong” debate table during his “American Comeback Tour” when a single rifle round tore through the open-air tent.

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The bullet struck Kirk in the neck as thousands of students looked on in horror. Authorities say the shot came from a rooftop on a nearby campus building, more than 200 yards away from the stage. Kirk collapsed instantly and was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Utah Governor Spencer Cox called the killing a political assassination, reflecting the widespread belief among state and federal officials that Kirk was deliberately targeted.

The FBI is leading the investigation alongside Utah law enforcement. As of Thursday, no suspect has been charged, though authorities have released surveillance images of a “person of interest.” Officials confirmed that two individuals were initially taken into custody but later released after being cleared of involvement.

According to law enforcement, video footage shows the suspect climbing to the roof, firing the fatal shot, then fleeing on foot into a nearby neighborhood. Rewards have been offered for information leading to the arrest of the killer, and the FBI has urged the public to come forward with tips.

Despite the high-profile nature of the case and the pressure to produce answers, Trump’s comments suggest investigators may be closing in on the shooter’s motivation—though not yet ready to make it public.

The killing of Kirk has triggered widespread grief and condemnation across the political spectrum. President Trump, a longtime ally of Kirk, ordered flags on federal buildings to be flown at half-staff in his honor. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, will accompany Kirk’s body on Air Force Two as it is flown back to his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. At a 9/11 memorial event, Trump announced Kirk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Kirk rose to prominence by building Turning Point USA into a conservative powerhouse on college campuses, drawing thousands of young people to his direct style. His signature “Prove Me Wrong” debates brought students face-to-face with a cultural lightning rod who thrived on defending conservative ideas in the very environments where they were most often challenged.

The Utah event drew an estimated 3,000 attendees, many of them students who had looked forward to sparring with Kirk in person. Instead, they witnessed what authorities believe to be one of the most brazen acts of political violence in recent American history.