by First Liberty Institute • 5 minutes
America lost a patriot. First Liberty lost a dear friend.
On Wednesday, Charlie Kirk was murdered by a gunman during the Turning Point USA “American Comeback Tour” event at Utah Valley University.
“I will greatly miss my friend and my brother in the Lord. He was a dear friend, a hero and a legend for our nation already by age 31,” said First Liberty President & CEO Kelly Shackelford. “Charlie was a champion for liberty, including our first freedom—religious liberty. What he did in 31 years of life is amazing, maybe unequaled.”
“For those with political differences who live in hate and think their evil violence advances their cause,” he added, “100 more will rise up in Charlie’s place, and his mission and legacy will only grow. We are praying for his wife, Erika, and his entire family in the midst of this tragedy.”
Charlie is survived by his wife and their two young children, a son and daughter.
As the Founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, Charlie was one of the most influential conservative leaders of our generation. Grounded in his Christian faith and a love for his country, Charlie was a courageous voice for the values, principles and ideals that make America exceptional.
He leaves behind an incredible legacy, one that will continue to inspire millions of Americans—young and old—to stand for biblical truth, liberty and our God-given rights.
With a presence on more than 3,500 high school and college campuses in all 50 states, TPUSA stands as the nation’s largest and fastest-growing conservative youth activist organization.
In addition to its on-campus presence, the organization also operates a massive online outreach initiative that garners billions of video views annually and reaches millions of Americans every day with conservative, pro-America content.
“He founded Turning Point Action, which led the get-out-the-vote efforts that delivered the first Republican popular vote victory in 20 years,” wrote conservative political commentator Michael Knowles.
Charlie’s social media reaches over 100 million people per month and Axios has listed him as having one of the “Top 10 most engaged” X channels in the world. He hosted “The Charlie Kirk Show” podcast, which regularly ranks among the top 10 shows on Apple News podcast charts.
Charlie was named to the Forbes “30 under 30” list, was the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention. He was the opening speaker at the 2020 RNC.
“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” wrote President Donald Trump on Truth Social. “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!”
In a speech to the nation on Wednesday, Trump commemorated Charlie’s “deep faith.”
“We take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God in heaven,” Trump said.
A Man of Deep Faith Who Put God at the Center
Charlie’s calling wasn’t just about getting people involved in our political process. It was about bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone he spoke to, encouraging them to lead their lives guided by faith.
Charlie boldly and fearlessly put his Christian beliefs at the center of everything he did, whether it was in his profession or his family. Many of Charlie’s close friends, his pastor and family remember him as one of the most godly men they’d ever known.
Just days before his death, Kirk posted on X, “Jesus defeated death so you can live.”
“I’m nothing without Jesus,” he said in an interview with Russell Brand last year. “I’m a sinner. I fall incredibly short of the glory of God. We all do. I gave my life to the Lord in fifth grade, and it’s the most important decision I’ve ever made and everything I do incorporates Jesus Christ.”
At his college events, Charlie welcomed dialogue and debate not only about cultural and political issues, but also Christianity. His unwavering commitment to the Christian faith didn’t stop him from embracing a fair exchange of ideas, one of the signature characteristics at his campus rallies. His willingness to invite disagreement was about letting the best ideas and arguments win—a relentless pursuit of divinely-inspired truth, beauty and goodness.
In 2021, Charlie launched Turning Point Faith, an initiative with the mission of “empowering Christians to put their faith into action.”
“We engage, equip and empower millions of grateful Americans who are prepared to defend our God-given rights, by giving them the tools to expose lies and articulate the connection between Faith and Freedom,” according to the organization’s website.
“Charlie’s life was a testament to bold leadership, unwavering conviction, and a heart for revival,” wrote Dream City Church, one of Charlie’s partner ministries.
The Loss of a Dear Friend
Charlie had a heart for our work at First Liberty. He deeply understood why religious freedom is the foundation for all our freedoms.
Despite his incredibly busy schedule, Charlie always made time to talk to us. He happily accepted invitations to speak at our events and to be a guest on First Liberty Live!
In our interviews, he was intense, focused, thoughtful, gracious, funny, engaging and, most of all, diligently and honestly searching for logical, concise, defensible arguments for biblical truth.
Below are some of our conversations with Charlie, which we encourage you to watch:
Though Charlie is no longer with us physically on this Earth, his legacy will continue to echo through the lives he touched and the truth he championed.
Please join us in praying for the Kirk family. We thank God for the gift of Charlie’s life, for the wonderful work he began, and pray for peace for his family in the days to come.
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