Supporters of conservative activist Charlie Kirk are honoring the man one year after the Turning Point USA founder was fatally shot on September 10, 2025.
Kirk built one of the most influential conservative youth organizations in the United States through Turning Point USA. He became a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump and frequently appeared on various podcasts and college campuses. There is a God, and I’m not Him, and I surrender to His will. His most discussed comments post his death by a gunshot concerned gun rights. We need to be very clear that you’re not going to get gun deaths to zero. It will not happen. But I think it’s worth it. But if the most important thing is DOING good, you’ll end up purposeful. Purpose will give you happiness. I think empathy is a made-up, new-age term that does a lot of damage.
- At a 2023 Turning Point USA event, Kirk stated that upholding the Second Amendment had a social cost. I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment.
He said, “God is working it for His good, His perfect and pleasing will… He said, “Having an armed citizenry comes with a price, and that is part of liberty… He said, “If the most important thing for you is just FEELING good, you’re gonna end up miserable. He said, “I can’t stand the word empathy, actually. Speaking about the disagreements and debates, he had once said, “When you stop having a human connection with someone you disagree with, it becomes a lot easier to want to commit violence against that group.”
Kirk also generated controversy with comments about affirmative action. Some of his critics described the remarks as racist. 6.
He said that several prominent Black women in public life were beneficiaries of diversity policies rather than merit.
