Trump orders flags to be flown as half mast at White House and other service grounds as “mark of respect” for Charlie Kirk

On September 10, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation directing that U.S. flags on government buildings and federally-owned posts must be at half-staff in memory of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot earlier that day while attending an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

The proclamation stated that the flags were to be lowered at the White House, on other federal buildings, military posts, naval stations in the United States, in overseas embassies and other U.S. facilities, until sunset on September 14. Trump declared that the order was “as a mark of respect for the memory of Charlie Kirk.”

"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" Trump said in the statement.

Word that Kirk had been killed spread quickly through Washington on Wednesday afternoon and rattled White House staff and political associates who had long known the 31-year-old conservative commentator.

Staffers told officials that the President was briefed in real time as this situation was developing, with aides coming into the Oval Office and the Situation Room being updated on what was occurring.

Tributes from Donald Trump and allies

President Trump was one of the earliest people to publicly confirm Kirk's death, referring to Kirk as a "patriot who loved his country very much." The Vice President, JD Vance, who had been a longtime friend of Kirk, also released a statement, calling on Americans to pray for Kirk's family and others affected by the violence.

"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us," Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Vance and Kirk spoke at campaign events throughout Ohio together when Vance was running for the Senate seat in 2022, and Vice President Vance had previously credited Kirk for helping him get established politically.

Donald Trump Jr. posted a heavy emotional tribute on social media, calling Kirk “like a little brother.” He reflected on the precariousness of life and the need to express admiration while people are here.

"This loss is absolutely devastating — not only for Erika and the kids, but for our country. We’ve lost a leader, a fighter, and a man whose character and conviction were rare. Too rare," he wrote on X.

The lowering of the flags symbolized not only sorrow but also recognition of Kirk's influence on conservative politics in the last ten years. To many in the Trump administration, the display was far more personal, paying tribute to a man once thought of as an ally.