One year after Charlie Kirk was assassinated by Tyler Robinson, congressional leaders celebrate the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder’s legacy.
“A year ago today, political violence took the life of a great man, Charlie Kirk,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.) said, calling Kirk “a loving father and husband, conservative warrior, and man of deep faith.” Scalise added that “Charlie inspired millions of young Americans to think for themselves. While we are still grieving his tremendous loss and demanding justice for his murder, the movement Charlie built and energized continues to grow and carry on his legacy. We honor Charlie every day by standing strong in our faith, rejecting political violence, and refusing to be intimidated into silence. May God bless Charlie’s widow Erika, his beautiful family, his memory, and his lasting legacy.”
During the first-ever midterm GOP convention, President Donald Trump himself paid tribute to Kirk and to his wife Erika. “A far left extremist assassinated my great friend and conservative voice, Charlie Kirk, because Charlie Kirk spoke the truth…in Charlie’s honor, I just wanna say, ‘we love you, Charlie.’”
For many of the speakers at the convention, like Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R., Fla.), Kirk “changed the trajectory” of their lives. “With a single phone call,” Kirk did just that for her, she said. “But I would come to watch him change the trajectory of an entire generation” as well, she added. “I saw him go from speaking to rooms of a few hundred people to building a movement of millions, never wavering from his belief that America’s young people would ultimately be the ones to save this country. A year after his death, I believe that more strongly than ever. Charlie awakened millions, and his life’s work now lives in an entire generation he taught to refuse complacency. His legacy has just begun.”
“Charlie Kirk was a bright light in a very dark world,” Rep. Robert Aderholt (R., Ala.) added. “He has been gone for a year now, and while we all wish he were still here, his message lives on and his influence is still felt. When I think of Charlie, I’m reminded of the gospel song ‘Is He Worthy?’ and the words, ‘But do you know that all the dark won’t stop the light from getting through? We do.’ Charlie understood that the light of Christ can overcome any darkness, and he dedicated his life to sharing that light with others. One year later, that light continues to shine.”
Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.) added that it is important for Americans to “honor his memory and the lasting legacy he leaves behind,” today in particular. “Charlie impacted countless lives and was never afraid to have conversations with those who held different views,” Bice added. “His death remains a heartbreaking reminder that political violence is never the answer and has no place in America.”
For Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R., Texas), Kirk’s murder is a reminder that “evil” exists. “I remember my son saving his allowance for months to be able to attend a Turning Point USA convention to hear from Charlie and the many conservative leaders he brought together to remind us we live in the most incredible nation on earth and we must defend her because America is the best hope for all of mankind,” Van Duyne reflected. “Charlie led with compassion, enthusiasm, knowledge, and an earnest dedication to help younger Americans become a generation of leaders who would work to preserve American traditions, values, and the God-given rights that empower us to be the leading nation among all others. We miss Charlie dearly and continue to pray for his family and Turning Point USA.”
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R., Wyo.) called Kirk “one of the most important voices of a generation.” Hageman added that “Charlie Kirk spent his life teaching young people that faith, truth, and honest debate are stronger than anger and division. He personified the highest virtues of our American character as a devoted Christian, loving father, and a bridge builder I was proud to call a friend. Charlie was a statesman who taught his followers how to be better people.”
Rep. Kat Cammack (R., Fla.) celebrated Kirk as someone who “embodied the spirit of a true American patriot.” Kirk, Cammack said, “built his career on asking the hard questions others were too afraid to raise, and in doing so, he inspired a generation of young Americans to engage in the political process rather than tune it out. Charlie’s legacy is a challenge to all of us: to debate with courage, to listen even when it’s uncomfortable, and to never let fear silence honest conversation. My prayers are with his wife, children, family, and all those who knew and loved him. Charlie’s legacy will never be forgotten.”
