White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed Monday that Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk reached out to her the day before his assassination to send a children’s book to her one-year-old son.
Turning Point USA Frontlines White House correspondent Monica Paige was in the new media seat for the briefing, and asked Leavitt for her favorite memory of Kirk.
“Charlie was a great guy, and he was, of course, a very influential person in the conservative movement, in the MAGA movement,” Leavitt responded. “He was so helpful to the president during the campaign and to all of us who worked on that campaign, that historic campaign. I myself had many great memories going on Charlie’s amazing podcast and his show.”
Leavitt added that Kirk frequently passed along “words of encouragement” to others via text message.
“In fact, my last text exchange with him was the day before he died, and he was asking for my husband and I’s address to send a children’s book to our son, and I think that just speaks to the type of person that he was,” she recounted. “And I know so many of us here at the White House are going to miss him very much.”
Paige also asked Leavitt if she had a message to Americans afraid to profess “their beliefs, values, and morals” in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, to which Leavitt cited the president.
“I think the President has answered this, and I will leave it to his response, Monica, where he so beautifully said we have to keep fighting, we have to keep speaking up. We have to keep speaking our mind,” she responded. “I know that’s what Charlie would want us to do. And we have a right to free speech in this country.”
Breitbart News asked Leavitt if Trump would like to see Congress pass a law establishing a national holiday to honor Kirk annually.
“That’s an interesting question,” she added. “I’m sure he wouldn’t oppose such a thing, but you can pose that to him yourself next time you get the chance.”
