A newly installed bronze statue of Charlie Kirk outside Turning Point USA&#8217;s Phoenix headquarters was vandalized with red paint just three days after its unveiling, Tyler Bowyer posted on X.
The eight-foot statue, sculpted by artist Quintin McCann, was unveiled Thursday, September 10, to coincide with the one-year anniversary of Kirk&#8217;s assassination at Utah Valley University. It depicts the late TPUSA founder tossing baseball caps into a crowd, wearing his signature &#8220;FREEDOM&#8221; T-shirt along with a cross necklace. The statue sits alongside a memorial that had grown since the unveiling with flowers, flags and handwritten tributes.
Phoenix police said they received reports of vandalism around 8 a.m. Sunday. Officers taped off the area and confirmed an investigation was underway, though no suspects had been identified as of Sunday afternoon.
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I hope you are awake. <a href="https://t.co/7pblK0qy3W">pic.twitter.com/7pblK0qy3W</a>
— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) <a href="https://x.com/tylerbowyer/status/2099184571036406002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Photos and videos posted by Bowyer, TPUSA&#8217;s COO, show red paint sprayed across the statue&#8217;s face, along with a frowning expression drawn on its torso. A nearby memorial poster bearing Kirk&#8217;s photo was also defaced, with a red X drawn over his face. Bowyer noted that the phrase &#8220;May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior&#8221; had been altered, with &#8220;Jesus&#8221; crossed out and replaced with &#8220;Satan.&#8221;
&#8220;I hope you&#8217;re awake,&#8221; Bowyer captioned the images.
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It appears they wrote “Satan” after crossing out Jesus. <a href="https://t.co/tJENYb9u7D">pic.twitter.com/tJENYb9u7D</a>
— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) <a href="https://x.com/tylerbowyer/status/2099186995084066879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Bowyer separately tagged Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and suggesting her campaign would either stay silent or issue a statement condemning the act.
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) called the vandalism &#8220;truly abhorrent&#8221; in an X post, adding that &#8220;the left is intolerant and militant&#8221; and that &#8220;evil exists and must be confronted continuously.&#8221;
The incident follows a separate act of vandalism at the same site in September 2025, when a man was arrested after trampling a makeshift memorial to Kirk in the days following his death. Turning Point USA has been led by Kirk&#8217;s widow, Erika Kirk, as CEO and board chair since his killing.

Charlie Kirk Statue Unveiled On Anniversary Of Killing

Charlie Kirk Statue Defaced With Red Paint After Unveiling

charlie kirk

katie hobbs

phoenix

politics

turning point usa

vandalism

One year ago today, our friend Charlie Kirk was brutally murdered live on camera while debating public policy at a public university. 
He was shot in the neck; he bled out in front of all of us. We all remember it. His murderer was a militant gay man in a relationship with a trans furry. The motives were perfectly clear, and the evidence was perfectly clear.
What should have happened next was just as clear. Political reunification on the Right around core principles. United opposition to left-wing violence, maybe a religious revival. 
None of that happened.
Whatever expectations we all had for what would happen next were largely thwarted. What&#8217;s truly incredible is that what wrecked those expectations was a campaign against Erika Kirk, his wife, because people decided it was imperative to destroy Erika as a human being and destroy TPUSA as an organization for their own nefarious political purposes.
The fact that Erika has had to go through all of this while simultaneously heading up TPUSA — and by all of this I don&#8217;t just mean the grief; I mean the insane desire by some to destroy her or to destroy TPUSA — demonstrates the moral limits of many people in the so-called conservative movement who were never really part of the conservative movement, who are out for themselves and wish to tear down rather than to build it up again.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ben-shapiro-show-ep-2504?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-981859" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner.avif" alt="" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner.avif 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner-768x128.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
It was perfectly obvious almost immediately, the minute that I had heard that Charlie had been shot, that the person who shot him was likely to be a part of the radical trans movement. Charlie was not wildly offensive to a huge variety of people — he said some controversial things from time to time on matters ranging from criminal justice to the nature of Islam.
But the people who were the most agitated about Charlie Kirk were radical trans activists because, as I said at the time, there&#8217;s a permission structure for violence that is implicit in the trans radical ideology. The basic idea is that if you say a man is a man and a woman is a woman, you are “erasing” them.
Thus it was not a tremendous shock that Tyler Robinson ended up being the murderer; it was perfectly obvious who was behind this from the very beginning.
But what should have happened here? There should have been a political coming-together — at the very least — around basic principles of free speech. That is what Charlie was famous for. He was best known for his debates on college campuses and for being a free-speech advocate. 
Some people try to portray Charlie as some sort of radical, insane, nasty person. That never came from him. So what should have happened was for people to come together against those who wish to destroy the body politic. 
What also should have happened was a religious revival. Charlie openly talked about the importance of his faith. 
After Charlie&#8217;s assassination, there was what can best be termed a gigantic religious revival tent meeting for his memorial. I was privileged to be there. 
If what you were looking for was some level of political reunification against political violence, against permission structures for violence, or even on the Right more broadly, a religious revival, people returning to church, a principled rebuilding of the social fabric that Charlie actually cared about — what that did require was borders. 
That’s because people who tear apart that social fabric, or people who were not part of that movement, or people who took advantage of that movement from the inside, needed to be stopped.
But not long after this, things started to fall apart. A couple of months after his death, I spoke at the TPUSA event where I said that personal feeling is not a substitute for moral judgment, that politics is not the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; politics is about principle. That if you&#8217;re willing to sacrifice basic truth and simple principle in favor of emotional solidarity, you have betrayed your fundamental duty to the American people. 
TPUSA is alive and well. There are lots of great things happening, but the promise of the moment was destroyed by people like Candace Owens, who has spent literally the entire year since the tragedy going after TPUSA and Erika Kirk and promoting wild, insane conspiracies with regard to pretty much everybody. Megyn Kelly defended her and still defends her. 
Tucker Carlson, of course, engaged in precisely the same sort of stuff. He laughed with Jimmy Dore about conspiracy theories surrounding Charlie Kirk, then went on to mock Erika Kirk for her incorrect grieving. 
This gave the Left permission to do the same. For a brief moment in time, the Left had to denounce political violence and say they were upset about Charlie&#8217;s death. That all went away because members of the Right decided to make it okay. 
And so now what do we get? We get comedian Druski mocking Erika Kirk in a clip that had almost 200 million views on X alone. Candace Owens then did a clip laughing about how wonderful this was.
This is what happened in America. Political unity was never part of this either, because it turned out that the exact same people who were promoting insane, hideous conspiracies are the ones who have openly declared that they&#8217;re not part of the conservative movement.
It wasn&#8217;t a matter of people like me saying they weren&#8217;t part of the movement and pointing out the truth. It was they themselves saying they were not part of the movement. Since that day, Tucker Carlson has declared himself no longer part of the GOP and called Trump the Antichrist. Candace Owens suggested that satanic Zionists were occupying the White House, and Congress needs to move to have the mad king Trump removed. 
Megyn Kelly declared with podcast host Sean Ryan that the GOP had betrayed the American people and that all it had left were Epstein fans. 
If you wanted the unity to last, if you wanted a spiritual revival, if you wanted all those things, it required you to draw borders, because it turns out those borders will be drawn for you in any case.
But here is the primary issue as we move forward: In the end, if you want a conservative future, you need a set of conservative principles. And those must be built on basic truth and decency. 
If you don&#8217;t have truth and decency, you can&#8217;t build a conservative movement. You can’t build such a movement around anything else.
You cannot. 
It is not possible.

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How We Failed The Test Charlie Kirk Left Behind

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political violence

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The White House posted an emotional tribute video honoring Charlie Kirk’s legacy on the anniversary of the conservative activist&#8217;s assassination.
The video <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2098019134411874305">posted</a> on Thursday morning comes exactly one year after Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University by a man investigators say was motivated by his far-Left views. Kirk, the founder of activist organization Turning Point USA, was a close ally of President Donald Trump and instrumental in Trump&#8217;s election victory in 2024. 
“One year ago, we tragically lost a fearless patriot. A champion for freedom and for our country,” the White House posted on social media. “Charlie Kirk changed the course of American history. His courage, conviction, and love of country will never be forgotten.”
The video posted by the White House included footage and audio from Kirk’s speeches across the country. 
“You know you are part of something bigger than yourself. You know that you are part of the most exciting, diverse, powerful movement in the history of this country. This movement is about the citizens versus the oligarchs,” Kirk is heard saying in the video. “This movement is about we the people versus the ruling class. This movement is about America versus the globalists. This movement is about all of us against them.” 
Trump also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-will-not-let-them-win-trump-gives-emotional-tribute-to-charlie-kirk?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=‘We+Will+Not+Let+Them+Win’%3A+Trump+Gives+Emotional+Tribute+To+Charlie+Kirk">honored</a> Kirk during his speech Wednesday night at the Republican Midterm Convention in Texas.
“One year ago tomorrow, a far-Left extremist assassinated my great friend and conservative voice Charlie Kirk because Charlie Kirk spoke the truth,” Trump said. “What shocked millions of Americans was not only the fact that Charlie was murdered, as bad as it was, but also how many people made an excuse for it or cheered for it. They were cheering, some people, sick people.”  
Tributes to Kirk poured in Thursday from other top White House officials. 
“Charlie Kirk had a unique gift for articulating the good — the goodness of family, faith, and America. One year ago today, he was killed for it,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2098028266770542859">posted</a>. “We’ll honor his legacy by building great things and holding to account the enemies of civilization.”
Attorney General Todd Blanche said Kirk inspired millions through his activism. 
“One year ago, our nation witnessed pure evil when Charlie Kirk was taken from us. Charlie was a fearless advocate for his beliefs, a devoted husband and father, and a man whose faith and love of country inspired millions of Americans,” Blanche <a href="https://x.com/AGToddBlanche/status/2098026776618307813">said</a>. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with Erika, their children, and the entire Kirk family. His legacy will live on.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth focused on Kirk’s devout Christian faith. 
“A year ago, we lost the incredible Charlie Kirk. His courage, conviction, and unwavering faith left a generational impact — and ignited a spiritual revival — inside our great Republic,” he <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/2098026297045794842">said</a>. “We will never forget Charlie, but take great refuge in the fact that he is with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Holds Rally In Glendale, Arizona

WATCH: White House Honors ‘Fearless Patriot’ Charlie Kirk

assassination

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A year ago, my friend Charlie Kirk was shot and killed just feet from me.
Millions knew Charlie as one of the most influential voices of his generation. He built a movement, mobilized young people, challenged institutions, and refused to accept the idea that Christians should keep their convictions safely tucked inside church walls.
I knew that Charlie too. But I also knew him as a friend, a student, and as someone I came to love like a son.
Our friendship began in 2020, when Charlie asked me to mentor him in Christian apologetics. I often joke that it can be hard to mentor somebody smarter than you. But not Charlie — because the only thing that exceeded his intellect was his humility.
In fact, despite being twice Charlie’s age, I think I learned more from him than he ever learned from me. Charlie didn’t teach simply through what he knew, but through how he lived. His intellect was remarkable and his work ethic relentless, but both were driven by something deeper: a hunger to know and serve God, a fierce love for his family, and an unwavering hope for his country.
Depending on which side of the algorithmic bubble your social media scrolling landed you on, Charlie was either a courageous voice for truth and reason or a hateful, bigoted fascist. He was, admittedly, a rather peculiar kind of “fascist”: one who routinely put himself in harm’s way by walking onto hostile college campuses, handing his opponents a microphone and inviting them to the front of the line.
Because if there’s one thing Mussolini was famous for, it was his tireless enthusiasm for open microphones and hostile questions. (News flash: The leftist who shot Charlie is the fascist!)
Despite his youth, Charlie possessed a wisdom that seemed well beyond his years. He understood that if you genuinely love people and want to reach them with the truth, you had to be willing to make yourself vulnerable. And that takes courage.
Charlie spoke often about courage because he believed it was one of the few virtues available to absolutely everyone. It requires no special talent, no money, no status, and no connections. You don’t have to be born with it or wait until you feel brave enough to use it. Courage is simply a choice: to show up, stand firm, and speak the truth even when you know you’ll be challenged, misunderstood, mocked, hated, or maybe even murdered.
That was a choice Charlie made every day, and it cost him his life.
Just days before his death, Charlie and I took what would become our final long walk together. I didn’t know it was our last. If I had, I probably would have walked a lot slower. That night, Charlie wasn’t talking about his fame, his platform, or what he had already accomplished. He was thinking about the future and the three institutions God established to help that future flourish: the family, the church, and the government.
That conversation captured Charlie remarkably well. For all he had already accomplished, his mind was fixed on the generation coming behind him. He worried that young people, particularly young women, had grown disillusioned with the beauty of marriage, family, and children, and he wrestled with how to remind people that those things are still worth aspiring to.
He had spent years laboring alongside the church, urging pastors to be bold and to equip their congregations not only in matters of salvation, but in matters of culture too, about which, inconveniently for those who would prefer Christianity remain safely confined to Sunday mornings, Scripture has quite a lot to say.
And he dreamed about the America his children would inherit. An America that remembered the Christian roots of its past and recognized that our rights are not gifts bestowed upon us by governments, but from the author of reality himself. The one to whom we owe those audacious ideas of life, liberty, and justice.
Charlie spent his life defending reality and its author. In the end, he became a casualty in the war. But he did not lose it.
A bullet can end a life. It cannot make a lie true. And death does not get the final word over someone who belongs to Christ. The murderer only managed to change Charlie’s address, while motivating thousands to come to Jesus.
Today, Charlie is absent from the body but present with the Lord. And while I long for the day when I will see my friend again, those of us still here have work to do.
For 365 days and counting, his spirit-guided wife, Erika, his faithful friends, and his devoted Turning Point family have honored Charlie not merely by remembering what he did, but by continuing what he started. Together, they have chosen to build rather than destroy, to focus rather than distract, and to defend truth, family, faith, and country even when it costs them something. I pray you have made the same choice.
Charlie once said that, for everything he accomplished, he wanted to be remembered above all for two things: his courage and his faith in Jesus Christ. One year later, that is how I remember him.
***
Frank Turek is coauthor of “The War on Reality” and was a good friend and mentor to Charlie Kirk.
This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

Charlie Kirk

Why Charlie Kirk’s Faith And Courage Still Define A Generation

christianity

opinion

President Donald Trump honored Charlie Kirk ahead of the one-year mark of the conservative activist&#8217;s assassination. 
The recognition took place during Trump’s speech at the Republican Midterm Convention Wednesday night as the president said that Kirk’s killing exposed the radical Left. Kirk was shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. 
“One year ago tomorrow, a far-Left extremist assassinated my great friend and conservative voice Charlie Kirk because Charlie Kirk spoke the truth,” Trump said Wednesday night. “What shocked millions of Americans was not only the fact that Charlie was murdered, as bad as it was, but also how many people made an excuse for it or cheered for it. They were cheering, some people, sick people.”  
In the wake of the assassination, many leftists across the country, including high school teachers, local government workers, restaurant workers, and professors, all mocked or justified the shooting, suggesting that Kirk deserved to be killed because of his conservative views. 
“For a brief moment, the mask came off the radical Left, and you saw what they were really all about,” Trump said. “Now, those same people are trying to get power over you in this election, and they&#8217;re all voting Democrat, okay?  They&#8217;re all voting, every one of them, and you can&#8217;t let it happen. We will not let them win, and in Charlie&#8217;s honor, I just want to say we love you Charlie.”
Chants of “Charlie” broke out throughout the convention as Trump president acknowledged Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow. Erika, who recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-advice-usha-vance-gave-erika-kirk-after-charlies-death-still-guides-her-a-year-later?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Advice+Usha+Vance+Gave+Erika+Kirk+After+Charlie%E2%80%99s+Death+Still+Guides+Her+A+Year+Later">spoke out</a> about navigating her grief one year after the incident, was seated next to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Erika was elected chair and CEO of Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Charlie, after her husband’s death. 
A judge ruled earlier this month that Tyler Robinson, the man accused of murdering Kirk, will stand trial on all seven charges he faces related to the killing including aggravated murder. If convicted, he faces the death penalty. 
Prosecutors point to evidence showing that Robinson sent messages accusing Kirk of spreading “too much hate” while bullet casings recovered by investigators were inscribed with “Hey fascist! CATCH!” and “If you read this, you are GAY Lmao.” Robinson, described by family members as liberal, was dating a transgender-identifying man at the time of the shooting.

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‘We Will Not Let Them Win’: Trump Gives Emotional Tribute To Charlie Kirk

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-rules-on-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-death-penalty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Erika Kirk</a> says the advice she received from second lady Usha Vance the day after her husband, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated continues to guide her as she navigates her grief nearly a year later.
Kirk opened up about the past year in a New York Times essay <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/07/opinion/erika-kirk-grief-faith.html">published</a> Monday, reflecting on the pain of losing her husband while raising their two young children and learning how to move forward without him.
In the immediate aftermath of Charlie’s death, Kirk said she told Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, that she did not know how she was going to get through it. The second lady took her hand and offered an analogy that Kirk says has been “seared” into her heart.
“You know when you’re on an airplane with your kids, and you’re going to land in 15 minutes, but the kids are going crazy, screaming, throwing things, and then the plane lands, and the kids relax, and everything is fine again?” Vance told her. “That’s how it will be. Just get through the next 15 minutes.”
Kirk previously shared the exchange publicly during Charlie’s memorial service last year, when she described Vance as a “precious woman” and said the words were “exactly what I needed to hear.”
In the year since Charlie’s assassination, Kirk said the meaning of that advice has changed.
“At first, I needed to survive the next 15 minutes. Over time, I’ve realized that Charlie would want me to live them,” she wrote.
Kirk described the waves of grief that have continued to hit during birthdays, holidays, and ordinary moments around the home she once shared with her husband. But she said she has learned that grief and joy can exist at the same time.
“I can miss him with every part of me and still laugh with our children,” Kirk wrote. “I can have a broken heart and still experience joy.”
“If you are living through grief, I won’t tell you what to feel or that tomorrow will be better than today,” she wrote. “I will tell you what a dear friend told me: Just get through the next 15 minutes.”
“One day, maybe when you least expect it,” Kirk continued, “you’ll start to see that those 15 minutes hold more than just grief. The grief is there, always, but so is the beautiful gift of life.”
Kirk was thrust into the leadership of Turning Point USA immediately after her husband&#8217;s death, when the board appointed her CEO and chair. She has since worked to carry on the organization and Charlie&#8217;s legacy while raising their two children.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-rules-on-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-death-penalty">Judge Rules On Charlie Kirk Assassination Trial, Death Penalty</a>

Erika and Charlie Kirk

The Advice Usha Vance Gave Erika Kirk After Charlie’s Death Still Guides Her A Year Later

The Advice Usha Vance Gave Erika Kirk After Charlie’s Death Still Guides Her a Year Later

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A Utah Judge ruled Tuesday that Tyler Robinson will stand trial on all seven charges in the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk, leaving him eligible for the death penalty if convicted of aggravated murder.
After hearing hours of closing arguments from the defense and prosecution, Fourth District Judge Tony Graf found that the state had established probable cause, meaning there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial.
Robinson, 23, faces one count of aggravated murder, one count of felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of tampering with a witness, and one count of committing a violent offense in the presence of a child, according to court records.
The judge&#8217;s decision allows the aggravated murder charge to move forward, along with the aggravating circumstance prosecutors say makes the charge eligible for the death penalty.
The defendant&#8217;s attorneys asked during the preliminary hearing that Graf reject the aggravating circumstance that could make the killing eligible for capital punishment. They argued that prosecutors had not shown that the shooter knowingly created a “great risk of death” to anyone other than Kirk. Prosecutors countered, saying others were indeed at risk when the shot was fired. Graf ultimately found there was sufficient evidence for the aggravating circumstance to remain in the case.
Kirk&#8217;s parents and his widow, Erika Kirk, appeared in court Tuesday. A statement from the family called the ruling &#8220;an important step in our family’s pursuit of justice for him.&#8221;
&#8220;Every step in this process carries the weight of all that Charlie’s murder has taken from his family, especially his children who will grow up without their father. We are grateful to all who have continued to pray for us, support us, and stand with us through a year of unimaginable grief,&#8221; the family said.
&#8220;As the next phase of the judicial process begins, our family remains united in our love for Charlie, our commitment to the pursuit of justice, and our prayer for a transparent and timely process,&#8221; the statement added.
Robinson is accused of fatally shooting Kirk in September 2025 at Utah Valley University, where the conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder was speaking at an outdoor event.
Following Judge Graf&#8217;s ruling, Robinson&#8217;s attorneys entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to all seven charges.

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Judge Rules On Charlie Kirk Assassination Trial, Death Penalty

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A nearly eight-year-old clip of Charlie Kirk ripping Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker&#8217;s communist dream went viral on social media again this week.
In the exchange, which took place during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RIKm-cOdh0">Politicon debate</a> in Los Angeles on October 20, 2018 — the pair&#8217;s second meeting at the convention — Kirk asked Piker why he doesn&#8217;t live by the communist vision he calls for America to embrace.
&#8220;Why don&#8217;t you give 95% of your money away and go live on a commune?&#8221; Kirk asked the America-hating communist streamer.
&#8220;Do you really think that that&#8217;s how it works?&#8221; Piker replied.
&#8220;Why not? Go live what you preach,&#8221; Kirk said as Piker attempted to interrupt the Turning Point USA founder.
&#8220;I live what I practice,&#8221; Kirk added. &#8220;I am a free-market capitalist, I employ people, I took a risk, I have my own start-up business. Every single day, I practice what I preach. He wants other people to contribute to what he considers to be a good idea, what he considers will make the world a better place.&#8221;
&#8220;You have the freedom to go live as a socialist. Go do it, Hasan. What&#8217;s stopping you?&#8221;
Piker called the exchange &#8220;absolutely preposterous.&#8221; &#8220;If I gave away the measly earnings that I had and gave away 95% of that,&#8221; he began — before Kirk cut in to ask, &#8220;How much do you make, Hasan?&#8221; — &#8220;that wouldn&#8217;t necessarily even push the needle.&#8221;
&#8220;I will be very honest, it&#8217;s really embarrassing especially because my boss is sitting right there, I make $60,000 a year, okay? And that&#8217;s a really good salary.&#8221;
The exchange devolved when Cenk Uygur — Piker&#8217;s uncle and, at the time, his boss at The Young Turks — began shouting at Kirk from the audience, demanding to know Kirk&#8217;s own salary.
&#8220;I live like a capitalist every single day, Cenk,&#8221; Kirk said. &#8220;I practice what I preach. You do not practice what you preach.&#8221;
Pressed on his own pay, Kirk answered: &#8220;Less than Hasan, so you can check it yourself.&#8221;
The debate was just one of many examples of how Kirk stood for conservative principles in some of the most radical leftist environments.
On September 10, 2025, Kirk was assassinated while speaking on the campus of Utah Valley University. The Turning Point USA founder was shot while taking a question about transgender mass shooters. According to charging documents, the suspected gunman texted his roommate and trans-identifying lover afterward: &#8220;I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can&#8217;t be negotiated out.&#8221;
Since the debate with Kirk in 2018, Piker has gained fame among the far-Left, and he has even been embraced by some in the Democratic Party, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). This year, Piker has campaigned with Democratic House and Senate candidates in New York and Michigan, including Michigan Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who is hoping to become the first Muslim U.S. senator.
Piker&#8217;s earnings have grown considerably since. Fox Business host Charles Payne <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6403267383112">put his net worth at $35</a> million on air Wednesday, though public estimates vary widely, with Celebrity Net Worth listing roughly $8 million. What isn&#8217;t in dispute is the $2.7 million West Hollywood home — a long way from the commune.
In an April New York Times podcast, Piker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/socialists-have-made-a-new-crime-into-a-form-of-protest">said</a> he&#8217;s &#8220;pro stealing from big corporations, because they steal quite a bit more from their own workers,&#8221; and added that while he doesn&#8217;t shoplift himself, &#8220;if someone needs the food, they should absolutely steal it.&#8221;
Piker has praised murderous Chinese communist dictator Mao Zedong and has argued that America &#8220;deserved 9/11.&#8221; In March 2025, Piker was temporarily suspended from the streaming platform Twitch — his fifth suspension from the site — after saying that if Republicans cared about entitlement fraud, &#8220;you would kill Rick Scott.&#8221;

Politicon 2018 – Day 1

FLASHBACK: Watch Charlie Kirk Expose Absurdity Of Hasan Piker’s Communist Dream

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Women’s greatest legacy is their children, Isabel Brown, host of “The Isabel Brown Show” on The Daily Wire, told attendees at Turning Point USA’s 2026 Women’s Leadership Summit on Saturday.
The three-day women’s conference, held June 5–7 in San Antonio, Texas, featured speakers from across the conservative movement, including Brown, Alex Clark, Riley Gaines, Erika Kirk, and Allie Beth Stuckey. Brown spoke on the Left’s attack on motherhood and encouraged young conservative women to have families.
“It is normal, healthy, and beautiful for you to want to bring new life into the world,” Brown said. “It’s a gift that is only available to women. It’s the only experience humanity has to participate in the creation of new life right alongside God.”
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Isabel Brown: “It is normal, healthy, and beautiful for you to want to bring new life into the world. It&#8217;s a gift that is only available to women.”<a href="https://x.com/theisabelb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theisabelb</a> live at WLS 2026 <a href="https://t.co/9GNO5WqiaZ">pic.twitter.com/9GNO5WqiaZ</a>
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) <a href="https://x.com/TPUSA/status/2063368586757066913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Brown argued that modern culture increasingly devalues motherhood and traditional family formation, while elevating individual fulfillment above sacrifice and service to others.
“Despite calling me out by name repeatedly, the women of The View weren’t really upset about me,” Brown said. “They were threatened by the fundamental truth that the women sitting in this room know and live out every day: that our greatest contributions are bigger than ourselves.”
Brown also encouraged attendees to reject fears surrounding marriage and raising children.
“Have the courage to fall in love, to get married, and to have children, more children than you think you’re ready for, and far more than you think you can afford,” Brown said.
The Daily Wire host also pointed to Mary, the Mother of God, as the ultimate example of feminine virtue and self-sacrifice.
“Her greatest legacy will always be how she raised God incarnate to become a man, in what she gave rather than what she received,” Brown said.
While acknowledging that many women pursue successful careers, Brown said motherhood remains the most important calling for many women and noted that many of the conference&#8217;s speakers balance professional success with raising families.
Brown also reflected on the sacrifices associated with motherhood, arguing that suffering and hardship can draw people closer to God.
“We do live in a world where we experience pain, discomfort and suffering, but the beauty of suffering is that it uniquely links our experience to that of God, who enduring the ultimate hardship and pain to the point of death for the redemption of all of us,” Brown said.
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Isabel Brown: “We do live in a world where we experience pain, discomfort and suffering, but the beauty of suffering is that it uniquely links our experience to that of God.”<a href="https://x.com/theisabelb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theisabelb</a> live at WLS 2026 <a href="https://t.co/kCexonVwaA">pic.twitter.com/kCexonVwaA</a>
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) <a href="https://x.com/TPUSA/status/2063371103402401802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The summit also featured remarks from TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk, who reflected on the mission of the organization founded by her late husband, Charlie Kirk.
“He saw a generation drifting away from faith, away from a sense of purpose, and he wanted to cultivate a space for community, a space that was so needed, especially on college campuses,” Erika Kirk said of her husband. 
At one point during her speech, a heckler attempted to interrupt Kirk, but was removed from the venue.
“It’s important to remember that happiness comes and goes, and I pray that you find it,” Kirk told the heckler as the woman was removed.
After the audience applauded, Kirk urged attendees to pray for their opponents rather than view them as enemies.
“You pray for your enemies. You pray for those that persecute you,” Kirk said. “That’s not the enemy. We know who the real enemy is.”
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Isabel Brown

Isabel Brown Urges Women To Embrace Motherhood At TPUSA Women’s Summit

Republican Women

the daily wire

women

A patriotic middle school assembly celebrating America’s upcoming 250th birthday sparked protests and backlash from left-wing parents in Southern California this week after critics objected to the event’s alleged ties to organizations like Turning Point USA and The Heritage Foundation.
The event, dubbed “History Rocks 250,” was held at Canyon Hills Junior High School and focused on American history, the country’s founding principles, and civic pride ahead of the United States’ 250th birthday celebration next year.
But before the assembly even began, protesters gathered outside the school holding signs reading “No politics in school,” while some parents reportedly kept their children home entirely over fears the presentation would push a conservative political agenda.
Much of the controversy centered on reports that organizations affiliated with Turning Point USA and Heritage Foundation had helped coordinate the broader “History Rocks! Trail to Independence Tour,” which is tied to America’s semiquincentennial celebration.
“I’m concerned about the views of Turning Point USA and the Heritage Foundation, which produced Project 2025,” grandparent Debra Esquivel said while protesting the event.
Parents <a href="https://abc7.com/post/controversy-surrounds-history-rocks-250-assembly-canyon-hills-junior-high-chino/19066944/">interviewed by local media</a> expressed fears that conservative ideology was being inserted into the classroom under the banner of civic education, despite school officials repeatedly stating the assembly would simply focus on American history and the nation’s founding.
“The things they teach and the ideas that they like to bring into communities and into students are concerning to me,” parent Kristi Hirst said. School officials and district leaders pushed back forcefully on the criticism, insisting the event contained nothing political or controversial.
“They will be learning about the founding documents and also about the American Revolution,” said Sonja Shaw. “This is nothing new. It’s in our curriculum.” The assembly itself appeared largely straightforward and patriotic in nature.
Students and faculty opened the event with the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem before participating in history-themed trivia games and presentations about the American Revolution and the country’s founding ideals.
One student emcee asked classmates questions about colonial America, while another delivered remarks praising the United States as a place where generations of immigrants came seeking freedom and opportunity. “What makes America special is that for generations families all over the world have come here, searching for freedom, opportunity and the chance to build a better life,” one student said during closing remarks.
Featured speaker Katharine Gorka, a senior adviser for civic education at the Department of Education similarly emphasized America’s openness and national identity. “We are the most welcoming country on earth, and I love that about this country,” Gorka told students.
After the assembly concluded, multiple students reportedly said the event felt like a normal school rally focused on American history rather than partisan politics. “I think they politicized something that’s not political,” Gorka later said.
The backlash puts a fine point on how reflexively hostile some have become towards conservative organizations and overt expressions of American patriotism, even when the actual content presented to students remained centered on basic civics and national history.
The reaction highlights the increasingly polarized atmosphere surrounding patriotism, civic education, and American history in schools — particularly in deep blue states like California, where even celebrations tied to the country’s founding can quickly become ideological flashpoints.

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Woke Parents Protest As School Dares To Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday

Woke Parents Protest As School Dares To Celebrate America's 250th Birthday

education

woke culture

“It&#8217;s more than memorizing statistics and facts. It&#8217;s how you are able to absorb such knowledge that elevates your thinking above the noise of this world.”
Erika Kirk delivers an emotional commencement speech Saturday at Hillsdale College, telling graduates that her late husband Charlie Kirk believes learning is about far more than facts, politics, or headlines. It’s about pursuing truth, defending liberty, and building a life rooted in purpose.
Kirk, who now serves as CEO and chair of Turning Point USA following Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025, speaks to Hillsdale’s graduating class during the school’s 174th commencement ceremony in Michigan.
At times emotional and at times funny, the speech doubles as both a tribute to Charlie and a broader message about faith, family, responsibility, and what Kirk sees as a culture losing its direction.
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<a href="https://t.co/PtXzaW1sEm">https://t.co/PtXzaW1sEm</a>
— Jordan Schroeder (@JordanESchro) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanESchro/status/2053236933363482635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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One of the most memorable moments comes when Kirk tells the story of their honeymoon, where Charlie still can’t fully disconnect from learning.
“When we got married and we went to our honeymoon the next day, we decided for our honeymoon that it would be a disconnected honeymoon,” Kirk says. “Meaning no computers, no cell phones.”
But Charlie still brings along what she jokingly calls a “bat phone” for emergencies.
While the two are working out at the gym, Kirk suddenly hears Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn’s voice coming from across the room.
“I walk over to him. Baby, what are you listening to?” she recalls. “He goes, I know. He was like, I&#8217;m almost done. He&#8217;s like, I have to finish just a few more lectures from Dr. Arn.”
Kirk says Charlie constantly took Hillsdale online courses and proudly screenshots every certificate of completion.
“He really understood that this institution wasn&#8217;t normal,” she says. “It was something that elevated his thinking to be a thought leader and really become a serious person, not just a political talking head.”
Throughout the speech, Kirk repeatedly points back to Charlie’s obsession with learning and his belief that education should shape how people think, not just help them memorize information.
“I would say, I love learning from you,” Kirk says, recalling date nights where she would ask Charlie to explain the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, or Winston Churchill.
“He just loved being able to share what he had learned in those moments,” she adds.
Kirk also uses the speech to warn graduates about chasing comfort and easy living instead of purpose and meaning.
“What you seek in life, you will get,” she tells graduates. “If you&#8217;re seeking the ugly, the conspiracy, the pain, you&#8217;ll find it. And if you&#8217;re seeking the good and the true and the beautiful, you will find that as well.”
“You are not made for a life that asks nothing of you,” she adds. “You were made for something higher.”
At several points, Kirk frames Charlie’s life as a blueprint for the graduating class, reminding students that Turning Point USA famously starts “in a garage in Lamont, Illinois” when Charlie is fresh out of high school with “no money, no connections, and no idea what he was doing.”
But she says he never saw the mission as random.
“He knew that with the Lord. That was his calling,” she says.
Kirk closes the speech with a direct message to graduates about preserving the country they are inheriting.
“Love your country,” she says. “Our country is not perfect, but my goodness is she good.”
“And as you start day one as a graduate, build carefully, choose wisely,” Kirk adds. “And aim not at what is easy or immediate, but what is beautiful and true.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-EDUCATION-KIRK

The Emotional Challenge Erika Kirk Delivers To Graduates About Charlie’s Legacy

Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk marked her fifth wedding anniversary Friday with a touching tribute to her late husband, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated during a speaking event in September.
In a social media post, the widow reflected on their relationship and how she hopes to share their legacy with their daughter and son.
&#8220;Even though our kids won&#8217;t see our love &#8216;grow old together&#8217; from an earthly stand point; they&#8217;ll see it from a Heavenly one,&#8221; she posted on X. &#8220;Happy Anniversary to the love of my life.&#8221;
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Even though our kids won’t see our love “grow old together” from an earthly stand point; they’ll see it from a Heavenly one. And I’ll tell them of our love story any moment I can.
Happy Anniversary to the love of my life. <a href="https://t.co/PAXTyxm7ly">pic.twitter.com/PAXTyxm7ly</a>
— Erika Kirk (@MrsErikaKirk) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsErikaKirk/status/2052823537329770691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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An emotional video accompanying the post features a montage of the couple in romantic settings and family photos, set to voiceovers from Charlie, Erika, and their daughter, Gigi, who was born in 2022.
The video begins with Erika saying, &#8220;I want to show you some pictures of mommy and daddy, and I want to tell you a story.&#8221;
A child&#8217;s voice later says, &#8220;I love you so much, daddy. I miss you, Dada.&#8221;
The montage ends with Charlie and Erika expressing their love for one another.
After Charlie was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, Erika, as her husband wished, took over Turning Point USA. She has since urged Americans to live according to the values her husband promoted, including a focus on faith.
Tyler Robinson, 23, has been charged in connection with the killing. During a memorial service in September, Erika publicly forgave him.
&#8220;That young man, that young man,&#8221; she said. &#8220;On the cross, our savior said, &#8216;Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.&#8217; That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do.&#8221;
Since taking over Turning Point USA, Erika has become a more visible public figure, continuing to promote her husband&#8217;s political and religious values on the world stage despite aggressive smear campaigns from online commentators.
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Turning Point Inaugural-Eve Ball Held In Washington, D.C.

Erika Kirk Reflects On Love And Loss In Anniversary Tribute To Charlie

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