Donald Trump gave a baffling reply when asked how he was handling Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting — instead of expressing sympathy, he immediately launched into a lengthy plug for the new White House ballroom and the trucks on site, a moment many on social media took as proof he “doesn’t care about anybody” but himself.
The public noticed and reacted after President Donald Trump gave an unusual answer to a reporter’s question about Charlie Kirk’s death on Friday morning. The far-right activist had been fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University earlier in the week, and media accounts suggested Trump was close to Kirk and grieving. Many viewers found his response instead oddly self-focused.
When asked how he was holding up, Trump did not speak about the victim or the family; he shifted to describing the new White House ballroom under construction. He remarked, “I think very good,” and pointed out trucks at the site before launching into details about the ballroom project, noting it was something “they’ve been trying to get…for about 150 years.”
Trump went on to praise the work and predict the ballroom would be “a beauty” and “one of the best anywhere in the world,” describing the construction as just begun and promising it “will get done very nicely.” A short clip of the exchange circulated online.
Social media users reacted with disbelief and criticism. One commenter summed up the tone of many posts: “Every day he proves more and more just how much he doesn’t care about anybody or anything other than himself.” The article notes that many people posted their thoughts in response to the video.
