The last time I saw my friend Charlie Kirk in person was when I appeared with him on stage at the TPUSA pastor’s summit back in the spring. I spoke with him backstage beforehand and told him, as I had several times before, that I was incredibly impressed by this institution and movement that he built. But he wasn’t interested in listening to me compliment him. He deflected, as always, and started asking me about myself and saying nice and encouraging things.
A few months before that, in the wake of Trump’s victory, Charlie made a point of posting something to X to give me credit for helping Trump win. It was one of the very few times that I’ve disagreed with something Charlie said. The truth is that he was the primary reason why Trump won. It was his organizing and advocacy and activism and mobilization that helped to turn the tide. And yet he wanted to give the credit to other people, even people who didn’t deserve it. That’s the kind of guy that Charlie was. A rare type in the world today. Even rarer in this business. It may seem like a small thing. But Charlie’s desire to give other people credit, to point to and praise and lift up other people rather than himself, is one of the most profound testaments to his character.
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