Trump Says 'Radical Left' Directly Responsible For Kirk Shooting, Political Violence

WASHINGTON, D.C. — During an address to the nation from the Oval Office Wednesday regarding the fatal shooting of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump blamed the attack on the "radical left."

"For years, those on the radical left have compared Americans like Charlie to Nazis, the world's worst mass murderers and criminals," Trump said. "This kind of rhetoric is directly for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now."

The president also announced he will posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, who he described as "a martyr for truth and freedom."

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot Wednesday during a question and answer session on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The Arlington Heights native and Wheeling High School graduate, who founded Turning Point USA, leaves behind a wife and two small children.

As of Thursday morning, a suspect in the shooting remains at large, but is believed to have blended in with college students on the Utah campus, according to law enforcement officials.

"They have a virtual manhunt out there. So we'll see what happens," Trump said Thursday after attending a 9/11 memorial ceremony at the Pentagon, reports The Associated Press. "We hope we get 'em."

RELATED: New Details Released On Charlie Kirk Shooter

Trump said in honor of Kirk's memory, his administration will track down "those who contributed to this atrocity," as well as anyone else responsible for other acts of political violence. The president mentioned "those that go after our judges, law enforcement officials and everyone else who brings law and order to our country" will be targeted.

"From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year, which killed a husband and father, to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a health care executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others," Trump said. "Radical left political violence has hurt too many people and taken too many lives."

Former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden condemned Kirk's killing.

"We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy," Obama said. "Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children."

Biden also said he would be praying for Kirk's family, adding, "There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now."

In Trump's remarks, the president did not mention any recent violence against Democrats, including the June killing of Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband. A state senator and his wife were also wounded.

Vance Boelter, who authorities believe may have been targeting Democrats specifically, was indicted July 15 on six counts of murder, stalking and firearms violations. He pled not guilty last month.

A fire was also set in April at the home of Democrat Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish. A man was charged with counts including attempted homicide, arson, aggravated assault, burglary and terrorism in the incident.

RELATED: 'Senseless Violence Came To My Door' — Vance Boelter Visited Rep. Bahner's Home

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) is blaming Kirk's death on Democrats. While being interviewed on the steps of Capitol Hill Wednesday, she mentioned that Kirk was talking about transgender mass shooters immediately before the incident.

"I hope that every single Democrat across the country will stand up and acknowledge that they have a problem within their party," Mace said during the interview captured here by The Associated Press. "Democrats own this."

As of Thursday, law enforcement officials have not released any political motivations, if there are any, of the suspect in Kirk's shooting.

A reporter asked Mace if her problem is with "political violence across the spectrum," to which the senator attempted to shift the interview back to discussing Kirk, adding that "Democrats own this 100 percent."