President Donald Trump Skips Kennedy Center Vigil for Charlie Kirk to Play Golf
President Donald Trump's absence from a high-profile vigil in Washington on Sunday drew attention as mourners gathered to honor the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
President Donald Trump did not attend the vigil held Sunday, September 15, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., honoring conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot earlier this month. Instead, the president spent the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a forum dubbed the Generation Next Summit at the White House on March 22, 2018 in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
The White House confirmed that Trump was in Bedminster for a previously scheduled appearance at the "Hope Through Education" gala on Saturday, September 14, 2025, held at Trump National Golf Club. During the event, Trump addressed Kirk's killing and described the accused gunman, Tyler Robinson, as a "radicalized" individual.
President Donald Trump and Charlie Kirk on July 15, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida. | Source: Getty Images
By Sunday evening, Trump had returned to the White House residence around 6:30 p.m., roughly half an hour after the vigil began at 6 p.m., just over a mile away. His absence stood out, as the gathering drew more than 80 members of Congress and prominent political allies who came to pay their respects.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt represented the president at the Kennedy Center, telling the crowd that Trump "loved" Kirk deeply and was grieving his loss.
Although Trump skipped the vigil, the White House confirmed he will attend Kirk's funeral in Arizona on Saturday, September 21, 2025, following an official state visit to the United Kingdom earlier that week.
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