Trump Believed Charlie Kirk ‘Could’ve Been President Some Day’

Squawk Box host Joe Kernen revealed that President Donald Trump called him early Thursday while he was off the set, privately sharing he was “devastated” at the assassination of Charlie Kirk and said he believed the activist “could’ve been president some day.”

Kernen said that Trump personally phoned to congratulate him on Squawk Box’s 30th anniversary when he reflected on the events of the past 24-hours.

“[When] I left the set […] President Trump actually called in, and I figured I’d take that call. ‘Happy anniversary. Happy 30 years.’ He loves what we do. Yeah, loves what we do every morning. Said, make sure you tell Becky [Quick] and Andrew [Ross Sorkin] that he loves what you do,” Kernen relayed.

Detailing Trump’s comments about Kirk, Kernan continued:

And he’s devastated about Charlie Kirk and said that what a guy, what a great individual and he said he helped him greatly in the last election and thinks that Charlie Kirk could have been president some day, he was such a talented guy.

Then he went on to say the country will heal, he’s focused on what he has been focused on and he says ‘I’m focused on winning, if the country wins and if I do everything I can to help the country win, that we’re all going to be able to come together again.’

So that was his message.

Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA, a right-wing student advocacy group, was a close ally of Trump and a friend to the president’s sons. When news broke of the activist’s murder Trump took to Truth Social to call him “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk,” and ordered flags lowered to half-mast until Sunday.

During a condolence call from MSNBC’s Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough late Wednesday. the president also credited Kirk with mobilizing the youth vote that helped secure his 2024 win.

Watch above via CNBC.