'Could have been president someday': Donald Trump calls Charlie Kirk great individual; 'devastated' by his death

In a fresh revelation, US President Donald Trump said he believed his ally and right-wing activist Charlie Kirk could have been president someday.

The remarks from Trump were disclosed by CNBC host Joe Kernen during the latest episode of " Squawk Box ." He said that Trump called him to congratulate as his show celebrated its 30th anniversary on Thursday. During the call, Trump said that he is "devastated" after Kirk's killing .

Kernen remembered, "He's devastated about Charlie Kirk and said that, 'What a guy, what a great individual,' and he said he helped him greatly in the last election and thinks that Charlie Kirk could have been president someday, he was such a talented guy."

🚨 WATCH: CNBC’s Joe Kernen says President Trump just called him to congratulate @SquawkCNBC on 30 years: He's devastated about Charlie Kirk — and said he thinks Charlie could've been President one day. He went on to say the country will heal and if the country wins, we'll all be… pic.twitter.com/gg8JNDksow

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) September 11, 2025

Trump on Thursday said that investigators are making progress to track down the suspect, calling the killer an "animal."

The US president said that he spoke with Kirk's widow, Erika. "We had a long talk, and she's devastated. She's absolutely devastated, as you can imagine," he said.

When asked about a motive behind the attack, Trump said he had "an indication" but declined to share details. "We'll let you know about that later," he added.

Kirk was shot in the neck on Wednesday at Utah Valley University . He is survived by his wife, Erica, and two young daughters.