What is the White House's $58 million security request following Charlie Kirk’s assassination? Details explored

The White House has requested $58 million from Congress to increase security for the executive and judicial branches in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The Trump administration has insisted that extra funding should be included in the stopgap bill to avoid a federal government shutdown deadline on September 30, 2025. On September 9, 2025, the White House sent a list of anomalies it wants funded at different levels under this temporary funding patch.

According to a report in CBS News, House Speaker Mike Johnson said:

“We've got to protect people who run for public office, or no one will, and that's heavy on our hearts and minds, as we also, you know, work through the trauma of what happened.”

The assassination of Charlie Kirk during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University has sparked new fears among political figures and the public. Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at the campus as part of his “American Comeback Tour.”

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Understanding how House members got more security funding before Charlie Kirk killing

Before Charlie Kirk was assassinated, House members received increased security funding through an update in the security framework as a new pilot program was launched in July 2025. It offered an extra allowance for hiring personal security in response to surging threats against the lawmakers.

Members can now spend $20,000 to increase the security of their respective residences, which is double the previous allotment of $10,000, according to a release from the Committee on House Administration, as reported by CNN.

In addition to this, they will have $5,000 a month to pay for personal security through the end of September 2025. The memo added:

“The enhanced Member security framework aims to address security gaps and alleviate Members’ concerns while fulfilling their duties as elected officials, particularly in their districts and residences. The intent of the program is that local law enforcement can provide additional coverage should a threat arise”

Speaking about the “pilot program” introduced in July 2025, House Speaker Mike Johnson told the reporters:

“The allowance is so that people can have private security if they deem that necessary, and then at the end of September, we are going to look at that, evaluate all of the data points, how effective it was, how it was utilized and then make decisions going forward. We live in an enhanced threat environment.”

The heightened security measures in July 2025 came in the wake of the Minnesota attack on state lawmakers. Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in a politically motivated attack at their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, in June 2025.

After Charlie Kirk was killed this September, authorities released two grainy surveillance images of a young man in a cap and sunglasses walking in a stairwell at Utah Valley University campus. It was later revealed that the person was 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.

Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika, offered him a tearful tribute at an open-air speaking event in Orem, Utah.

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