Charlie Kirk, RIP; UPDATE: Trump’s Oval Office Address

Dear readers: I did not want to use the normal headline for the last post of the day, as it just hits too hard. Instead of our normal feature, we’ll just focus on Charlie. Thanks for understanding, and I will reserve my commentary until the end. 

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Charlie Kirk had me on his show repeatedly despite disagreeing with me on many things. He never feared hearing viewpoints he didn’t share. In an age of podcasters in studio, he went to campuses—to listen and persuade. He was a true American patriot. I am devastated by his loss. pic.twitter.com/R239nrUIJg

— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) September 10, 2025

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Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization. I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place.
We lost an…

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 10, 2025

We lost an incredible human being.

His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact.

Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk

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Mark Antonio Wright, NRO: We cannot become numb to this. It doesn’t matter what Kirk’s politics are, what political causes he has supported, or which politicians he’s associated with. Defending, excusing, or justifying the attempt to murder a fellow citizen — as some online freaks and cable news ghouls have done today — for what he says or what he believes is the sign of a black heart and a disordered mind.

We are staring into the abyss. The moment when Americans of goodwill abstain from entering the public arena — as politicians, as activists, as citizens — will be the moment we refuse our God-given right to govern ourselves. If we are cowed by violence and the threat of violence into staying silent and avoiding political discourse, we are no longer free.

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Like all of you, I am utterly stunned and heartbroken and sick to my soul today. It is unimaginable to write these words. I met Charlie Kirk when he was 18 years old, a young man so eager and determined that I immediately turned to a friend and said, “That kid is going to be the…

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) September 10, 2025

… “That kid is going to be the head of the RNC one day.” Charlie became even bigger and more important than that. It was a privilege to watch this principled man stand up for his beliefs and create the single most important conservative political organization in America. But more importantly, Charlie was a good man, a man who believed in right and wrong, who stood by his Biblical values. All of us will miss him, and I can’t imagine the pain of his beautiful young family, and we must all pray for them. And we must pick up the baton where Charlie left it, fighting for the things he believed in so passionately. And we must fight for a better America – an America where good people can speak truth and debate passionately without fear of a bullet. I weep for Charlie’s family, and I weep for my country today. Most of all, I weep for Charlie.

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Adam Rubenstein at The Free Press: If I had to use a single word to capture him, it would be gracious. We could disagree about anything—and we did—but he would, without fail, engage civilly and explain his point of view. He did not do this, as many do, to make himself feel smart. He did it so he could share the other side of something he cared about. And he cared deeply.

That’s the spirit he took to the hundreds of campuses he visited. Not denunciation. Not shouting down. Never an insult. He sought to debate ideas, and did so in hostile territory. Charlie all but recreated the public town square on these campuses with a tent and an irrepressible smile in an era where many people of his generation can’t look up from their phones.

Today, upon news of Charlie’s murder at the hands of a still-unknown shooter at a university in Utah, Donald Trump said that “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.” It was more than that. I saw it. He had a mission. It filled him with meaning. And that, above all, was why he convinced countless young people to listen to him, to change their lives for the better, to stand up for things that used to be called common sense.

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Charlie Kirk was an unapologetic advocate for his Christian faith, his values, his country – and Western Civilization.

He used his voice and his talent for debate to engage millions of young people to become invested in their country’s future. His legacy will be felt for… pic.twitter.com/XtJWBARL7s

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) September 10, 2025

His legacy will be felt for decades. I’m sick. And I’m gutted for his family.

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I love you, Charlie Kirk. And I promise to never be silent again. I promise to never again live in fear.
That’s what these evil people want.
They. Will. Lose. God bless you, Erika. I promise to honor your husband’s legacy forever. pic.twitter.com/2hpsPHTYy1

— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) September 10, 2025

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Jeffrey Blehar at NRO: This was a political assassination. This was a blow against public participation in the debate. I will never be one one-hundredth as famous as Charlie Kirk was, but when I saw him sitting there answering questions before the moment came, I felt a harrowingly inevitable twinge of recognition: That could have been me. (Or you. Or anyone.) Shot dead for no other reason than getting into arena and arguing a point. This was meant to intimidate people. And it does put the fear of God into a man, quite literally.

But it won’t intimidate me. The less said about the person who shot Charlie Kirk, whoever he turns out to be, the better. I don’t particularly care about his reasons. (I suddenly find myself softening up on my typical anti-death penalty proclivities, however.) Instead I feel like we are dealing with an entire political generation that believes in the “Propaganda of the Deed,” and the deeds are always bloody and profane. Once again in recent weeks, I find myself ending with the same observation, and for the same reasons: Something wicked this way comes. But I want to add something more than my typical counsel of despair: You can make sure that Charlie Kirk didn’t die in vain by getting out there in the arena yourself, and speaking your mind.

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I enjoyed dinners with Charlie, but worried for his safety. The left says they want “national conversations.” Charlie Kirk actually did just that. In the lion’s den, no less, at left leaning venues, hoping facts and common sense would prevail.

And they murdered him for it. pic.twitter.com/CCOClwwIxN

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) September 10, 2025

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Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era. My dear friend Charlie Kirk was our country’s relentless and courageous crusader for free speech. We pray for Erika and the children. Charlie is already in paradise with the angels. We ask his prayers for… pic.twitter.com/ReOdkT6VbV

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) September 10, 2025

… We ask his prayers for our country.

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Charlie Kirk was a beautiful person. He died engaging his foes honorably. I truly hope he’s right about the universe and is receiving his reward. I’m beyond heartbroken for his lovely family—we must take care of them. Let’s live up to his example. pic.twitter.com/lF4nE1vbiq

— Bret Weinstein (@BretWeinstein) September 10, 2025

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From me: Charlie Kirk made his living by engaging his political opponents and educating young men and women on campuses. He believed in America and in the exchange of arguments to make the country stronger. On Wednesday, someone killed him for believing in America, and terrorized the large crowd of young people who came to both support and debate him.

 At this point, all of Charlie’s colleagues here at Salem are asking for your prayers – for Charlie’s soul, for his wife and children, for his family, friends, and listeners. We also ask that you pray for his opponents – the ones who wanted to engage Charlie rather than shut him down, because they believe in America too. 

We also need to pray for our country. We are at a crisis point. Too many people have stopped believing in the America where we disagree and passionately debate the issues—great and small—and let our ballots speak rather than bullets.

We need the intervention of our Lord.

Pray for Charlie.

Pray our country.

May God have His hand on us all.

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Update: I didn’t see this Oval Office speech from Trump until after this post went live, but it’s the appropriate way to finish for the night.

TO MY GREAT FELLOW AMERICANS… pic.twitter.com/oRsrE5TTHr

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2025

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