Tyler Robinson&#8217;s defense team suggested during a Tuesday hearing that the Utah County Attorney&#8217;s Office had only moved to seek the death penalty because it was clear that was what President Donald Trump wanted.
Richard Novak, an attorney for Robinson (who is accused of assassinating the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk), questioned Utah County Attorney Jeffrey S. Gray during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZukNzYKgcYM">pre-trial hearing</a> aimed at having Gray&#8217;s office removed from the case due to a perceived conflict of interest.
At issue was Gray&#8217;s decision to seek the death penalty — and the fact that he announced his plan to do so early in the investigation — a move that Novak attributed to &#8220;strong emotional reactions&#8221; within the prosecutor&#8217;s office.
Novak raised several issues that he argued could have driven such an emotional response from the prosecution: the fact that Gray had campaigned on a promise to seek the death penalty in cases he deemed &#8220;appropriate,&#8221; the fact that the adult child of a prosecutor in Gray&#8217;s office had been present at the time of Kirk&#8217;s assassination, and the knowledge that President Trump had already declared his wish to see Kirk&#8217;s killer face the death penalty.
Gray, under questioning from Novak, said that he&#8217;d become aware at some point that a prosecutor in his office had an adult child who had witnessed the shooting, but that they had not discussed it and it had not been a factor in his decision-making process.
Gray also said in a previous filing that the adult child in question had returned to classes after the shooting and had not experienced lasting trauma outside of being scared in the moment.
&#8220;Under these circumstances, there is virtually no risk, let alone a significant risk, that it would arouse such emotions in any father-prosecutor as to render him unable to fairly prosecute the case,&#8221; Gray said in the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/defendant-in-charlie-kirks-killing-asks-judge-to-disqualify-prosecution-team">filing</a>, arguing that the defense&#8217;s claims were rooted in a desire to delay proceedings rather than to pursue justice.
When Novak asked whether Gray had been aware that Trump had posted about the suspect, &#8220;I hope he gets the death penalty,&#8221; Gray said he knew the president had said that, but that he had not taken Trump&#8217;s social media posts into consideration when determining whether or not to seek capital punishment.
Novak also raised the question of campaign promises, and, noting that Gray had run on a promise to seek the death penalty, wondered whether he&#8217;d simply been in a hurry to check that off his to-do list.
Gray corrected Novak then, saying that he&#8217;d promised to seek the death penalty in cases where it was appropriate to do so — and that both he and Governor Spencer Cox (R) had determined it was appropriate in this case regardless of promises he&#8217;d made during his 2022 campaign.
When given a chance to explain why he&#8217;d announced the decision to seek the death penalty as early as he did — noting that he had until arraignment to do so — Gray said that his goal had been to limit speculation from social media and the press and to lessen the anxiety felt by the victims, specifically, Charlie&#8217;s widow Erika Kirk.
&#8220;The longer you delay that decision … the more delay, then it just creates all this unnecessary speculation and everything else,&#8221; Gray said, adding that he did it to prevent &#8220;unnecessary angst with the families of victims … so Erika Kirk didn’t have to deal with that uncertainty.&#8221;
The defense also petitioned the court to bar all video recordings and still photography in the courtroom during the trial.

Charlie Kirk Murder Suspect Tyler Robinson Attends Court Hearing

Charlie Kirk’s Suspected Assassin Fights Death Penalty, Says Trump Influenced Prosecutor

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Courts

Death Penalty

Donald Trump

Media

Utah

A judge sentenced a man to prison on Thursday for falsely claiming to have shot Charlie Kirk moments after the conservative activist was assassinated.
George Zinn, 71, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty on three counts: one third-degree felony charge of obstruction of justice and two second-degree felony charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2026/01/29/man-who-falsely-claimed-he-shot/">The Salt Lake Tribune</a>.
Zinn will serve his sentences for all charges concurrently, with the longest term for the sexual exploitation charges – one to 15 years. A parole board will ultimately decide how long Zinn will serve in prison.
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during a college event in Utah on September 10. In the chaos immediately following the shot that killed Kirk, Zinn falsely claimed to have shot the conservative commentator. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office said Zinn began to yell, “I shot him, now shoot me,” according to <a href="https://www.abc4.com/news/charlie-kirk-shooting/george-zinn-charlie-kirk-assassination-pleads-guilty-obstruction-justice-sexual-exploitation/">ABC4</a>.
As Zinn continued to claim he shot Kirk, law enforcement asked Zinn for the murder weapon. Zinn responded: “I am not going to tell you where [the gun] is. I shot him, now shoot me.”
Zinn was immediately detained and searched. Law enforcement found child sexual abuse materials on his phone during the search.
The 71-year-old said in a statement before the court on Thursday that the material on his phone was from a “chatroom dialogue with photos that are public access.”
“I wish the court to know I am not and will never be a danger to children or their parents,” said Zinn.
Zinn’s outburst on September 10 distracted law enforcement in the critical moments after the shooting as they were attempting to track down the killer. Law enforcement later determined that Zinn was not the shooter and, late the next day, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-the-latest-in-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial">arrested</a> Tyler Robinson. Robinson has been charged with seven counts related to Kirk’s murder and may face the death penalty if found guilty.
Robinson&#8217;s legal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-the-latest-in-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial">process</a> is ongoing, and his defense team recently claimed that the Utah County Attorney’s Office has a conflict of interest in the case due to a Utah County prosecutor&#8217;s daughter being present at Utah Valley University when the assassination took place.
The prosecution says the family member saw nothing direct and a conflict of interest has not been established. They&#8217;ve also accused the defense of stall tactics.
Judge Tony Graf said that there&#8217;s not sufficient evidence yet to warrant the expulsion of the office, but has allowed Robinson&#8217;s team to begin examining witnesses in relation to the supposed conflict of interest.
Additionally, Judge Graf <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/accused-charlie-kirk-shooter-prosecution-removed/">blocked</a> a pool video camera from showing Robinson after his defense team complained that shots of the accused speaking with his legal team could potentially be seen by lip readers and unfairly impact the trial.
Amanda Prestigiacomo contributed to this story.

Man Who Falsely Claimed To Have Killed Charlie Kirk Sentenced To Prison

Crime

U.S.

CNN anchor Kasie Hunt attempted to use an old tweet from the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk to defend protesters coming armed to demonstrations against federal immigration officers, whether they be with Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Hunt claimed that video from Minneapolis protests — particularly video showing the fatal confrontation between Border Patrol agents and Alex Pretti — was proof that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration had become &#8220;tyrannical&#8221; and justified civilians taking up arms against the government.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN&#8217;s Kasie Hunt suggests people should be pointing guns at the Trump administration because it has become &#8220;tyrannical&#8221; citing &#8220;what we saw on the streets&#8221; of Minneapolis: 
&#8220;I want to bring back a tweet from Charlie Kirk in 2018. He says this, &#8216;The Second Amendment is not for… <a href="https://t.co/qZq6Z2qnTu">pic.twitter.com/qZq6Z2qnTu</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/2015903686434701725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I want to bring back a tweet from Charlie Kirk in 2018. He says this, &#8216;The Second Amendment is not for hunting. It&#8217;s not for self protection. It is there to ensure that free people can defend themselves if, God forbid, government became tyrannical and turned against its citizens,'&#8221; Hunt said, reading the tweet. &#8220;And I think a lot of people are pointing to this because, I mean, what — what we saw in the streets.&#8221;
Hunt did not mention the fact that federal immigration officials had only been sent by the Trump administration to enforce existing federal laws, nor did she address the intentional roadblocks to federal law enforcement — namely sanctuary policies — that have been put into place by Democratic leaders in states like Minnesota.
Officials within the Trump administration have repeatedly stated that it would be unnecessary to surge federal resources and personnel to states like Minnesota and Maine — where the next major surge has already begun — if local and state law enforcement would simply cooperate with ICE detainers and coordinate with federal immigration officials to make safe prisoner exchanges at jails or courthouses.

CNN Anchor Drags Out Charlie Kirk Tweet To Defend Anti-ICE Rioters Bringing Guns To Protests

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Politics

Protesters

Greenland dominates discussions in Davos ahead of President Donald Trump’s speech, Erika Kirk files a motion to advance the trial of her husband’s alleged killer, and a look back at one year of Trump 2.0.
It’s Wednesday, January 21, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Vs. Europe</h2>
President Trump is set to join global leaders at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, kicking off a series of high-stakes meetings on tariffs, Greenland, and more. Every year, the WEF holds its annual meeting in Davos, hosting thousands of Fortune 500 business leaders, diplomats, and heads of state. Leaders from across the European Union huddled on the sidelines of the conference to formulate a strategy that could spark an enormous economic war. French President Emmanuel Macron said the EU “should not hesitate” to use its “Anti-Coercion Instrument,” known unofficially as the Trade Bazooka. That mechanism, which has never been used before, would include widespread bans on American investments in Europe and restrictions on the import and export of American products. They could also take a more subdued approach and simply withdraw from the previously agreed-upon U.S./EU trade deal.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Erika Kirk Files To Speed Up Trial Of Her Husband’s Alleged Killer</h2>
Erika Kirk has filed a motion to speed up the trial of her late husband Charlie Kirk’s killer, accusing the defense team of delay tactics. Kirk’s attorneys are using Utah’s victims’ rights laws, which are designed to prevent unnecessary delays in serious criminal cases. They argue that the case has remained stuck in this pretrial phase while the defense files multiple motions, and that those delays are compounding the trauma for the victim’s family. The filing specifically noted Charlie Kirk’s love for the U.S. Constitution, saying that while the Constitution “guarantees criminal defendants many rights, it does not guarantee them the right to cause undue delay in the criminal justice process.” Meanwhile, the suspect, Tyler Robinson, has still not entered a plea.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">One Year Of Trump</h2>
One year into his second term, President Trump says his agenda is delivering results, bringing the country into what he calls a new “golden age.” Trump has drastically reduced illegal immigration, effectively securing the southern border. Federal officers have surged into major cities to arrest illegal aliens. The United States experienced annual negative immigration for the first time in decades in large part because of Trump’s approach. On economic policy, the president cut numerous trade deals around the world while receiving pledges of investment worth trillions. It remains to be seen whether those pledges bear fruit. Trump has also ignited a series of trade wars, the latest being with Europe over his desire to acquire Greenland from Denmark. The aggressive posture could have consequences later as countries seek to diversify their trading partners. On foreign policy, the president has severely set back Iran’s nuclear program and toppled the Maduro dictatorship in Venezuela. He has also settled a number of open and near-conflicts, while the war in Ukraine continues to rage. Domestically, Trump has waded into prominent culture war topics such as DEI and transgenderism. He has pardoned several people prosecuted and imprisoned under his predecessor, including pro-life activists. He has battled universities to root out woke policies or risk losing federal funding.

MW_260121

Morning Brief: Greenland Tensions, Erika Kirk Seeks Faster Trial, & Trump’s First Year Back

Emmanuel Macron

European Union

Morning Wire

Erika Kirk’s latest court filing seeks to stop defense delays in the assassination trial of her late husband Charlie Kirk &#8212; a case in which the defendant, Tyler Robinson, has yet to enter a plea.
Erika&#8217;s attorney, Jeffrey Neiman, filed a court document asking the judge overseeing the trial to enforce Erika&#8217;s right to a speedy trial, arguing that there have been “undue delays” in the progress of the case.
&#8220;The Utah Code affords victims of a crime &#8216;the right to a speedy disposition of the charges free from unwarranted delay caused by or at the behest of the defendant,'&#8221; Neiman wrote in the filing, according to Fox News.
&#8220;This Court is tasked with the critically important function of ensuring the Defendant has a fair trial, but this Court must also do so while balancing Mrs. Kirk’s right to a speedy trial and therefore this Notice invokes Mrs. Kirk’s rights under applicable Utah Code,&#8221; the filing continued.
Neiman noted that Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder, &#8220;believed in the importance of the United States Constitution,&#8221; and while the Constitution &#8220;guarantees criminal defendants many rights, it does not guarantee them the right to cause undue delay in the criminal justice process.&#8221;
Robinson&#8217;s defense team claims the Utah County Attorney’s Office has a conflict of interest in the case due to a Utah County prosecutor’s daughter being present at Utah Valley University when the assassination took place. They are currently working to get the office booted from the case.
The prosecution says the family member saw nothing direct and a conflict of interest has not been established. They’ve also accused the defense of stall tactics.
At Robinson&#8217;s last court appearance, Judge Tony Graf said there wasn&#8217;t sufficient evidence yet to warrant the expulsion of the office, but has notably allowed Robinson’s team to begin examining witnesses in relation to the supposed conflict of interest.
Robinson has been charged with murdering Kirk, a 31-year-old husband and father of two, on September 10 at Utah Valley University. At the time he was shot, Kirk was taking questions from people in the crowd who disagreed with him on politics.
The state has made clear that they intend to seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-the-latest-in-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tyler+Robinson+Had+Another+Day+In+Court.+Here’s+The+Latest+In+The+Charlie+Kirk+Assassination+Trial.">Tyler Robinson Had Another Day In Court. Here’s The Latest In The Charlie Kirk Assassination Trial.</a>

US-POLITICS-SHOOTING-KIRK

How Erika Kirk Is Trying To Stop Delays In Charlie’s Assassination Trial

Murder

The Utah judge overseeing the assassination case of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has yet to rule on the defense&#8217;s motion to disqualify the Utah County Attorney’s Office from prosecuting the case over an alleged conflict of interest.
The defense team for Tyler Robinson &#8212; who&#8217;s been charged with the murder of Kirk, a 31-year-old husband and father of two, on September 10 at Utah Valley University &#8212; says the office has a conflict of interest in the case due to a Utah County prosecutor&#8217;s daughter being present at Utah Valley University when the assassination took place.
The prosecution says the family member saw nothing direct and a conflict of interest has not been established. They&#8217;ve also accused the defense of stall tactics.
Judge Tony Graf said on Friday that there&#8217;s not sufficient evidence yet to warrant the expulsion of the office, but has allowed Robinson&#8217;s team to begin examining witnesses in relation to the supposed conflict of interest.
Additionally, Judge Graf <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/accused-charlie-kirk-shooter-prosecution-removed/">blocked</a> a pool video camera from showing Robinson after his defense team complained that shots of the accused speaking with his legal team could potentially be seen by lip readers and unfairly impact the trial.
A court “decorum” order prohibits visual recordings of conversations at the defense table &#8212; even if they&#8217;re inaudible &#8212; that could potentially be deciphered by lip readers. It also bars close-ups of written communications. The defense argued that the video feed photographer violated such a provision twice on Friday, NewsNation reported.
The sanction of the pool video camera pertained to Friday&#8217;s hearing specifically, and is not permanent.
The next hearing is scheduled for February 3, and will focus on the defense&#8217;s requests to boot the Utah County Attorney’s Office from the case and limit video footage in the trial.
Separately, new reporting on Lance Twiggs, Robinson&#8217;s roommate and alleged lover, indicates that Twiggs is no longer being protected by federal agents.
Twiggs, who lived with Robinson at the time of Kirk&#8217;s murder, has been linked to text messages about the assassination. Relatives of Twiggs say the 22-year-old identified as transgender and was &#8220;transitioning&#8221; to female.
Twiggs had an FBI security detail due to threats before he moved out of state, according to media reports. He has not been charged with any crime in connection to the assassination.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-orders-transcripts-audio-to-be-made-public-from-hearing-for-accused-charlie-kirk-assassin?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Judge+Orders+Transcripts%2C+Audio+To+Be+Made+Public+From+Hearing+For+Accused+Charlie+Kirk+Assassin">Judge Orders Transcripts, Audio To Be Made Public From Hearing For Accused Charlie Kirk Assassin</a>

Tyler Robinson Had Another Day In Court. Here’s The Latest In The Charlie Kirk Assassination Trial.

President Donald Trump puts Iran and its proxies on notice, the judge in the Charlie Kirk case rules on the side of transparency, and the United States sees a historical single-year drop in murders.
It’s Tuesday, December 30, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
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<h2>Trump Hosts Netanyahu At Mar-a-Lago</h2>
President Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on Monday as both countries face new tensions with Iran. The meeting came as Trump makes an end-of-year push on some of his foreign policy priorities. After the meeting, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-he-supports-israel-attacking-iran-again-as-he-welcomes-netanyahu-to-mar-a-lago">said</a> that the United States would step in if Iran attempted to rebuild its military, especially its nuclear weapons program. Trump and Netanyahu also discussed the future of Gaza. The president said that “there will be hell to pay” if Hamas refuses to disarm so his peace plan can move forward.
<h2>Judge Orders Release Of Hearing In Kirk Case</h2>
A Utah judge has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-orders-transcripts-audio-to-be-made-public-from-hearing-for-accused-charlie-kirk-assassin?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Judge+Orders+Transcripts%2C+Audio+To+Be+Made+Public+From+Hearing+For+Accused+Charlie+Kirk+Assassin">ordered</a> the release of sealed hearings in the trial against Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson. On Monday afternoon, during a hearing on the extent of media access in this case, Fourth District Judge Tony Graf Jr. ordered the release of transcripts and an audio recording from a previously closed-door session held in October. Graf ruled that, given the case&#8217;s high profile, the public has an interest in certain portions of the hearing. He said those portions that could risk the safety of anyone involved in the case can be redacted. Meanwhile, Turning Point USA continues to press forward with Kirk’s conservative mission. Reports indicate that more than 32,000 students have signed up, and the organization is now opening dozens of chapters daily.
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<h2>Murder Rate Plummets In 2025</h2>
According to a new report, 2025 saw the largest single-year drop in murders in American history. There was roughly a 20% drop in homicides from 2024 to 2025, according to the Real Time Crime Index. The drop was 13% from 2023 to 2024. Crime surged in 2021 due to the pandemic, according to the Department of Justice. Democrats have mainly attributed that increase to lockdowns; Republicans say that left-wing policies fueled the rise and led to soft-on-crime officials reaching influential positions in the justice system.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump

Morning Brief: Trump Warns Iran & Charlie Kirk Murder Revelations

Benjamin Netanyahu

Turning Point USA

United States

Transcripts and audio from the October 24 hearing for suspected Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson will be made public after a Monday ruling from the Utah judge overseeing the murder case.
District Court Judge Tony Graf gave the court until the end of the day to release the transcript from a brief closed-door hearing that focused on whether Robinson, 22, could remain in civilian clothing and unshackled for the trial. The audio from the hearing must be released within two weeks. Graf added that 246 words, which amounts to one page of the 80-page transcript, would be redacted, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/transcript-audio-closed-door-hearing-alleged-charlie-kirk-shooter-case-rcna251368">reported</a>.
Robinson was present for Monday&#8217;s hearing virtually and did not appear on screen. He was heard saying, &#8220;Yes, your honor,” when the judge asked if he was present, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/29/us-news/charlie-kirk-suspect-tyler-robinsons-secret-hearings-to-be-made-public-after-judges-order/">reported</a>.
The ruling is another win for reporters in the pretrial arguments, as media outlets have pushed for full transparency in the case. Monday&#8217;s decision follows a separate ruling earlier this month from Graf to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cameras-allowed-in-court-for-trial-of-accused-charlie-kirk-assassin-judge-rules">allow cameras</a> in the courtroom during the trial. Kirk&#8217;s widow, Erika — along with members of the media — has pushed for the trial to be made as public as possible, while Robinson&#8217;s defense team has argued that wall-to-wall coverage could taint the jury pool.
&#8220;There were cameras all over my husband when he was murdered,&#8221; Erika Kirk said. &#8220;There have been cameras all over my friends and family mourning. There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move, analyzing my every smile, my every tear. We deserve to have cameras in there. &#8230; Let everyone see what true evil is.&#8221;
Attorneys for local and national media outlets argued in a motion earlier this month that &#8220;every high-profile criminal prosecution has significant pretrial publicity, no matter where it occurs&#8221; and that the First Amendment guarantees the media access to the courts doing &#8220;the public&#8217;s business,&#8221; according to NBC News.
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In the October 24 closed-door hearing, Graf said that Robinson could wear civilian clothing for the trial, but added that the suspected assassin would have to be restrained in court. In his first virtual court appearance after his arrest, Robinson was in a suicide vest. He was also placed on &#8220;special watch&#8221; in jail after reportedly telling his parents that he would rather kill himself than turn himself over to law enforcement.
Robinson faces numerous charges, including seven felony charges of aggravated murder in the killing of Kirk, a 31-year-old husband and father of two, on September 10 at Utah Valley University. He&#8217;s accused of killing Kirk with a single shot from a bolt-action rifle while the conservative commentator spoke to a large group of students. Robinson <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/tyler-robinson-set-face-formal-charges-shooting-death/story?id=125614396">told</a> his parents that he killed Kirk because he believed Kirk &#8220;spread too much hate,&#8221; according to charging documents. The suspected assassin could face a firing squad if he&#8217;s convicted of the aggravated murder charge.
Robinson is due back in court on January 16 for a major hearing on a motion to disqualify the Utah County Attorney&#8217;s Office from prosecuting the case over an alleged conflict of interest. Robinson&#8217;s defense team argues that a family member of a Utah County prosecutor was present at Utah Valley University when Kirk was assassinated.

Judge Tony Graf

Judge Orders Transcripts, Audio To Be Made Public From Hearing For Accused Charlie Kirk Assassin

Court

Editor’s note: This week, we’re reprinting some of our best stories from the past year. In this piece, originally published in September, Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro remembers Charlie Kirk.
***
“Hi, Mr. Shapiro, I’m Charlie Kirk.”
Charlie was 18 years old when I met him at an event at The Breakers, the rather ritzy Palm Beach hotel that served as the gathering spot for the annual <a href="https://www.horowitzfreedomcenter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Horowitz Freedom Center</a> donor weekend. Charlie had just started an organization, and he was pitching me on it, an organization called Turning Point USA. I’d never heard of it, of course: He had just graduated high school, and the group had its seed donors but was still in its infancy.
Charlie was eager, and he was aggressive, and he was whip-smart. His energy was almost exhausting.
When he walked away, I turned to my friend Jeremy Boreing and said, “That kid is going to be the head of the Republican National Committee one day.”
I was wrong. Charlie became far more important than that.
Charlie’s <a href="https://tpusa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Turning Point USA</a> became the single most important conservative political organization in the country. And it grew because Charlie grew. He turned himself into an excellent public speaker and a talented debater. He could fundraise better than anyone in the game. He was friendly and gregarious to everyone. His drive was unmatched, because he cared about his fundamental values.
The clips of Charlie on campus — the firebrand Charlie — make for great watching, but they don’t do him full justice. Behind the scenes, Charlie was deeply thoughtful, constantly seeking ways to build and grow coalitions. That’s a messy business, and it comes with aches and pains. No one did it better. That’s how a guy who never went to college ended up as a confidant of the President of the United States, the vice president, and pretty much everyone else on the right side of the aisle.
Charlie never stopped moving. He never stopped talking and negotiating and debating and working. That infectious energy never left him. Until a killer’s bullet ripped his life from him. And there are no more words. There can be no more words.
It’s impossible to process what it means when a 31-year-old man is murdered. A husband. A father of two young children. Assassinated, it would appear, for the crime of passionately speaking the truth, debating politics and discussing ideas, and working to make the country a better place as he saw it.
But here’s one thing we do know: This all has to stop. It’s an ugly picture that we’ve seen before. The 1960s and 1970s were a time of tremendous change in American history, and of tremendous violence. Political assassinations became commonplace; bombings and terror attacks were excused by a variety of supposedly great intellectuals. And eventually, America rejected all of it. Now, we’re watching the same ugly picture reappear.
A wave of violence is building, from the assassination of Charlie Kirk to the attempted shooting of President Trump, from the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson to the slaying of two Israeli embassy staffers. All of these acts of extreme violence have found support in the dark precincts of political radicals.
The temperature in our country has steadily been rising. And it’s been rising because many people have determined that their political opponents aren’t just opponents, but enemies, threats to their very existence. That determination by fringe actors is often reinforced in the online spaces that prize virality and mirror emotional excess. And then, it breaks free from the world of the online, into real life, with bloody and horrific consequences.
Yes, that phenomenon crosses the political aisle. But to pretend that the phenomenon is distributed equally would be a mistake. The rising tide of violence on the left has become more and more virulent over the course of the last several years. The argument that speech is violence, to be met with violence; the argument that opposition to contention amounts to a form of “genocide” or “erasure”; the argument that political opponents are moments away from ending our republic outright. These views all trend toward revolutionary violence.
And the wave of violence, a wave already breaking on the shoreline, appears as though it is only the beginning. It has already destroyed Charlie Kirk’s family and ended his life at the age of 31.
But it feels as though a tsunami is coming. The water has already receded from the shoreline. And what comes next could be far more devastating even than what we have seen thus far.
That tsunami, if left unchecked, will wash away this entire republic.
I’ve spoken at dozens of college campuses; I’ve required heavy security at many of them. My security has instructed me to wear bulletproof vests, insisted on metal detectors, told me to leave venues they considered nonsecure. And yet I’ve never truly felt unsafe, because to do so would be to accept—even consider—the idea that an American would truly harm someone simply for speaking freely in the United States of America. I don’t believe that anymore. I’m not sure who does.
So, what can be done? It’s frequently said by those of politically liberal persuasion that thoughts and prayers aren’t enough. That action is necessary. But here is the truth: We need more thoughts and prayers. Thoughts for our political opponents: recognition that while we disagree, they are our fellow Americans; understanding that the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States can hold only if we treat each other as friends, not enemies; realization of the fact that speech is not violence, and that we must, as Americans, speak with each other. The way Charlie did.
And we need prayers: prayers for our country, which is torn apart, under attack from within and without; prayers for our own souls, that we hold ourselves accountable for the way we treat others.
Our America is a robust place of discussion and debate, of liberty and rights. But all of that must be undergirded by basic virtue. Basic decency. Respect for others. And yes, reverence for the uniqueness of an America that values speech and deplores violence.
Charlie had that reverence. And for that, he was murdered.
May his memory be a blessing—for us, and for our bleeding nation.

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Best Of 2025: Ben Shapiro On The Assassination Of Charlie Kirk And The Fight For America’s Soul

Ben Shapiro

Political Violence

Many Americans in recent years have returned to religion in a revival that accelerated because of the work of the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, according to Dr. Ben Carson.
Carson, who served under the first Trump administration as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, spoke about Kirk’s legacy in an interview with The Daily Wire on the floor of Turning Point’s AmericaFest conference that ended on Sunday.
An American faith revival has “really been going on for the last couple of years,” said Carson. “I think it accelerated quite a bit with what Charlie was doing.”
The Trump administration alum said that many in Generation Z are finding faith because they recognized that the direction of the country without religious values was “not one that was going to lead to good things.” Many turned to religion after asking how the United States can “be a great nation.”
“The young men in particular are really coming back to church, and the young women will catch up, too,” said Carson, noting that women growing up today are facing complicated choices between balancing a career and having children. The doctor is optimistic that expanding opportunities for virtual work will improve women’s ability to balance both.
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Carson’s think tank, the American Cornerstone Institute, has launched an initiative to aid in the work that Kirk did and to reacquaint young people with the United States’ founding and religious values: the Little Patriots program. Through the program, Carson hopes to set young Americans on a good path early in their education before “Marxists” in the education system corrupt their thinking with leftist and victimhood ideology.
“The two biggest teacher unions are full of Marxists, and so it&#8217;s a battle, but I think we have the better message, to be quite frank, and we just have to make sure that we don&#8217;t get discouraged and that we&#8217;re willing to fight as hard as they do,” he said.
As a veteran of the first Trump administration, Carson said that President Donald Trump’s second term is “incredible.”
“I think the Lord did us a favor by allowing Trump to lose – or at least to be perceived as losing – so that he wasn&#8217;t there for four years so he could really think about what happened, what were the obstacles, what were the things that really worked, so that by the time his next term came around, he was ready,” said Carson.

Ben Carson

Ben Carson Says Charlie Kirk ‘Accelerated’ An American Revival

AMFEST

Religion

The Daily Wire

Christian conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey speaks truth eloquently and graciously, yet firmly and with conviction. She takes Biblical teachings from thousands of years ago and applies them to the present day. Perhaps that&#8217;s why Stuckey hosts a podcast called &#8220;Relatable.&#8221;
The Daily Wire sat down with Stuckey ahead of her AmericaFest speech, and in less than ten minutes, she covered the major topics in the conservative movement in a way that anyone can understand, no matter how well-versed on a topic.
&#8220;I think clarity is kindness,&#8221; Stuckey said.
Stuckey is in her 30s, has an audience of 25 to 45-year-olds who tune in to her episodes, yet she still connects with Gen Z on college campuses.
“I want to do the best that I can to bring clarity to confusion and bring courage where there is cowardice,&#8221; Stuckey said.  &#8220;I care a whole lot about what the Bible says about what&#8217;s going on in the world, and I want to try to bring that to people as much as I can.&#8221;
Stuckey&#8217;s doing that with the more than 700,000 subscribers who listen to &#8220;Relatable.&#8221; It&#8217;s a decent sample size to get a pulse on how her mostly-female audience feels about the country. She told The Daily Wire that she recently asked her listeners what concerns them most and it was overwhelmingly the growing influence of Islam — a topic Stuckey said is being downplayed in the conservative movement.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I asked my 840k Instagram followers (mostly Christian women) what their biggest concern is for the country right now, and by FAR the most common answer is the growing influence of Islam. I’d like to see this concern reflected in the GOP asap
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) <a href="https://twitter.com/conservmillen/status/1982518640387019249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
“I think it&#8217;s strange and dishonest. They are the entire reason we have a TSA. None of us like to take our shoes off or take our laptops out … you can thank Islam for that. I don&#8217;t see why we would want to minimize the negative impact on our culture and our country.&#8221;
Stuckey said her audience doesn&#8217;t know what to do when it comes to the infiltration of Islam in their communities.
&#8220;Of course we are all called to love the neighbors around us, but to see your neighborhoods change and the local church that&#8217;s been abandoned changed into a mosque, or a business center turned into an Islamic center, and we are told we are not supposed to care about that? We do care, and it scares us. Islam is incompatible with Western civilization. It&#8217;s about time we start seeing that and saying that.”
Charlie Kirk also thought Islam was a threat to the United States. Stuckey and Kirk had similar views on many topics &#8212; from Islam to family values, to the role politics plays in a Christian culture. She said she misses being able to fight alongside him in the culture war.
&#8220;Charlie was an anomaly,&#8221; Stuckey said. &#8220;He was a political strategist, he was a coalition builder. That&#8217;s not me. It might take 40 of us or four million of us to replace what one man was doing. If I can carry a small torch of what was the legacy of Charlie Kirk, I&#8217;m happy to do that.&#8221;
Stuckey said she carries Kirk&#8217;s legacy by pointing people to the Bible, and reminding them that ultimate victory is through Jesus.
&#8220;We know who wins in the end: it&#8217;s Jesus, he&#8217;s coming back,&#8221; Stuckey said. &#8220;And he&#8217;s not here yet, so we have work to do.&#8221;

The Daily Wire Talks With Allie Beth Stuckey

Allie Beth Stuckey Stays Relatable While Standing Firm In Her Beliefs

Podcast

Turning Point USA President Erika Kirk brought the house down on Sunday when she introduced rapper Nicki Minaj on the stage at AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona.
Erika Kirk sat down with Minaj on the stage, saying that she wanted to honor Charlie&#8217;s tradition of always having a surprise for the AmFest crowd. She started off with Minaj reading out loud some of her &#8220;mean tweets&#8221; directed at Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) to thunderous applause.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Nicki Minaj makes a surprise appearance at AmFest 2025!!
She’s speaking her mind, defending President Trump and JD Vance, she’s proud to be American, and advocating for persecuted Christians in Nigeria.
Let’s go!!
🇺🇸🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/EVEdqFK3OY">pic.twitter.com/EVEdqFK3OY</a>
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2002813169669173492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Some 24 hours earlier, the organization had teased a huge guest who would have people talking into next year, and many believed at first that President Donald Trump would be making an appearance. But when Donald Trump Jr. took a call from his father during his speech just prior to Erika&#8217;s big reveal, that appeared not to be the case.
Minaj, for her part, has been throwing her support behind a number of conservative causes — from protecting Christians from persecution worldwide to ending gender transition surgeries and hormones for minors — and has made it her particular mission to go after Governor Newsom.
&#8220;Dear Newscum, we don&#8217;t have a problem cleaning up the scum if we have to. Please tread lightly,&#8221; Minaj said her current message to &#8220;Gavvy-Pooh&#8221; would be.
When asked what her opinion of the current administration was, she said, &#8220;I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president. I don&#8217;t know if he even knows this, but he&#8217;s given so many people hope that there&#8217;s a chance to beat the bad guys and to win and to do it with your head held high and your integrity intact.&#8221;
Minaj went on to explain that for her, the &#8220;turning point&#8221; was that she&#8217;d realized she was tired of being pushed around: &#8220;I&#8217;m not going to back down any more. I&#8217;m not going to back down ever again.&#8221;
Kirk asked why it was such an extraordinary thing to see people speaking their minds in today&#8217;s world, and Minaj&#8217;s message was clear: &#8220;People are no longer using their minds, their brains. So right now just imagine, we&#8217;re not allowed to have a different opinion anymore. We&#8217;re not allowed to think out loud anymore. This is not what the world used to feel like.&#8221;
When Kirk pressed Minaj on the backlash she was seeing from within her own industry, Minaj responded with just three words: &#8220;I didn&#8217;t notice.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/MrsErikaKirk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrsErikaKirk</a> &#8220;I know that you are getting a lot of backlash from your own industry. What is your reaction to that?&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NICKIMINAJ</a>: &#8220;I didn&#8217;t notice.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/7Ikn7KXkvj">pic.twitter.com/7Ikn7KXkvj</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2002813815780721013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;You can&#8217;t wake up and think about people who are just determined to stay mad,&#8221; she said. &#8220;In a world that doesn&#8217;t want us to think, we will continue to think!&#8221;
&#8220;What inspired you to speak up about the Christians who are being slaughtered in Nigeria?&#8221; Kirk asked.
&#8220;We take for granted that — there are people in this world who cannot worship God as they please, where they please, and we take it for granted because we have it,&#8221; Minaj said, reminding the audience that there were people all over the world who had to hide while they prayed and had fellowship together.
Kirk asked Minaj to talk a bit about her faith, and she laid out a lot of her personal history — including a recent return to her spiritual roots.
&#8220;When I was a toddler in Trinidad, my grandmother, if things got spicy in the house &#8230; she would make all the little kids go in her room and say a prayer,&#8221; Minaj said, adding that she started attending church in New York when she was a bit older. &#8220;I learned how to pray very early. I always had this faith — you know the kind of faith that makes people say oh, that person is crazy, but I had that kind of faith instinctively.&#8221;
Minaj went on to say that she tried to apply things to her life, and the point was not that Christians were perfect but that they tried. &#8220;Sometimes you can be in an industry as well that pulls you away even more.&#8221;
She then said that going back to God recently had felt like going back to a long-lost best friend. &#8220;He said, &#8216;Where were you? I&#8217;ve been waiting on you.&#8217; &#8230; As soon as you call on Him, He&#8217;s going to answer. On the first ring.&#8221;
When asked how she would address issues facing little boys and little girls — particularly as a parent — she said that she had to bring race into the mix: &#8220;Why have we gotten to a point where certain colors or certain kinds of people have to be afraid of loving themselves or loving how they look &#8230; I don&#8217;t want what was done to little black girls to be done to little white girls, to any girls!&#8221;
And for the boys: &#8220;Be boys, it&#8217;s okay. There&#8217;s nothing wrong with being a boy &#8230; Boys will be boys, and there&#8217;s nothing wrong with that.&#8221;
Her conclusion: &#8220;When the Truth comes out, the lies hide.&#8221;
After she first spoke out in support of persecuted Christians in places like Nigeria, the popular rapper accepted an invitation from U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, where she addressed the body and spoke about the importance of defending religious freedom wherever it may be threatened.
She has since been spotted online leaning in to some of the memes featuring Vice President JD Vance — and making it clear that she&#8217;s amused by how much fun he&#8217;s having with the liberals who are attempting to mock him.
In more recent weeks, she has taken to using her social media presence to target Newsom — who is likely to be a top tier candidate for the Democratic Party going into the 2028 presidential primary. In addition to attacking his positions on transgender issues — namely that he wants to see &#8220;more transgender kids&#8221; and will continue to allow men to have access to female-only spaces.

Nicki Minaj

Erika Kirk Brings House Down, Interviews Rapper Nicki Minaj Onstage At AmFest

Christians

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