The same day that President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donald-trump-honors-his-friend-charlie-kirk-with-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Donald+Trump+Honors+His+Friend+Charlie+Kirk+With+The+Presidential+Medal+Of+Freedom">honored</a> the late Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, hundreds of Utah college students gathered in Salt Lake City for a memorial honoring the Turning Point founder&#8217;s life. 
Students from chapters of Kirk’s Turning Point organization from nearby universities like Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, where Kirk was assassinated last month, gathered alongside Republican lawmakers at the Utah Capitol building on Tuesday to reflect on Kirk’s life. Rep. Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican, spoke at the event and urged young conservatives in attendance to carry on Kirk’s legacy. 
“One of the things that Charlie talked a lot about during his lifetime was the value of political debate,” Gill said.  “Whenever we win the debate we get to change policy. And whenever we change policy, we can start to take our country back. And we’ve seen that this year.” 
During his speech, Gill issued a warning about the rise of violence committed by the political Left. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s not just Charlie Kirk. Right now there’s an attorney general’s race in Virginia where the leading Democrat candidate just had some of his text messages released where he was saying he would celebrate the death of his political opponents, that he would celebrate the death of his opponents&#8217; young children,” he said, referring to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-jay-jones-text-scandal-may-blow-up-dem-chances-in-virginia">bombshell text messages</a> promoting violence from Democrat attorney general candidate Jay Jones. 
Gill told The Daily Wire that the students at the event were somber but “fired up.” 
“We heard from probably 20 or so student leaders from a few different campuses in the area,” he said. “And they were ready to take back our country. They saw what happened to Charlie. They remember the message that Charlie had been putting out there.”
Gill also praised the students in attendance for continuing Kirk’s legacy of engaging in civic debate. He said that respectful debate among two completely opposing ideologies would be one aspect of Kirk’s legacy that would live on. 
“The other thing that Charlie did was he was able to build a political movement and get young people involved in politics in a way you&#8217;ve never seen before,” he said. “ Charlie made it, and Turning Point has made it cool to be a conservative for a young person who&#8217;s in college.”
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The Texas Republican also said that Kirk’s message of going to church, getting married, and having kids would continue to resonate with young Americans. 
Student leaders who spoke at the event called for young conservatives to carry on Kirk&#8217;s message. 
“Tonight we’re picking up the mic and carrying forward this message louder and bolder than ever before,” <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/president-trump-awards-charlie-kirk-221558652.html">said</a> Turning Point USA Provo chapter president Aubree Farmer. “We were born for such a time as this, and it’s time for people to start listening.”
Other speakers at the event <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/president-trump-awards-charlie-kirk-221558652.html">included</a> Utah Reps. Celeste Maloy and Mike Kennedy, Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, and multiple state lawmakers.

IMG_20251015_152544

‘Made It Cool To Be A Conservative’: Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Celebrated At Utah Capitol

Brandon Gill

Charlie Kirk

Turning Point USA

Utah

Wyoming Republicans are crying foul after a high school student said her school treats her Turning Point USA Club America chapter unfairly and blocks them from engaging in activities that similar clubs are allowed to do. 
Natrona County High School senior Kylie Wall told The Daily Wire that the Club America chapter she started has received a chilly reception from school administrators who have exercised a heavy hand over the group&#8217;s activities. This includes taking limited action after school staff ripped down posters for the club at the school, she said. 
State Senator Rachel Rodriguez Williams, the chair of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, told The Daily Wire that school officials appeared to be chilling the free speech of conservative students. 
&#8220;At best, NCHS administrators are chilling the protected speech of students, which is unacceptable,” she told The Daily Wire. “At worst, they’re systematically silencing the speech and activities of students on and off campus, which is indefensible.”
The Wyoming Freedom Caucus filed a public records request on Sunday, demanding all communications to or from Natrona County High School Principal Aaron Wilson containing the terms “Club America” or “Turning Point USA.” Natrona County High School is located in Casper, Wyoming’s second most populous city. 
Wall told The Daily Wire on Thursday that she had serious concerns about equal treatment, free speech, and student rights under district policy and the federal Equal Access Act, which requires schools receiving federal funds to have equal opportunities. 
&#8220;As students, we simply want to be treated fairly, to have our voices respected, and to participate in the same opportunities afforded to other clubs,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We look forward to working toward a resolution that upholds district policy and students’ constitutional rights.&#8221;
Wall, who started a Club America chapter shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, says that school officials have blocked them from participating in public meetings off campus and failed to take sufficient action after she saw school staff tearing down advertisements for the club. 
&#8220;Approved Club America flyers have been removed by staff, and some teachers have made disparaging remarks about our club and its members,&#8221; Wall told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Despite these reports, the administration has taken little action to address them, contributing to a hostile environment for students who hold different viewpoints.&#8221;
Natrona County School District noted that it recognized two Club America chapters, one at Natrona County High School and another at Kelly Walsh High School.
&#8220;These student-led clubs are open to high school students who are interested in learning about government, civic responsibility, and active citizenship. Like all student-led clubs, school-based meetings are student-driven and are not open to the public,&#8221; the county told The Daily Wire. &#8220;We continue to encourage students from all high schools to work together and collaborate in many different capacities.&#8221;
Rodriguez Williams said that the Wyoming Freedom Caucus “reminds all Wyoming school districts that students don’t shed their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse doors. We are disgusted that school staff would tear down posters advertising Club America, but are filled with hope for the future at the bravery and poise of these patriotic students.&#8221;
In addition to the posters being pulled down, school officials have reportedly blocked Wall’s chapter from meeting with another local Turning Point USA club, prohibited them from attending an off-campus banquet hosted by the Wyoming Family Alliance, and told Wall that she could not do an interview on the club without the principal’s presence. 
&#8220;Our club was prohibited from attending a community event hosted by the Wyoming Family Alliance, even though other student organizations — such as athletic teams and Key Club, and others — routinely attend similar off-campus events,&#8221; Wall said. &#8220;This restriction seems inconsistent with district practice and limits our club’s opportunities to participate equally in civic activities.&#8221;
Wyoming Family Alliance Executive Director Nathan Winters confirmed that Wilson told them to &#8220;exclusively&#8221; reach out to Club America through him and declined the invitation to the banquet. He added that they never received a response when they asked if there was a district policy blocking the students from engaging in community events.
“Wyoming Family Alliance will always stand with students who want to engage in civil public discourse and experience the true meaning of American citizenship,&#8221; Winters told The Daily Wire. &#8220;We are disappointed and deeply concerned when any school or administrator restricts those first steps toward civic participation. Students should be encouraged, not silenced, when they seek to learn, lead, and contribute to their communities.”
Wall added that she &#8220;was instructed not to speak to reporters about our chapter without direct administrative supervision, or even on my own time,&#8221; while students at other high schools were not restricted in the same way. 
Following the assassination of Kirk last month in Utah, Turning Point USA has reported a massive surge in requests to form new chapters on both high school and college campuses. The organization said last week that it has launched 1,500 new high school chapters nationwide, up from roughly 1,200 total before Kirk’s death.

US-POLITICS-TURNING POINT

Wyoming High School Is ‘Chilling Speech’ Of Turning Point USA Chapter, Republicans Warn

Education

First Amendment

Wyoming

Turning Point USA confirmed the rumors after speculation grew that the organization would host an alternative to the Super Bowl LX halftime show featuring Puerto Rican recording artist Bad Bunny.
“It’s true, Turning Point USA is thrilled to announce The All-American Halftime Show,” the nonprofit posted to social media on Thursday. “Performers and event details coming soon.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
It’s true, Turning Point USA is thrilled to announce The All American Halftime Show.
Performers and event details coming soon.
2.8.2026<a href="https://t.co/HBHGfXj6yU">https://t.co/HBHGfXj6yU</a> <a href="https://t.co/HYUs6BqgVL">pic.twitter.com/HYUs6BqgVL</a>
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPUSA/status/1976301627662340207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The announcement follows the NFL and Apple Music, in conjunction with Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation, revealing that Bad Bunny would perform at the 2026 Super Bowl in California.
The artist’s selection was significant because of his past anti-ICE statements, including his refusal to schedule any tour stops in the United States due to alleged fears about his fans being taken into ICE custody at his shows.
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“…There was the issue of — like, f***ing ICE could be outside (my concert). And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” Bad Bunny <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nfl-picks-anti-ice-anti-trump-rapper-bad-bunny-for-super-bowl-halftime-show?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=NFL+Picks+Anti-ICE%2C+Anti-Trump+Rapper+Bad+Bunny+For+Super+Bowl+Halftime+Show">said</a>, referring to ICE agents as “motherf***ers” and “sons of bitches.”
Critics also noted that none of the three-time Grammy Award winner’s songs are in English. Bad Bunny, whose legal name is Benito Ocasio, later addressed the backlash he and the NFL received following the Super Bowl halftime announcement, advising viewers to learn Spanish if they didn’t like it.
The Turning Point USA announcement includes a link to an <a href="https://www.americanhalftimeshow.com/">online form</a> where fans can sign up to receive updates about the event. The form includes a survey polling respondents on what type of music they would like featured, with selections including “anything in English,” “Americana,” “Classic Rock,” “Country,” “Hip Hop,” “Pop,” and “Worship.”
The controversy over Bad Bunny being selected as the halftime entertainment sparked a larger debate about recent musical performances at the biggest sporting event of the year. Suggestions came pouring in for an alternative event, with conservative commentator Jack Posobiec <a href="https://x.com/JackPosobiec/status/1972679814629765266">posting</a> to X, “Sure would be a shame if @TPUSA hosted a counter-Superbowl halftime show with Creed.” That post went viral.
Other prominent voices floated names of country and rock icons, each known for English-language hits.

Turning Point

Turning Point USA Announces Bad Bunny-Free, ‘All-American Halftime Show’ To Rival NFL’s

Turning Point USA Announces Bad Bunny-Free, 'All American Halftime Show' 

Entertainment

Social Issues

Super Bowl

U.S.

A Tennessee university on Thursday approved the creation of a Turning Point USA chapter on campus after the conservative group faced opposition from the school’s student government.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC)’s Student Government Association on Wednesday voted against approving the Charlie Kirk-inspired club, sparking backlash from conservative lawmakers. Less than 24 hours after that vote, the university announced that it had approved the application in accordance with school guidelines. 
“The Dean of Students Office has determined that Turning Point USA is approved as a Registered Student Organization,” the university <a href="https://x.com/UTChattanooga/status/1976295599986122883">announced</a> Thursday morning. “While the Student Government Association may voice opinions, recognition of student organizations is determined by the UTC Dean of Students and Chancellor. Turning Point USA has been authorized in accordance with university policy and the law.”  
Calls to approve the club poured in after Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet said that UTC’s student government had denied the request to approve the formation of the club. 
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“This decision effectively blocks our students from gaining official recognition on campus. As a result, the students will be forced to restart the process, reapplying and once again facing the same SGA that has already demonstrated clear bias against them. Tennessee, are these the values of your state? Your tax dollars are propping this garbage up,” Kolvet <a href="https://x.com/AndrewKolvet/status/1976125274065690716">posted</a> on X.
After the vote, the university stated that final approval for the club went through school officials, not the student government. 
Shortly before the university announced its decision to approve the club, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) urged school officials to “do the right thing.” 
“The Student Government Association at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga just voted to recommend that a [TPUSA] chapter not be approved,” Blackburn <a href="https://x.com/VoteMarsha/status/1976284203068293217">wrote</a> on X. “Do the right thing and approve the Turning Point chapter immediately.”
Several state Republican representatives also commented on the student government’s vote, saying that the university would approve the application. 
Rep. Jason Zachary, a Republican who represents part of Knoxville, <a href="https://x.com/JasonZacharyTN/status/1976255673911427512">said</a> Thursday that he had spoken with Randy Boyd, the president of the University of Tennessee system, about the student government association’s vote. Zachary urged Turning Point USA to reach out to him if they had any other problems. 
After UTC announced the approval of the club, Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth, a Republican, praised the school. 
“Glad to see [TPUSA] approved at [UTC]. Looks like some of these young conservatives need to run against the liberal SGA who didn&#8217;t even want their voices heard on campus,” he <a href="https://x.com/WilliamLamberth/status/1976297054151315518">said</a>. “Appreciate the Dean standing for free speech.”
Following the assassination of Kirk last month in Utah, Turning Point USA has reported a massive surge in requests to form new chapters on both high school and college campuses. The organization said last week that it has launched 1,500 new high school chapters nationwide, up from roughly 1,200 total before Kirk’s death.

Former President Trump Addresses The Turning Points Action Conference In West Palm Beach, California

After Student Government Clash, Tennessee Turning Point USA Chapter Gets Green Light

Academia

Free Speech

Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee

Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said he and other members of the company are glad Jimmy Kimmel was put back on the air because it ensures he no longer has “martyr” status.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t want Jimmy Kimmel to be a martyr. He doesn&#8217;t deserve it. He&#8217;s a liar, he&#8217;s an unrepentant liar, but he should not be considered a martyr by anybody,&#8221; Kolvet <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/turning-point-didnt-want-jimmy-kimmel-canceled-because-abcs-liar-doesnt-deserve-martyr">told</a> Fox News Digital in a newly published interview.
Kimmel’s late night show was suspended for less than a week after comments he made about the assassination of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk on September 10. This led to the Left having absolute meltdowns about free speech and suggesting that the Trump administration had orchestrated the show’s suspension.
Kolvet says the best way to deal with someone like Kimmel is to let them keep lying and keep getting terrible ratings, which will eventually lead to their shows getting canceled.
&#8220;It&#8217;s important that when people lie, and they lie in that type of setting and that platform about such a huge event, that there are real consequences. And I think the best consequence would be that people just tune out,&#8221; he told the outlet. &#8220;People refuse to watch a liar on TV and that when the ratings come up and the P&amp;L statement, ABC reviews it, that they just say, ‘Hey, this isn&#8217;t worth continuing.’&#8221;
&#8220;When that happens, I don&#8217;t think that he&#8217;s gonna be able to blame us for it. I think he&#8217;s just gonna have to blame himself and his own choices, and when that happens, I&#8217;m not gonna be sad about it,&#8221; Kolvet added.
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Kimmel’s return last Tuesday evening drew a record-breaking 6.3 million viewers, more than triple his regular audience. By Thursday, those numbers had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmels-ratings-spike-crashes-back-down-to-his-usual-terrible-numbers?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Jimmy+Kimmel%E2%80%99s+Ratings+Spike+Crashes+Back+Down+To+His+Usual+Terrible+Numbers">dropped by 64%</a>, leveling off at 2.3 million.
Kolvet said he’s been most upset to hear the narrative that political violence is &#8220;equally as extreme whether it&#8217;s on the Right or the Left.&#8221;
&#8220;I think that&#8217;s why I keyed in on the Jimmy Kimmel saga because he tried to lie to his audience and tell us that it was actually somebody from the Right that killed Charlie and that&#8217;s just simply not true,&#8221; Kolvet said.
&#8220;There&#8217;s no facts that back that up,&#8221; he told Fox News Digital. &#8220;And that strikes me as a really fundamental problem because … if you feel you can go into that platform and lie brazenly … that says that you don&#8217;t care about us as humans. That tells me that you think that we are worth smearing, slandering, lying about and dehumanizing people. And that&#8217;s how we get this violence in the first place.&#8221;
The saga began last month when Kimmel was accused of slandering conservatives when he suggested Kirk’s assassin was part of the “MAGA gang,” despite authorities saying otherwise. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said at the time.
While the host addressed the controversy during his return monologue, many viewers, including Kolvet, found his comments to be insincere. The TPUSA spokesperson called Kimmel an “unrepentant liar.”

Jimmy Kimmel

Turning Point Spokesman Says He’s Glad ‘Liar’ Kimmel Is Back On TV So He’s Not A ‘Martyr’

Television

Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Wednesday that he planned to investigate reports that Texas Christian University had canceled a planned Turning Point USA event.
The event was initially scheduled to be held on the TCU campus as part of the tour the group’s late founder, Charlie Kirk, began before his assassination on September 10 — and was to feature detransitioner Chloe Cole — but Cole announced that her event was canceled just a week before it was set to take place.
Cole posted a short thank-you to Hillsdale College — where she’d spoken recently — thanking them for speaking positively of her recent appearance there rather than canceling the event out from under her.
“The first college to actually thank me for speaking on their campus instead of cancelling me like @TCU just did! Christian colleges (and otherwise) need to step up to keep democracy and free speech alive in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” Cole posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The show goes on, but not on campus. <a href="https://t.co/f6puBgLk22">pic.twitter.com/f6puBgLk22</a>
— Chloe Cole ⭐️ (@ChoooCole) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChoooCole/status/1973224045387903229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
She followed that with an updated flyer showing that the TPUSA event was still on — but would be moved nearby to Birchman Baptist Church, also located in Fort Worth. When people asked Cole what had happened, she explained that the TCU chapter of TPUSA had found a room on campus to hold the event, and despite determining it was available for the requested time, the college denied them access to it.
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“They denied the local TPUSA chapters (sic) request to have me on campus on the 7th even though the room was free. They didn’t give a real reason why,” she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
They denied the local TPUSA chapters request to have me on campus on the 7th even though the room was free. They didn’t give a real reason why
— Chloe Cole ⭐️ (@ChoooCole) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChoooCole/status/1973215768096780539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Dallas Express reporter Carlos Turcios also noted that the event had been canceled, and his post caught Paxton’s attention.
“This doesn’t look like free speech to me. I’m going to look into this,” he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This doesn’t look like free speech to me. I’m going to look into this. <a href="https://twitter.com/TCU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TCU</a> <a href="https://t.co/7OutbFDEHi">https://t.co/7OutbFDEHi</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1973281771421835329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Speaks To The Media On The Protect Children’s Innocence Act

Texas AG To Step In After College Axes TPUSA Event Featuring Detransitioner

Ken Paxton

TPUSA

Transgender

Authorities issued an emergency evacuation order at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, on Tuesday after a &#8220;suspicious device&#8221; was found just hours before a Turning Point USA event was scheduled to take place on campus.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was supposed to speak at the event at Utah State before he was assassinated while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on September 10. The event is the first that Turning Point USA has hosted in the state since the assassination. Utah State University is around 120 miles north of Utah Valley University.
In a video posted on social media by local news outlet KSL TV, police are heard yelling &#8220;fire in the hole!&#8221; before a loud explosion is heard. The building that was evacuated was not where the Turning Point USA event was set to take place, KSL TV <a href="https://ksltv.com/local-news/building-on-utah-state-campus-evacuated-for-suspicious-package-ahead-of-tpusa-event/826344/">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Police just yelled “fire in the hole” three times before we all heard an explosion. <a href="https://twitter.com/KSL5TV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KSL5TV</a>
Courtesy Julie Carlton <a href="https://t.co/EzWhD4adzj">pic.twitter.com/EzWhD4adzj</a>
— Erin Cox (@erincoxnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/erincoxnews/status/1973135438073438541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Authorities gave the &#8220;<a href="https://x.com/erincoxnews/status/1973147126562783570">all clear</a>&#8221; around an hour after it was reported that a &#8220;suspicious device&#8221; was spotted.
Utah State provided an update that the device wasn&#8217;t an explosive, but was detonated out of an abundance of caution:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UTAH STATE: &#8220;A suspicious device was found near the exterior of Old Main. University and Local law enforcement were dispatched to the scene. A device was located and deemed to be a non-explosive device. Out of an abundance of caution, the bomb squad detonated the suspicious… <a href="https://t.co/XvesaB5aPA">https://t.co/XvesaB5aPA</a>
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1973153323734933832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fox News reporter Matt Finn posted a screenshot of an alert sent out by Utah State that read, &#8220;An evacuation has been ordered for the Old Main building on Logan campus. Leave immediately using the nearest exit. Use stairs, not elevators. Take only essential items.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Developing: building evacuated at Utah State University ahead of the Turning Point event tonight. <a href="https://t.co/xsIzlbh06x">pic.twitter.com/xsIzlbh06x</a>
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattFinnFNC/status/1973138318503387589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Following Kirk&#8217;s assassination, Turning Point USA, led by Kirk&#8217;s widow, Erika, has remained committed to holding campus events despite the continued hatred spewed by some on the Left. Kirk&#8217;s college tour, which he kicked off at Utah Valley University, is now being picked up by some of his fellow conservatives. Tuesday&#8217;s event at Utah State is set to <a href="https://www.wyff4.com/article/turning-point-usa-utah-charlie-kirk-assassination/68129603">feature</a> podcast host Alex Clark, along with a panel that includes Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Andy Biggs, former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, and Gov. Spencer Cox.
Earlier on Tuesday, Utah State said it was taking multiple security precautions to ensure the safety of those attending the Turning Point USA event.
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“USU works diligently to protect the safety of our community and has a robust plan that is evaluated routinely,&#8221; <a href="https://www.abc4.com/news/charlie-kirk-shooting/usu-security-measures-turning-point/">said</a> Amanda DeRito, the Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications at the university. &#8220;Even during times without heightened safety concerns, Utah State’s Department of Public Safety collaborates with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure security measures at campus events are planned and staffed according to industry best practices, including a thorough comprehensive threat assessment, detailed security planning, deployment of a diverse array of security assets, effective crowd management, close protection for the speaker, clear communication and coordination, and readiness for crisis response.”

Utah State University Building Evacuated Due To ‘Suspicious Device’ Ahead Of TPUSA Event

General

Law Enforcement

President Donald Trump unloads on the United Nations, Google admits it caved to the Biden administration&#8217;s censorship demands, and Jimmy Kimmel returns to late-night after a short suspension.
It’s Wednesday, September 24, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump At United Nations: Leftist Ideas Driving Countries To Ruin</h2>
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Topline: In a scathing speech Tuesday, President Trump slammed world leaders at the United Nations, warning that their countries are “going to hell.”
What he said: Donald Trump spoke for about an hour and unloaded on the UN, calling it incompetent, inefficient, weak, and warning that mass migration, climate alarmism, and political correctness were laying siege to the organization’s founding principles.
“What is the purpose of the United Nations? The UN has such tremendous potential,” <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970495659938652526">said</a> Trump. “For the most part, at least for now, all they seem to do is write a strongly worded letter, and then never follow that letter up. It&#8217;s empty words — and empty words do not solve war. The only thing that solves war &#8230; is action.”
On immigration: Trump devoted much of his speech to immigration, warning Western allies that their insistence on allowing unfettered mass migration was destroying their countries from within. 
“When your prisons are filled with so-called asylum seekers who repaid kindness with crime, it&#8217;s time to end the failed experiment of open borders,” <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1970501963264483514">said</a> Trump.
On energy: Trump took aim at the UN’s decades-long push to embrace far-left green energy initiatives, which he said have been ineffective, thereby increasing our reliance on China and other bad actors. 
On a Palestinian state: The topic of a Palestinian state arguably received more attention than any other issue at this week’s gathering, as influential member states have joined the call for Palestinian statehood. But President Trump remained adamant that such a move would only reward Hamas terrorists and incentivize more October 7th-style attacks. 
“The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists for their atrocities; this would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including October 7th, even while they refuse to release the hostages or accept the ceasefire,” the president said.
Trump turns hard against Putin: After his address, Trump had a separate meeting with Volodmyr Zelensky and emerged with a much more supportive stance on Ukraine than in the past. Trump initially vowed to end the war on day one of his presidency, and then in recent months said Ukraine would need to accept a deal that resulted in handing over territory to Putin.
But on Tuesday, he said the Ukrainians can retake 20% of their land currently held by Russia. Writing on Truth Social, the president said that after getting to know and fully understand the situation, “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”
Step back: This could be a leverage play to try to bring Putin back to the negotiating table, but regardless, this shift was music to the ears of NATO and many UN allies.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Biden Behind Clampdown On Conservative Speech, Google Says</h2>
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Topline: Google admitted Tuesday to caving to censorship pressure from the Biden administration – and is committing to allowing all creators who it kicked off YouTube over so-called political speech “violations” the chance to return. 
Morning Wire spoke with House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who has played a meaningful role in driving forward investigations into the “censorship industrial complex” targeting conservatives.
Jordan on Google’s letter: “They (Google and YouTube), in fact, were censoring Americans. They had kicked some people off the YouTube platform altogether – you, your channel, you&#8217;re gone. They&#8217;ve agreed to reinstate those individuals, which I think is good. They&#8217;ve said they will not use the fact-checkers, like other platforms have done – which was a big problem because fact-checkers are typically really biased against conservatives. I thought it was, again, a win for the First Amendment, a win for free expression.”
What’s next? Jordan can’t rest easy on the victory. He is concerned that the next threat to free expression has already begun to creep across the Atlantic in the form of European speech codes. The Google letter specifically mentioned two European speech codes: the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act.
Jordan said: “They talked about the danger that now exists from Europe and what they&#8217;re doing and how that could, in fact, happen to Americans. And I think that&#8217;s a key point as well, because that&#8217;s something we (the Judiciary Committee) are now beginning to look at.”
Jordan mentioned the case of Irish comedian Graham Linehan, who was arrested in Britain over X posts mocking transgender ideology.
“I think it&#8217;s just a matter of time before that happens to an American,” said Jordan. “We&#8217;re particularly concerned about that relative to YouTube. There&#8217;s still this issue, I think, that we&#8217;re trying to make sure we understand fully: how people are monetizing their content or being demonetized.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Kimmel Claims Martyrdom While Kirk’s Legacy Grows</h2>
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Topline: Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is back on air, but with limited viewership, and Charlie Kirk’s legacy continues.
Kimmel’s short-lived suspension ended on Tuesday as ABC reinstated his show and he returned to the air. Kimmel was suspended for misleading comments on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, claiming that the conservative activist&#8217;s killer belonged to the &#8220;MAGA gang.&#8221; On his return, he played the martyr.
Kimmel: “The president of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can&#8217;t take a joke. … We have to speak out against this. He&#8217;s not stopping, and it&#8217;s not just comedy. He&#8217;s gunning for our journalists.”
Step back: While his suspension was lifted by Disney, Kimmel didn’t have the reach he usually has. Some broadcast groups that own ABC affiliates refused to air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/nexstar-to-preempt-abcs-jimmy-kimmel-live-despite-disney-ending-suspension">Nexstar</a>, which owns 32 ABC affiliates, said it stands by Disney’s original reasons for suspending the host and it will maintain that position until “all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group, which operates <a href="https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2025/09/23/these-abc-stations-in-pennsylvania-wont-air-jimmy-kimmel-tonight-sinclair-stations-in-pa-kimmel-time/86306589007/#:~:text=Where%20does%20Sinclair%20own%20ABC,and%20Exchange%20Commission%20in%20August.">40</a> ABC affiliates, isn’t airing Kimmel, either. The broadcaster said earlier this week that it is in “discussions with ABC” as it evaluates the show’s “potential return.”
For Charlie: Meanwhile, Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour” continues with volunteers from conservative media and the political world filling in to headline events.
Erika – Kirk’s widow, who’s now been elected Turning Point USA’s new CEO – vowed just days after her husband was fatally shot that his legacy would live on, this tour would continue, and that Turning Point is <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/erika-kirk-breaks-silence-after-husband-charlies-assassination-address-turning-point-usa-headquarters">adding</a> “even more tours in the years to come.” The tour has been rebranded in Kirk’s memory and is now called: “This Is the Turning Point Tour.”
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Morning Brief: Trump Torches UN Elites, Google Admits Censorship & Kimmel Plays The Victim

Censorship

Donald Trump

Google

Media

Morning Wire

Politics

Russia

Ukraine

United Nations

YouTube

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-KIRK-SHOOTING

Christian Faith Was On Full Display At Charlie Kirk’s Memorial And Leftists Are Confused

Bible

Christianity

Democrats

Don Lemon

Leftists

Legacy Media

Liberals

Matt Walsh

memorial

Opinion

The Atlantic

At Charlie Kirk’s memorial, his widow, Erika, in front of the world, bearing the weight of a grief most of us can’t imagine, spoke the hardest three words anyone could utter in that moment: “I forgive you.”
Those words weren’t just about her husband’s killer. They were a rebuke to the spirit of the age. They were a declaration of something higher than politics, bigger than partisanship, deeper than revenge.
As C.S. Lewis wrote in “Mere Christianity,” “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” Erika Kirk had something to forgive — the unthinkable — and she chose to do so. That choice will echo long after the headlines fade.
Our society doesn’t celebrate forgiveness. We celebrate rage, retaliation, and resentment. We celebrate scoring points. Forgiveness takes points away.
Just look at the reaction from many on the left after Charlie’s death. Instead of pausing to reflect on the horror of a political assassination, some mocked him, dismissed him, even sneered that he “had it coming.” Now hold those words up against Erika’s: “I forgive you.” On one side, contempt for the dead. On the other, mercy for the murderer. Which one sounds like the path forward for a country in desperate need of healing?
Forgiveness is not weakness. It is a strength.
The natural instinct is vengeance. The natural instinct is bitterness. Forgiveness requires something supernatural. Forgiveness requires faith. That’s why Erika’s words are not just personal — they’re political in the truest sense. They point to how we can live together as a nation again. Without forgiveness, politics becomes a blood feud. Without forgiveness, every wrong is permanent, every scar is eternal, every offense is a weapon.
Make no mistake: forgiving Charlie’s killer doesn’t mean excusing him. He should face the fullest penalty the law allows. But what Erika modeled is something far greater than the courtroom can deliver. She showed that even in tragedy, there is a higher way.
And we should be honest with ourselves: could we have done what she did? Could we look at the person who took everything from us and speak of forgiveness? I’ll be the first to admit I would certainly struggle with it. Most of us struggle to forgive petty slights — an insult on social media, a betrayal at work, a family dispute. Erika forgave murder. That should stop us in our tracks. It should prompt us to reconsider how shallow our own grudges appear in the light of her example.
Here’s a challenge: if Erika can forgive the murderer of her husband, imagine what we can forgive. A friend who wronged us. A sibling we no longer speak to. A co-worker who let us down. A neighbor we’ve written off. Maybe even someone we got in a political argument with? Literally anything. What if her act of forgiveness became a call for each of us to pick one person in our lives and extend the same? What if every American chose just one person to forgive this week? The overnight impact on our country would be seismic. Family bonds restored. Friendships repaired. Communities healed. The culture itself shifted from one of resentment to one of reconciliation.
Forgiveness is not just a private virtue; it’s a public necessity. Families fall apart without it. Churches crumble without it. Nations collapse without it. Conservatism, at its heart, is about conserving what is good, true, and beautiful — and none of that can survive in a culture that cannot forgive.
That’s why I believe Erika’s words will be remembered as the most important of 2025. Not a line from the State of the Union, not a slogan from a campaign rally, not a soundbite on cable news. But a widow, standing in the ruins of her family’s life, saying: “I forgive you.”
History may record Charlie’s work, his speeches, his debates, and his books. But it may well be that his greatest legacy comes through his wife’s example — an act of forgiveness that shines brighter than the hatred aimed at him in life and in death.
If we truly want to honor him, that’s the challenge we must take up ourselves. To forgive those who slander us, those who oppose us, even those who despise us. Not because it is easy, but because it is necessary. Without it, we cannot heal. Without it, we cannot endure.
Three impossible words. Three unforgettable words. Three words that may just save us: “I forgive you.”
Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast “We The People.” Follow him on Instagram and X @GatesGarciaFL.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

The Most Important Words Of 2025: ‘I Forgive You’

America

Murder

The following is an edited transcript of a speech delivered by Michael Knowles at “This Is The Turning Point with Special Guest Michael Knowles” held at the University of Minnesota on Monday, September 22, 2025.
* * *
This event was originally supposed to be a conversation between Charlie and me. Now it will be a conversation about Charlie — and what his assassination means for our country. The enemies of civilization — the assassin as well as the people who excused and cheered him on — thought that they could stop Charlie Kirk’s movement. In reality, they could not even stop his speaking tour.
I would like to begin with a prayer. Charlie had a great affinity for St. Michael the Archangel. And I think the St. Michael prayer speaks especially to our moment.
<blockquote>St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.</blockquote>
Twelve days ago, a ruined soul assassinated one of the brightest figures of our generation. And when I say “bright,” I don’t just mean Charlie’s rhetorical skills, which surpassed those of just about everyone in public life. I don’t just mean his political genius, which led him, at just 18 years-old, to found the most significant cultural institution on the American Right; which took him to the stage of the Republican National Convention by age 22; and which brought most of the United States government, including the president, vice president, and secretary of state, to his memorial service. I’m not talking about any of his accomplishments — be they in broadcasting, publishing, coalition building, or any of the other things that Charlie mastered.
Charlie’s brightness came, not primarily from his professional accomplishments, but from his character. You didn’t have to be a personal friend of his to know it. You could see it in everything he did. There was simply a light and a levity to the man. And it was constant, even when he was stressed. Even when he was arguing. Even when he suffered setbacks. And that light and that levity stemmed from one fact: Charlie’s Savior lives.
We’re mourning Charlie right now, and it’s right to mourn Charlie. It’s right to grieve. I have no use for the happy-clappy kind of modern religion that tells us we can’t be sad when our friends die simply because we have faith in their salvation.
Death is bad. Murder is evil. People who commit murder need to be punished. People who celebrate murder need to be punished too. Death reminds us that something has gone wrong. Death was not part of the original plan. Jesus wept at the death of his friend just moments before He raised him from the dead.
We can know “that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose,” while still recognizing the difference between good and evil. We can entrust Charlie’s soul to Our Lord Jesus Christ, as Charlie always entrusted himself, while still knowing that his assassin took something from us that he didn’t have to take.
What the assassin took was not even Charlie. Charlie belongs to God, as do we all. What the assassin took from us more precisely was what we imagined Charlie’s future to be. That’s part of what makes death so shocking: the realization that our plans are not in fact guaranteed. “Man plans, and God laughs.”
“But he was going to do this.” “She was going to do that.” “We were going to speak at the University of Minnesota together.” We weren’t, actually. We do not have ultimate control over those things. Everyone who knew Charlie knew he would be president one day. But “would” is a conditional verb; “would” depends upon “ifs” that are out of our control. Charlie would have been president. But he won’t be.
In the wake of Charlie’s death, many people are presuming to declare what he would have believed about this or that issue. Not what he did believe, mind you. But what he would have believed, what he would have said if he had lived just a little bit longer.
This kind of talk is as unseemly as it is absurd. “It is appointed for men to die once, and after that the judgment.” With the exception of his beloved wife and the people very closest to him, those who would chime in for Charlie today are appropriating an authority that does not belong to them. It’s a usurpation. At best, it’s a waste of time. And one thing that Charlie never did was waste time.
He accomplished more in his 31 years than most people could accomplish in many lifetimes. His most public accomplishments were political. His most important were religious. He wanted to be remembered for his faith. He wanted to help as many souls to Heaven as he could. If you want to honor Charlie, go to church. Read the Bible. Pray. And do it now. Don’t wait. Now might be your only chance.
<div id="attachment_975885" style="width: 912px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-975885" class="size-large wp-image-975885" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236356067-902x576.jpg" alt="MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 22: Attendees hold up posters of Charlie Kirk during the &quot;American Comeback Tour&quot; event at Northrop Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus on September 22, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event was hosted by political commentator Michael Knowles after the assassination of Charlie Kirk earlier this month. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)" width="902" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236356067-902x576.jpg 902w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236356067-300x192.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236356067-768x491.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236356067.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 902px) 100vw, 902px" />Stephen Maturen/Getty Images</div>
Many people are doing just that. I saw it myself last Sunday. You will not be surprised to learn that I attend a rather traditional church. Smells and bells and suits and ties. One thing that means is that it’s easy to tell when someone new shows up. Someone who just looked for the nearest church because he felt a sudden desire to be close to God. Someone whose “Sunday best” is usually a t-shirt and jeans.
I saw a lot of t-shirts at church last Sunday. And I was thrilled to see those t-shirts. (Next week, however, they should put on a jacket.) But I was thrilled to see those t-shirts then. Because it meant that people who had left the church were returning. People who perhaps had never been to church were showing up for the first time. And they were showing up because of Charlie.
I was one of the hundreds of thousands of people who attended Charlie’s memorial. When you count those who streamed it, I was one of over one hundred million people who watched it live. It was a remarkable event in many ways. But two things stood out in particular.
First, Charlie’s widow, Erika, gave one of the most powerful speeches I’ve ever heard. I was sitting with some of the toughest politicians in the world. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. In just one of several arresting moments in her speech, Erika forgave the man who murdered her husband. Because Christ on the cross asked his Father to forgive his killers — because we all ask God to forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us. At a time when half the country, it seems, minimizes, excuses, and even celebrates political violence, Erika Kirk gave us a glimpse of Calvary.
But the second most striking part of the memorial was that the leadership of our federal government spent four hours proclaiming the Gospel to the entire world. This should not have been surprising. We’re a country founded by people who called themselves Pilgrims. Our country was settled to be “a model of Christian charity.” Our government was established on the premise that our Creator endows us with rights. Our national anthem declares, “Conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: in God is our trust.” Seeing our national leaders proclaim the Gospel should not have been surprising. But it was. Because we hadn’t seen it in a long time. Many of us had never seen it in our lifetimes.
The memorial was perfectly Charlie: on the one hand, it was about eternity — about the truths that transcend all ages and places; on the other hand, it was eminently political — temporal, local, particular. There is no contradiction between the two. Because we’re both of those things. We’re souls, which are eternal; and we’re bodies, which are temporal.
People tend to fall into one of two errors on this subject today. They either think that politics is everything — more important than family, more important than morality, so important that we murder people over disagreements. Or they think that politics is nothing — that we should ignore policy fights and debates and keep our pure and precious hands from being sullied by the muck of practical politics. Charlie understood that both errors miss the mark. That we need to keep our eyes on eternal things — that we’re never quite at home in this world because we’re pilgrims on our way to the heavenly Jerusalem — but also that we’re political creatures in time and space. Which means that we have to do things. Which means that our faith will give a certain shape to the political community, which exists for the common good.
So what should we do now? We should forgive our enemies’ trespasses, and we should prevent our enemies from trespassing against us in the future.
Some people seem to misunderstand Christian forgiveness. They think it’s somehow contrary to criminal justice — that it means letting criminals off the hook, that it means anarchy. On the contrary, Christian forgiveness is about recognizing that vengeance belongs to the Lord, who will repay, while justice belongs to the civil authority, which does not bear the sword in vain. Erika Kirk forgave her husband’s killer, and the state of Utah will inject poison into that killer’s veins until he’s dead. There is no contradiction between these two things. 
Christian forgiveness does not demand that we allow the cruel to rape the earth. It demands that we love our enemies. And sometimes love is tough. In our personal lives, love means praying for those who persecute us. In politics, love usually means punishing the guilty, for both the protection of the innocent as well as for the betterment of the guilty. No one benefits from crime, decay, and disorder.
<div id="attachment_975889" style="width: 879px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-975889" class="size-large wp-image-975889" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236356069-869x576.jpg" alt="MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 22: Political commentator Michael Knowles points to an empty chair on stage during the &quot;American Comeback Tour&quot; event at Northrop Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus on September 22, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event was hosted by Knowles after the assassination of Charlie Kirk earlier this month. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)" width="869" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236356069-869x576.jpg 869w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236356069-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236356069-768x509.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2236356069.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 869px) 100vw, 869px" />Stephen Maturen/Getty Images</div>
We cherish the marketplace of ideas in America. In the wake of Charlie’s assassination, many are inclined merely to redouble our devotion to the “marketplace of ideas.” But this instinct misses a crucial step. We had a marketplace of ideas. The Left shot it up. If we wish to restore the healthy exchange of ideas, we need to refortify the marketplace.
Marketplaces of all kinds require rules, confidence, and common media of exchange. They require order. Liberty requires order. You can’t be undisciplined and free. You can’t be ignorant and free. That’s why we don&#8217;t let toddlers vote. 
What we must do now is reassert order. We must insist upon the acceptance of basic truths and moral goods, not as the asymptotic goal of endless debate but as the axiomatic foundation without which debate cannot occur. C.S. Lewis called these principles “the Tao.” Others call them the natural law or the first principles of practical reason. If you’ve ever studied algebra, you know that you must begin with certain axioms — premises such as a = a and if a=b then b=a. These axioms are themselves unprovable. But without assuming them, you can’t prove anything else. The same is true of politics and morality. We can’t quite prove that we should live in an ordered society, but without assuming so, we can’t prove anything else.
If our society is to function, we must foreclose certain antisocial behaviors and suicidal ideologies. We must stop, to borrow a phrase from Chesterton, &#8220;the thought that stops thought.&#8221; Practically, this means we must stigmatize certain evil ideas and behaviors, and we must ostracize people who insist upon them. More practically, this means that people who persist in such disorder should lose their social standing. In certain cases, they should lose their jobs. You can’t maintain a hospital if the nurses seek to murder half the patients. You can’t operate a school if the teachers wish death upon their students’ parents. You can’t run a restaurant if the customers expect the kitchen staff to poison them. 
There must be consequences to heal this national trauma and to re-establish a healthy politics. Those consequences require clarity of vision, courage in our convictions, and an extraordinary amount of God’s grace. I believe it can be done. You all who have come out here tonight, despite the threats from the people who would destroy our political community, have shown that you believe it can be done. The man we honor tonight gave his life in the confident hope that it can be done. 
We must never despair. We must never surrender to the forces that seek our destruction. And we must work tirelessly to ensure that this moment truly becomes a turning point for America.
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Turning Point USA’s “American Comeback Tour” Continues In Minnesota After Kirk Assassination

Charlie’s Brightness Came From His Character. Because His Savior Lives.

American Universities

Conservatives

Faith

Freedom of Speech

Minnesota

On Sunday, I had the privilege and the honor of attending the memorial for Charlie Kirk that was held in Arizona. It was an overwhelming event, an unbelievable event. The stadium at which it was held was packed with roughly 65,000 people. There was an overflow arena with another 20,000 people, and it was packed.
It was essentially a worship service, an enormous amount of outreach to people, telling them that they ought to embrace faith.
As I&#8217;ve been saying for years, there ought to be a religious revival in this country. The fact that there was so much focus on Christianity — which, of course, is something that Charlie lived for and something that he wanted to leave as his legacy — is a good thing for the country.
We are starting to see an uptick in young people going to church. That was happening before Charlie&#8217;s death, partially as a result of the work Charlie was doing out there in the world, but also because an emptiness has settled into the heart of Western civilization since it has forgotten about its relationship with God.
If Charlie&#8217;s death can be a turning point back toward faith for a lot of young people, that would be an amazing thing.
I don&#8217;t think that you have to be a Christian, which I am not, to believe that an America that is more deeply ensconced and deeply rooted in faith is a better America. An America where more people go to church is going to be a stronger America. An America where people believe in Biblical values will be a better and stronger America.
The event that moved everyone the most, that really shattered everyone, was Erika Kirk&#8217;s speech. She&#8217;s truly a strong, amazing person. She is a woman who is deeply in touch with her faith at the deepest possible level, and that&#8217;s what she spoke about yesterday. It was incredibly moving, truly one of the greatest speeches I think I&#8217;ve ever seen.
She spoke about what it means to be married, what the Bible calls for us to do as husbands and wives, and what Charlie was trying to do by reaching out to young men.
The audience was trying to reach out to her with their love to uplift her in this moment of darkness for her and for her family. You could feel the love in the arena.
On stage, in front of 100 million people, she forgave the assassin of her husband, truly an act of spiritual courage. It&#8217;s hard to think of anything more powerful than what Erika did.
I don’t think she meant that, as a society, we ought to ignore sin, or that his murderer shouldn&#8217;t be punished to the fullest extent of the law and receive the death penalty. I think she was saying something very different. She was saying that as all human beings are sinners, all human beings require forgiveness for their sins, which is an amazing thing to say for a young wife who has been left with two small children.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2285-member-exclusive"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
She spoke of the fact that after her husband’s assassination, his death did not drive mass violence in the streets; it drove prayer. Her statements on marriage were quite wonderful; she talked about how a man and a wife are supposed to relate to one another, that the man’s job is to be a protector and a provider, and a wife’s should be a helper, in the sense that they are one unit.
The president of the United States was the last person to speak, and it was classic Trump. He took the stage after Erika Kirk and proceeded to just be himself. After Erika had forgiven Charlie&#8217;s killer — which does not mean on a public policy level that there ought not be consequences for murder or that Erika Kirk believes that the murderer should be released or anything idiotic like that — President Trump stated he didn&#8217;t believe the same thing. He said of Charlie, “He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That&#8217;s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don&#8217;t want the best for them. I&#8217;m sorry. I am sorry, Erika. But now Erika can talk to me and the whole group, and maybe they can convince me that that&#8217;s not right. But I can&#8217;t stand my opponent.”
President Trump also went after the Left. It was not a call for unity from President Trump. And I think that to a certain extent, that was fitting. It&#8217;s very difficult to unify with people who wish to kill you, as Vice-President JD Vance has said before.
Then President Trump got truly serious. He said that Charlie&#8217;s murder was an attack on the country. He said:
<blockquote>Every single American should take a long, hard look at the twisted soul and dark spirit of anyone who would want to kill a young man as good as Charlie, to kill anybody. but to kill a man like this. He didn&#8217;t deserve this. He didn&#8217;t deserve this. Our country didn&#8217;t deserve this. And anyone who would make excuses for it are just out of their mind.
Charlie&#8217;s murder was not just an attack on one man or one movement. It was an attack on our entire nation. That was a horrible attack on the United States of America. It was an assault on our most sacred liberties and God-given rights. The gun was pointed at him, but the bullet was aimed at all of us. That bullet was aimed at every one of us. Indeed, Charlie was killed for expressing the very ideas that virtually everyone in this arena and most other places throughout our country deeply believed in. But the assassin failed in his quest because Charlie&#8217;s message has not been silenced. It now is bigger and better and stronger than ever before, and it&#8217;s not even close.</blockquote>
President Trump&#8217;s speech culminated with the singing of &#8220;America the Beautiful.&#8221; Erika came back on stage, and President Trump hugged her.
It was quite a moment.
It was a heavy day, a moving day.
But most of all, it was an uplifting day.

A Heavy Day. A Moving Day. But Most Of All, An Uplifting Day.

Arizona

Ben Shapiro

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