National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk: Honoring a man of faith, patriotism and the architect of conservative youth activism

National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk is officially observed on October 14, the day he would have turned 32, in tribute to the memory and lasting legacy of the conservative activist and Turning Point USA (TPUSA), who was fatally shot in the neck last month at Utah Valley University.

Following his death on Sept. 10, President Donald Trump called for a nonviolent response to the assassination of the man he considered a close friend and one of his most loyal allies.

"He was an advocate of nonviolence. That's the way I'd like to see people respond," the president told the media.

Since then, both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed a resolution designating October 14 as National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk. The resolution was introduced by Republican Senator Rick Scott and received bipartisan support.

Charlie Kirk, a life of faith

Charlie Kirk was born on October 14, 1993, in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He attended Wheeling High School and later enrolled in college but never finished his undergraduate studies.

Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012 while still a teenager and turned the group into a high-profile, youth-oriented conservative organization, becoming a frequent speaker on college campuses himself.

Kirk personally professed the evangelical Christian faith, often saying "I'm more interested in what God wants from me than what I want from God," he often said.

The activist gained notoriety on numerous occasions by going viral for debating with progressive students and activists across the country. These exchanges, which usually took place at universities or political events, often reflected the method of Socratic maieutics, which uses questions to help the interlocutor to discover the truth for themselves.

During these discussions, they addressed topics such as the importance of Christian values; the family as the fundamental nucleus of society; the defense of life and opposition to abortion; criticism of the politicization of institutions; academic indoctrination; and media bias.

Charlie Kirk's conservative legacy

Since his death, Kirk’s legacy has been embodied in TPUSA, an organization with affiliates at more than 1,500 educational institutions, over 250,000 affiliated students, and roughly 150 full-time employees nationwide.

Charlie Kirk also hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, a daily podcast that combined political analysis, student activism and interviews. He also frequently appeared as a guest on Fox News and Newsmax.

In addition to being an activist and podcaster, Kirk was an author. He wrote several books—Time for a Turning Point (2016); Campus Battlefield: How Conservatives Can WIN the Battle on Campus and Why It Matters (2018); The MAGA Doctrine (2020); The College Scam (2022); and Right Wing Revolution (2024)—all aimed at defending conservative values and combating what he saw as progressive dominance in institutions and the broader culture.

Kirk was married to Erika Frantzve, a former Miss Arizona USA, and the couple had two young children. Following her husband’s death, Erika assumed the role of executive director and president of Turning Point USA, moving into a prominent public position at the helm of the organization.

Kirk, a Trump ally

As a patriot, youth leader, and TPUSA president, Charlie Kirk inspired many young conservatives to uphold Christian values and actively support President Trump at the ballot box.

In December 2024, the Republican front-runner praised Kirk at a Turning Point event in Arizona for his support of the presidential campaign, particularly for his efforts in mobilizing the youth vote.

"I want to express my tremendous gratitude to Charlie Kirk," the president said. "He's really an amazing guy, amazing guy and his whole staff for their relentless efforts to achieve this very historic victory … It's not my victory, it's your victory. It's a great honor."

White House honors "a fearless patriot"

A couple of days after Kirk's assassination, the White House posted an emotional video on its official X account in tribute to the activist’s life and political career. The video features a sequence of images showing Kirk quoting Scripture and speaking at various events.

The tribute is accompanied by the message, "In memory of Charlie Kirk, a fearless patriot and a man of unwavering faith who dedicated his life to America."

The tribute also included a quote from Kirk in which he encouraged his followers to improve the lives of others and to always strive for freedom.

"It's bigger than you, I want you to remember that... It's bigger than me. You are here to make somebody else's life better, the pursuit of liberty and freedom."

The video concludes with the conservative activist’s voice reflecting on the perfect life of Jesus Christ and His resurrection.

JD Vance responds to progressives' smears against Charlie Kirk

Days after the activist's death, U.S. Vice President JD Vance hosted a special episode of The Charlie Kirk Show from the White House in memory of his friend and political ally.

In his remarks, Vance criticized what he called dishonest attacks on Charlie Kirk’s legacy. The vice president specifically referenced an article published in The Nation—a magazine funded by George Soros - titled "Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Mourning", in which author Elizabeth Piers called Kirk a “white Christian nationalist provocateur,” claiming that the activist “preached hate, bigotry, and division.”

In his speech, Vance claimed that these statements not only distort the arguments and ideas of the Turning Point USA founder but also constitute slander against a young husband and father who was recently killed.

"I was shocked, not only at the dishonesty of the defamation, but also at the joy that was aroused by the death of a young husband and father," he said.

Gavin Newsom praised him

Even his detractors admired the great influence Kirk had on young people. During the podcast with Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor admitted to Kirk that his son looked up to him and even mentioned that the teenager wanted to skip school to meet him.

"You are making a damn DENT," the Democrat told him.

After Kirk’s death, Newsom marveled at how the activist connected with young people while criticizing his own party’s approach to this demographic, saying that Democrats “haven’t invested as much energy as they should in this area.”