The Kennedy Center was filled with candlelight, prayers, and quiet tears as hundreds gathered to honor Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist whose sudden death stunned the nation. Friends, colleagues, and supporters remembered him as a fearless voice who inspired a generation. Yet, while many familiar figures from Washington appeared at the vigil, one absence stood out and quickly became the focus of conversation — former President Donald Trump, Kirk’s longtime ally, was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, Trump spent the weekend at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, golfing with Newsmax host Rob Schmitt before attending a charity gala on Sunday evening. As the vigil unfolded in Washington, the president was photographed at the Hope Through Education event. His absence from the tribute at the Kennedy Center left many attendees surprised, though he did release a statement calling Kirk’s death a “national tragedy” and ordering U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff.
