Donald Trump fuels heated debate after 'ignoring' question about Charlie Kirk's death

Donald Trump has sparked a divide by deflecting a question about Charlie Kirk, for the second time since the right-wing influencer's assassination.

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot while speaking at a university event in Utah on September, with the US president himself being the first to break the devastating news to the world.

He wrote on his own social media platform, Truth Social, at the time: "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead.

"No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.

"Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you."

The two were political allies and Trump even comforted Kirk's widow Erika at his funeral on Sunday (21 September), as well as giving a speech to the crowds of people in attendance.

However, the US president came under fire twice now for avoiding interview questions about the late podcaster.

Earlier this month, a reporter asked Trump how he was 'holding up' after Kirk's killing, but the president responded by talking about the White House ballroom renovations.

He responded: "I think very good. And by the way, right there you see all the trucks; they just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House.

"Which is something they’ve been trying to get as you know for about 150 years, and it’s gonna be a beauty, it’ll be an absolutely magnificent structure."

Trump added: “And I just see all the trucks, they just started, so it’ll get done uh very nicely and it’ll be one of the best anywhere in the world, actually,”

And now, a similar moment occurred on Thursday (25 September) when the US president signed an executive order that he says will allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States, in a way that meets national security concerns laid out by the law.

Much is still unknown about the actual deal in the works, but Trump said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has approved it.

During a press conference in the Oval Office, he was asked if he thinks getting the deal done honours Kirk.

To which Trump responded: "I think it's a good thing, it's a good sign. We're doing very well as you know with the trade deals. We're doing very well with China... We were never treated properly."

And him seemingly dodging the question as sparked another social media debate.

Twitter users brutally penned: "He’s over that!" and "Still mourning his friend I see."

While others added: "Charlie, who? He doesn't care!" and "He's already forgotten who Charlie Kirk was."

However, others have pointed out that it was a rather odd question and he may not have known how to answer it.

Someone argued: "In Trump's defence here what kind of dips**t question is 'do you think this TikTok deal you made with China properly honours Charlie Kirk?'"

While a second questioned: "What a stupid question. How would a trade deal have anything to do with Charlie Kirk?"

And a third agreed: "Why should a deal honour anyone?! The US is weird."

"This is objectively also a very weird question to ask, right? I can't possibly be missing context that would make this question not weird, right??" penned a fourth.