Turning Point USA’s first America Fest without Charlie Kirk saw its largest-ever attendance, as more than thirty-thousand people crowded the Phoenix Convention Center December 18-21. Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow and the Turning Point’s new CEO, said more than one-third were students.
AmFest dates back to 2021 and has become a pre-Christmas tradition for many. My son and I attended in 2023 for the first time. As a former journalist, I attended many conferences. None compared to the energy, enthusiasm, and compelling content at AmFest. No wonder Charlie referred to it as his version of the Superbowl. We left encouraged about America’s future.
A few weeks ago, my son returned from his third AmFest. Charlie’s absence was profound, yet attendees appeared more determined than ever to uphold his mission. The opening video linked Charlie’s brief thirty-one years to the overall life of America, as she stands on the cusp of 250 years.
As Charlie said, “What makes this movement different is that you are here as a grassroots response to the top-down revolution happening in this country. Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God, because liberty is not man’s idea, it is God’s idea.”
My son and his friends packed a lot into four days.
Thursday night, they scored fourth-row seats for the opening sessions with Ben Shapiro, Russell Brand, Tucker Carlson, and others. Saturday, Noah met Brandon Tatum and Nick Freitas after their respective speeches. Saturday night, they and thousands of others waited in a line that snaked through downtown Phoenix, hoping to score good seats for VPOTUS Vance’s address late Sunday morning. They landed in the tenth row, just left of center-stage.
Sunday afternoon, he ran into Chloe Cole in the hotel elevator. After a harrowing experience with what HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy aptly calls sex-rejecting procedures, she found healing. Cole, now an activist, shares her story to help children and their parents avoid similarly barbaric situations. American Thought Leaders interviewed her at AmFest—listen here.
Charlie’s Influence
Charlie stepped into eternity much too soon, a martyr for the Christian faith and the American cause. He lived free, full of courage as he beckoned the rest of us to follow suit. He had ears to hear and eyes to see, and he used them for good.
Thanks to a vast trove of videos, interviews, and other media detailing Charlie’s public engagements, many have seen the evidence of his character. Still, lies abound in the corporate press. As a former member of the Fourth Estate, I remain aghast at how far it’s fallen. If doctors are to first, do no harm, journalists are to first, tell the truth. Not anymore.
Charlie’s dedication was to three things: faith in Jesus; families, including his own; and the freedom that built America. His brilliance was matched only by his kindness. That uncommon grace allowed him to withstand the hatred he received at campuses and elsewhere. He treated everyone with respect, including his detractors. He called them to the front of the line, engaging in what America is supposed to be about: civil discourse.
In Measure for Measure, Shakespeare wrote, “Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful.” This was Charlie. We are all better for his life. In the wake of his brutal assassination, may we strive for his boldness rooted in the surety of the Gospel.
Soli Deo gloria.
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