Conservative Lawmakers Remember Kirk A Year After His Death
At a recent Conservative summit, attendees remembered Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, who was tragically killed by a left-wing radical a year ago.Kirk was celebrated for his dedication to conservative causes, including advocating on college campuses and sharing his christian faith openly. Leaders across the political spectrum praised his bravery,commitment to faith,and role in uniting conservatives,emphasizing that his implementation of Christian values and moral foundations had a lasting impact on the movement. Many lament that more americans haven’t embraced these values as Kirk championed, and some expressed hope that his example could inspire greater unity and moral revival within the conservative and evangelical communities. His legacy remains influential, with colleagues viewing him as a martyr whose success threatened those opposed to his message.
DALLAS, Texas — Conservative lawmakers and activists gathered at this past weekend’s State Freedom Caucus Network (SFCN) Summit to strategize on some of the biggest policy issues facing America today. But amid those discussions, it’s clear there was someone who was top of mind for many of this year’s attendees.
That someone was Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, whose life was taken by a left-wing radical a year ago last Thursday.
The one-year anniversary “hit me a lot harder than I thought” it would, SFCN President Andy Roth told The Federalist. “There were a lot of people that were devastated by it, but the time afterwards was remarkable to me. It’s like you lost somebody that you knew, or a family member, or a dear friend.”
Kirk dedicated much of his adult life advocating for conservative priorities. This included speaking on often hostile college campuses and engaging with younger generations on the biggest issues of the day. And while Kirk’s activism in Republican circles is a defining feature of his life, it was Kirk’s unapologetic embrace of Christianity and willingness to share God’s Word with those who needed it most that was his most important work.
Several federal and state lawmakers who spoke with The Federalist hailed Kirk for his pivotal role as a servant of God.
“People think it was just about the Constitution and freedom and limited government and those things, but there’s a lot of people who talk about those things. Charlie was willing to talk about his faith and the things that mattered at a higher level in the belly of the beast, in university campuses, and in forums,” U.S. House Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told The Federalist.
Missouri Freedom Caucus member and State Rep. Burt Whaley similarly praised Kirk for “bringing the Word of God with boldness back to the people.” Noting how “he set an example,” Whaley said that Kirk “is a martyr, and martyrs have more power when they’re dead than they do when they’re alive.”
“We cannot forget Charlie and the boldness that he has ignited. I think when we look at that, we look at Christ first. We look at a Christ life first, and that that runs our agenda,” Whaley added.
“I think that if the evangelical community in Wyoming but also America would step up and boldly proclaim their faith and understand their responsibility in the public sector, as far as serving in our government and voting and promoting good conservative values that align with Scripture,” like Kirk did, “the whole world would change,” Wyoming Freedom Caucus member and State Rep. John Bear told The Federalist. “I’m pretty disappointed 12 months later that there wasn’t more of a heartfelt change in America based on that. … If you look at how this country was founded … those are the kind of things that made us a great nation.”
Montana Freedom Caucus Secretary Bob Phelan told The Federalist that Americans “could learn a lot” from “Kirk’s love for Christ.”
Oklahoma Freedom Caucus Vice Chair and State Sen. Dusty Deevers echoed similar remarks praising Kirk’s bravery in sharing the gospel with those in hostile environments. The state senator further underscored the TPUSA founder’s key role in uniting various ideological factions within the conservative movement.
“If he were here, I don’t think that we would have the same level of fracturing. I think we would have divisions, no doubt, but we would have more of a central figure that people could ally behind,” Deevers said. “The downstream coalitions would probably talk more behind the scenes instead of more overtly and out to the public, and I think we would see less fracturing among our allies.”
“He brought the moral foundation back to the fore. He was absolutely correct in terms of the moral foundation of our nation, that so many of our citizens have forgotten, it’s become simply a transaction. Well, it’s not a transaction. We have a moral foundation,” U.S. House Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told The Federalist. “Charlie Kirk was assassinated for one reason — he was successful. He was reaching the next generation, and they couldn’t have that because that’s the generation the communist left think they own.”
U.S. House Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., and state freedom caucus members Jerry Schillinger (Montana), Bob Phelan (Montana), Nick Schroer (Missouri), Trevor Walter (Montana), John Carley (South Dakota), Brad Halbrook (Illinois) also praised Kirk and his legacy when speaking with The Federalist.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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