Two days after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, supporters are recalling him as more than a political voice — remembering instead a man defined by his love for Jesus and for people.
Caroline Joyous, an ambassador for Turning Point USA, spoke Saturday on Newsmax’s “Saturday Agenda,” reflecting on why Charlie Kirk’s message resonated with so many young people on college campuses.
“He was able to break through because Charlie Kirk wasn’t just some viral conservative internet personality,” Joyous said. “He was a man who loved Jesus, and he loved people so, so much.”
Joyous, now 19, said her first encounter with Kirk came when she was just 14 years old. Despite his busy schedule, she said Kirk took the time to stop and talk to her about America, even though she was still years away from being able to vote.
“When I was 16 years old, he took the time out of his busy schedule, when he could have been doing anything — going on Fox, you know, meeting with the president — he sat down to do an interview with a 16-year-old girl,” Joyous recalled.
She described her last conversation with Kirk, at Turning Point USA’s Americafest in Phoenix in December. Surrounded by media and supporters, Kirk paused to speak with her once more.
“He stopped to talk to me. He shook my hand. He grinned at me and he told me, ‘Keep fighting,’” Joyous said. “And you know, the last few days, those words have just been echoing in my mind. And I know, echoing to the rest of my generation who love Charlie Kirk, we looked up to his example so, so much.”
Joyous said Kirk’s authenticity and courage to stand for truth made him a unique figure for her generation.
“In him we saw something real,” she said. “We saw that he had a bold heart to stand for truth, and he didn’t care what people thought because he loved people. So I think that’s what really set Charlie apart.”
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was killed on Wednesday. Authorities have identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson, who is being held without bail in Utah on several charges. Investigators said bullet casings recovered at the scene were marked with anti-fascist messages, suggesting a possible political motive.
In her first public remarks since the killing, Erika Kirk, the activist’s widow, vowed to continue her husband’s work. She announced that Turning Point USA’s fall campus tour will move forward.
“It will be greater than ever,” she said.
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