A while ago, probably in 2017, I appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox show to talk about God knows what. Afterwards a name I barely knew sent me a DM on twitter and told me I did a great job. It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today.
Charlie was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind. Like me, he was skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016. Like me, he came to see President Trump as the only figure capable of moving American politics away from the globalism that had dominated for our entire lives. When others were right, he learned from them. When he was right--as he usually was--he was generous. With Charlie, the attitude was never, "I told you so." But: "welcome."
Charlie was one of the first people I called when I thought about running for senate in early 2021. I was interested but skeptical there was a pathway. We talked through everything, from the strategy to the fundraising to the grassroots of the movement he knew so well. He introduced me to some of the people who would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr. "Like his dad, he's misunderstood. He's extremely smart, and very much on our wavelength." Don took a call from me because Charlie asked him too.
Long before I ever committed (even in my mind) to running, Charlie had me speak to his donors at a TPUSA event. He walked me around the room and introduced me. He gave me honest feedback on my remarks. He had no reason to do this, no expectation that I'd go anywhere. I was polling, at that point, well below 5 percent. He did it because we were friends, and because he was a good man.
When I became the VP nominee--something Charlie advocated for both in public and private--Charlie was there for me. I was so glad to be part of the president's team, but candidly surprised by the effect it had on our family. Our kids, especially our oldest, struggled with the attention and the constant presence of the protective detail. I felt this acute sense of guilt, that I had conscripted my kids into this life without getting their permission. And Charlie was constantly calling and texting, checking on our family and offering guidance and prayers. Some of our most successful events were organized not by the campaign, but by TPUSA. He wasn't just a thinker, he was a doer, turning big ideas into bigger events with thousands of activists. And after every event, he would give me a big hug, tell me he was praying for me, and ask me what he could do. "You focus on Wisconsin," he'd tell me. "Arizona is in the bag." And it was.
Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ. He had a profound faith. We used to argue about Catholicism and Protestantism and who was right about minor doctrinal questions. Because he loved God, he wanted to understand him.
Someone else pointed out that Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas. He would go into these hostile crowds and answer their questions. If it was a friendly crowd, and a progressive asked a question to jeers from the audience, he'd encourage his fans to calm down and let everyone speak. He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas.
Charlie had an uncanny ability to know when to push the envelope and when to be more conventional. I've seen people attack him for years for being wrong on this or that issue publicly, never realizing that privately he was working to broaden the scope of acceptable debate.
He was a great family man. I was talking to President Trump in the Oval Office today, and he said, "I know he was a very good friend of yours." I nodded silently, and President Trump observed that Charlie really loved his family. The president was right. Charlie was so proud of Erika and the two kids. He was so happy to be a father. And he felt such gratitude for having found a woman of God with whom he could build a family.
Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him. I am on more than a few group chats with Charlie and people he introduced me to over the years. We celebrate weddings and babies, bust each other's chops, and mourn the loss of loved ones. We talk about politics and policy and sports and life. These group chats include people at the very highest level of our government. They trusted him, loved him, and knew he'd always have their backs. And because he was a true friend ,you could instinctively trust the people Charlie introduced you to. So much of the success we've had in this administration traces directly to Charlie's ability to organize and convene. He didn't just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.
I was in a meeting in the West Wing when those group chats started lighting up with people telling Charlie they were praying for him. And that's how I learned the news that my friend had been shot. I prayed a lot over the next hour, as first good news and then bad trickled in.
God didn't answer those prayers, and that's OK. He had other plans. And now that Charlie is in heaven, I'll ask him to talk to big man directly on behalf of his family, his friends, and the country he loved so dearly.
You ran a good race, my friend.
We've got it from here.
@urbanscape666@Angrybell@julepandme@HFields47 Pray tell, where did those votes go this election and where did they come from in previous elections? 7million votes is not a small number, where could they have gone or come from? Did 7 million people collectively decide not to vote when they were so gung-ho Liberal 4 years ago?
Neil, there is a logic flaw in your little aphorism that seems quite telling. Since you and I are part of the Universe, then we would also be indifferent and uncaring. Perhaps you forgot, Neil, that we are not superior to the Universe but merely a fraction of it. Nice day, indeed
Chris Wallace just drained the energy from CNN's studio, announcing Trump may soon have the chance to reshape the U.S. government.
1. “If Donald Trump is elected president, it means that they can confirm, without any Democratic votes, any appointment he makes to his Cabinet, to the government, to the Supreme Court, should there be a vacancy. It's an enormous advantage to a president.”
2. “In the House, although that hasn't been decided yet, the Republicans have flipped three Democratic seats. The Democrats haven't flipped a single Republican seat.”
3. “So there is the possibility here of a complete, united Republican government with Donald Trump as the president and with a Republican House and Senate, which means that in terms of appointments, in terms of immigration policy, economic policy, environmental policy, you name it, he could have a pretty blank check.”
Wow!
@BastianSto@skinnyfingerz@Not_the_Bee@SmartManUtd456@ZachWLambert I didn’t compare him. I said Jesus was a “convicted felon” regardless of whether He committed the crime or not because your original argument had to do with Christians voting for a “convicted felon” when our Christian religion centers around a “convicted felon”. Not a comparison
@BastianSto@skinnyfingerz@Not_the_Bee@SmartManUtd456@ZachWLambert Bringing religion into politics is gross to begin with, but you forget Christ Himself was deemed a felon and executed on the cross, even though he had broken no law and committed no sin, the mob called for his execution and a murderer went free. Just pointing it out. Have a day
There’s no way that you can grasp the amount of damage left in the week of this hurricane. And there’s no way that you can comprehend the complete failure by our government to respond. There are Americans that have been left up in the mountains in the hills with no support. I guess it’s always been that way. The people outside of the cities don’t matter. The poor don’t matter. The blue-collar workers don’t matter. We are just one month away from an election and you see how much they really care.
I got to see firsthand how the ones answering the call are everyday regular Americans. I got to watch volunteers from @saveourallies do the impossible. They’re sleeping in cars. They’re delivering baby formula, food, and diapers. They checked on nearly 100 year-old men that have been surviving for a week on their own.
Don’t believe what you’ve seen on the news. Don’t believe what you’ve been told by “the officials”. The damage and loss of life is indescribable.
This hurricane has left a path of devastation that we haven’t seen since Katrina, with soaring water levels and powerful winds wreaking havoc across the region. As rescue efforts continue led by volunteers and non-profits, the sheer scale of the destruction is becoming clearer, with many rural residents displaced and facing an uncertain recovery.
Thank you!
Thank you to the volunteers at AirDrop.
Thank you to the volunteers from Samaritans Purse.
Thank you to the volunteers at the resupply centers.
Thank you to every single one of those men wielding chainsaws going up and down mountains trying to get trapped families out.
Thank you to all the volunteers bringing in their helicopters and being the best pilots they can possibly be.
Thank you to every person in the kitchens cooking meals for someone else.
Thank you to every church that opened their doors to show what Christians really can do.
I could go on for hours. So I’ll just leave you with this: Thank you for acting like Americans and good neighbors. When you’ve lost hope, always look to the helpers.
Welles Crowther was a former Boston College lacrosse player whose trademark was a red bandana.
On September 11, 2001, he led people to safety after terrorists struck the World Trade Center.
This is his story.
@SarahKoob130516 @Argus911 Freedom of speech does not include the right to incite imminent lawless action (ie. violence/political violence) via Brandenburg v Ohio 395 U.S. 444 (1969). Google is free
@Ryan21670939033@drwinzlow@MMAcallout His niece has downs, his sister started a coffee shop named after her (Nour) which hires neurodivergent individuals. Don’t talk shit on the dawgs, google is free mate
World War II veterans waiting for their charter flight at Dallas-Fort Worth taking them to commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944. @starsandstripes