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Episode 4777: Live: Washington DC Prayer Vigil For Charlie Kirk
Episode 4777: Live: Washington DC Prayer Vigil For Charlie Kirk...
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- [00:02]
Steve Bannon
Shots fired during a speech by right wing activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem. This happened really just moments ago. Kirk was about 20 minutes into his speech when shots were fired from a nearby building. There was a single shot that rang out.
- [00:17]
Ben Berkwam
He was shot in the neck.
- [00:19]
Steve Bannon
And now the President of the United States, someone that Charlie Kirk was close to, is reporting that he has died.
- [00:27]
Ben Berkwam
They did detain an individual, somebody who's well known to them in that area, charged with obstruction of justice after the shooting. We are, of course, following the breaking news out of Utah right now, and I just want to sort of clarify where we are right now. There was back and forth about whether a suspect, a person of interest or a subject had been apprehended. There was an individual in custody just moments ago. We got information from FBI Director Cash Patel that that person has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement, which would lead one to conclude that the suspect, whoever pulled this off, whoever committed this heinous act, is at large. We don't yet know who did this. We don't know their motives. And it, it very well may be, as was the case, I think, in the wake of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, that those motives or politics were illegible, inscrutable, something of a black box. I did hear the Governor of Utah, somebody that I generally trust, call this a political assassination. Maybe he has information that the rest of us don't. They were able to set up without detection, had done some sort of planning. Where Kirk is, he's kind of down in a bowl with a tent. So this person was able to set up far enough away where they knew that they could be, and yet at a low enough of an angle where they could fire a single shot, high center mass, and then have the discipline to leave immediately after. Now the question becomes, who is this person? Why did they specifically do it?
- [01:53]
Steve Bannon
Police announced that they've recovered what they believe to be the murder weapon, a high powered rifle alongside ammunition and a screwdriver, in a wooded area near the crime scene. Salt Lake City's FBI posting. We are asking for the public's help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.
- [02:12]
Ben Berkwam
At Utah Valley University. They explicitly said that they had imagery of this individual in the stairwell arriving at the school. And then this person of interest jumps off the roof into a local neighborhood, at some point dumps the gun in a wooded area where they said they recovered it. They probably figured out the pictures are not enough granularity to do facial recognition through their systems. That they were going to now ask the public, and the public is a force multiplier, I think, just to protect us all. And so Fox doesn't get sued and we all don't get sued and everything else. But I think with a high degree of certainty we have him in custody, right? In custody.
- [02:56]
Steve Bannon
US media are now reporting that the suspect is 22 year old Tyler Robinson. So we do now have a name circulating. President Trump made the arrest announcement even.
- [03:08]
Ben Berkwam
As he said he might not be getting all the details right.
- [03:11]
Steve Bannon
We heard him say that, but there are still questions.
- [03:14]
Ben Berkwam
It was a family member and a family friend who helped deliver Tyler Robinson to law enforcement in Washington County. Considerable distance between here and there that Robinson was able to go before he ultimately was brought into custody. Investigators were also able to look at some messages, they say between Mr. Robinson and his roommate on his roommate's phone. And there was a reference to a rifle in some of those messages. It seemed as though he was trying to get the roommate to go after and recover the gun. But that's my speculation on it. 33 hours is a very short period of time to go from nothing as far as an ID to being able to have this guy in custody. Inscriptions on the three unfired casings read, hey, fascist. Exclamation point, catch, exclamation point, up arrow symbol, right arrow symbol, and three down arrow symbols. A second unfired casing read, oh, bella chow, bella chow, bella chow, chow, chow. And a third unfired casing, red, if you read this, you are gay. Lmao. So, oh, bella chow. That is a song glorifying the partisans who fought against the fascists and the occupying Nazis in Italy during the Second World War. And later, when the governor was asked about a motive, he said, well, maybe you don't need to look any further than those words. Hey, fascist, catch. And the chats are remarkable to me because the idea that an assassin who has gone to this level of planning, who's traveled over 100 miles from his own home to execute this crime, who thought through showing up in one set of clothes, changing his clothes to commit the crime and changing back to try to escape, and then a big piece of that escape was dropping the rifle in an area, possibly dismantling it, but also wrapping it in a towel so he could go back and retrieve it later, apparently he shared that part of his plan with his roommate. A Fox News alert. FBI sources tell Fox News, did you? That the man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk was living with a transgender partner. They say that individual is Fully cooperating with their investigation, claims to have had no idea of Robinson's plan.
- [05:29]
Steve Bannon
What more have we learned about the suspect? And are investigators any closer to finding a motive?
- [05:36]
Ben Berkwam
No, no, no, no. No known motive, I should say, in this case, what we've been hearing from investigators, which is that Robinson appeared to have a romantic relationship with his roommate. The roommate is somebody that identifies as transgender, transitioning from male to female, and that that roommate, by all accounts, has been incredibly cooperative with the investigation, is answering questions. This was a very normal young man, a very. A very smart young man for a student. I believe that social media has played a direct role in every single assassination and assassination attempt that we have seen over the last five, six years. There is no question in my mind that cancer probably isn't a strong enough word. What we have done, especially to our kids. It took us a decade to realize how evil these algorithms are. What we know so far, There are a couple things that we can confirm that have been reported. We can confirm that. Again, according to family and people that we're interviewing. He does come from a conservative family, but his ideology was very different than his family. So. So that's part of it. We do know that. That the roommate that we had originally talked about, we can confirm that that roommate is. Is a boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female. So we know that piece. I will say that that person has been very cooperative with. With authorities. And we. We have additional evidence, forensic evidence, that has been processed. We'll be. We'll be sharing that when. When charges are filed on Tuesday. You say he admitted that confessed. No, not. Not again. He is. He has not confessed to. To authorities. He. He is. He is. He is not cooperating. So we saw a video of a person jumping off the roof. It looked very legitimate to me. However, there was no rifle in his hand. Now, the Mauser does not break down very easily. Incidentally, for those of you who know weapons, something's wrong with the whole thing. They're trying to claim he removed the barrel from the Mauser and fit the receiver and stock in his backpack and barrel in his pants, like, all in two seconds. It is not easy to remove a Mauser barrel or index it after reinstalling and remain accurate. We are not hearing or seeing reality. And by the way, the photo of the rifle allegedly left in the woods has the barrel installed. So we're supposed to believe a guy is on the run after killing Charlie Kirk, and he pauses in the woods to reinstall a barrel and then he leaves it for US to find, the FBI to find. I don't believe a word of it. It's Sunday, the 14th of September in the year of our Lord 2025. We're going live right now to the Kennedy center in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. we have a complete Real America voice team there. David Zier, Ben Berkwam, We've got many of our contributors are going to go for the first hour. This is going to start between 6 and 6:30, the prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk, one of many throughout the United States and the world. We have really the spiritual leader who's going to lead us in this. Sean Foyt is with us. Sean's got to bounce backstage, get all this organized. Sean, what is the purpose of this today? What do you hope to accomplish? This is a major cultural center in Washington. You've got a who's who of names from the government in the Trump Maga movement coming on stage today. What do you hope to. You were very close to Charlie. What do you hope to accomplish? You know, it just what a heartbreaking week. What a devastating week. And you know, only God can take this and use it for his glory. And that's what we're seeing today. I mean, churches were slammed across America. People are leaning back into faith. I got several messages as to many people of people that hadn't been to church in 15, 20, even 30 years. And because of Charlie, they're going back. Why? Because all his videos of him preaching the gospel on campuses have gone viral. And it's like what the enemy meant for evil. God is flipping it around. And so tonight, I mean, it's only the irony and the beauty that we're here in the Kennedy center, which used to be the center of wokeness. And we are here tonight worshiping, praying, sharing testimonies of Charlie. Probably going to do an altar call. I mean, who knows, like God is going to move and we're doing it in the Kennedy Center. Steve, I mean, this is like, this is a total God set up. No, I think it's incredible, particularly with the different preachers and the different spiritual leaders that are going to be there. Talk to me about your ministry and Charlie. Kirk, you've gone throughout the country. I've known you for years. You've been harassed and hassled and attacked by many of the forces on the left. Talk to us about your ministry and how it's had to go through this brutally dark time in American history. Well, I want to just say, I mean, tonight, obviously we're focusing on the legacy of Charlie. And, I mean, there's a lot of my ministry I could talk about and things that God's having us do and the season that we're in, but I just want to honor him because, you know, when. When in Covid, like, when we were pushing back and God was, you know, had this call on us to bring lettuce worship, to defy the regulations, to push back against the government and the tyrannical overreach and those that were trying to silence us. You know, Charlie was in our corner, and many pastors and leaders across America weren't. And there was a lot of friendly fire that I was taking personally and other leaders of faith, but Charlie was always like, go harder, Sean. Go for it. Like, this is the hour. You know, he was such a guy that cheered on his friends like, he was a true encourager. And, you know, I feel like tonight, like, even being here, like thousands of people, Steve, are going to gather here tonight, and millions more will watch what takes place online. And it's like today, it's about extending the legacy. It's about taking the baton of courage and boldness. And it's like, you know, just like the martyrs throughout history, you know, we know that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. And, you know, we have that Bible verse that says, unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it won't bear fruit. And Charlie's life is a seed. And we are going to see the harvest. We're already seeing the harvest, but the harvest that's coming for his life. Revival is the revenge in America. Revival is the revenge. And we're gonna see a revival. We're gonna see an awakening. And just the fact that even tonight in this once godless place, the Kennedy center, tonight, we're gonna be singing hymns, playing cellos and guitars, lifting up our voices in prayer. I mean, it just. It's gonna be so special. And we're just. Tonight, we just want to celebrate him, and we want to see his legacy endure in the next generation. Sean, last question. I know you got to get backstage because you're kind of organizing this tonight and leading it. It's been pretty stunning throughout the world, from Korea to Europe to London, throughout the United States. Huge on Long island, just all over the country. Spontaneous, spontaneous reactions, spontaneous vigils. Today, you're correct. Reports all over. Churches were absolutely packed, particularly people having been in a couple of decades and or young people. What is it about Charlie Kirk? What is about his life, his mission that's causing this spontaneous Outbreak throughout the world. Well, I mean, he was unapologetically bold. He was a truth teller that never backed down. But, but, but he did it in such a way. He was joyful. And this is the thing that I think is so powerful. And I would encourage every young leader and every young person that wants to change the world. Like, the thing I love so much about Charlie. And we used to talk about this a lot in our conversations, actually just a few days before, you know, he went home to be with the Lord talking about this, the joyful warrior. Like, what does it look like to actually overcome evil with good, but do it with joy? Like, we don't have to be the grumpy, angry, perpetually frustrated conservatives. Like, we can sit in the seat of joy because we know the end of the story. We know that good wins. We know that even this week, it's just so dark and difficult and hard. I was with Charlie's pastor last night, Pastor Rob McCoy in Los Angeles at the church that we went to a lot together and just the heaviness and the sobriety. But yet in the midst of that, all like, God, he didn't cause this, but yet he's going to use this. And, you know, that's my encouragement tonight. There's something that's infectious that Charlie had about his joy going into these campuses where the vitriol and the animosity, I mean, we've experienced that in our meetings. We get it too, like just the rage. But yet in the midst of that, he's smiling at these kids while telling them the truth. And I think that is so powerful in this generation. And so I think that the. I think courage is contagious and I think joy is profound in moments like that. And that's my prayer even as we leave here tonight, that we would carry the joyful warrior that Charlie Kirk was to the world. Sean, what is your social media? How do people go find out more about your ministry? They can go to seanfoight. My last name is Father E U C H T. They can go to Let us worship. And we're on all, all social media channels, Facebook, Instagram, you can go to x, follow me, YouTube, all that good stuff. Thank you, Sean. Appreciate you taking time before the event. Honored. Thank you, Steve. Let's do a reset. We have. Thank you, brother. We have, we have Ben Berkwum and David Zier. I'm a go to those guys. We have many other people showing up that we'll be able to get. Can we go back to Ken? Oh, I tell you what we're gonna do, we'll take. We had to do a rolling break here. Let's take a short commercial break. Are we ready? Can we do that? Short commercial break? We're gonna return. We're live at the Kennedy center for a prayer vigil in the nation's capital for Charlie Kirk. Back in a moment. According to the Department of Energy, Black increase by 10,000% over the next few years. It's because of massive energy demand from artificial intelligence data centers. We talk about that all the time here in the war room. And we have a fragile power grid. It just cannot keep up with that demand. I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea of being without power even for a day. That's why I got the grid Dr. 3300 from my patriot supply. It's a powerful solar generator that runs refrigerators, AC units, medical devices, power tools, anything you need to out of blackout. And right now for their Christmas in July event, they're including over $1,000 in free survival gear with your generator, including emergency food supply, water filtration, survival tools and more. You heard that right. Over a thousand bucks in free gear for a limited time. Head to my Patriotsupply.com Bannon that's my Patriotsupply.com Bannon and grab the Christmas in July bundle before it's gone. Blackouts are coming. Go to my patronsupply.com Bannon and get prepared today. Here's your host, Stephen K. Bannon. Okay, welcome back to our special coverage of the prayer vigil at the Kennedy center in Washington D.C. the event doors will open at 6:00'. Clock. We're doing a little pregame here. Folks will get in there and about 6:30 they're going to kick off and I'll go probably an hour to 90 minutes. And we will cover this wall to wall. We have our own Ben Berkwam and David Zier there. Ben, give me your thoughts. You've been all over the country recently on raids. I know you were close to Charlie Kirk and the Turning Point team. Your thoughts about today? Yeah, you know Steve, when I heard the news, just like everyone else, it's one of those you live life and sometimes you just get into life so much you forget. Things like this happen and when it happened you just think, oh, he's, he's going to be okay, right? It's going to be okay. And then you go, I was in the neck. Well that's bad. And then you see the video and it was like that moment that Surreal. And it's been surreal ever since. It's every morning I wake up. It's just like when you lose anyone in your family, every morning you wake up with that false hope that they're still there. And that was just a bad dream, nightmare. And now you get to see him again. And. And I, you know, every morning, that's what's happening for me. You know, Charlie was such a. Such a major person, not just in my life in watching him grow, but the world. And I think about this, Steve, you know, most people, when they die, make very little impact in the world outside of their immediate family and friends. They're, you know, they're drops. They're a rock dropped in a pond. Charlie Kirk was an earthquake in the ocean. And his ripples that we're seeing just starting now, this is a tsunami that's coming around. Not just like you said, not just America, but the world. What we saw in England yesterday, what we've seen in South Korea, what we've seen in other Asian countries, Japan, all of these nations that realize that this battle that we're fighting in America is their battle too, that maga, and nobody other than President Trump, yourself, and Charlie Kirk emulated that more. They realize that if they can kill this person in America, that they can kill anybody. But the amazing thing, what Sean said to me, the amazing part about it is what has already been unleashed. I mean, you think about this. This was like a cluster bomb. You hit Charlie, and it's devastating for his wife and for his kids and for his parents. But what they did, what the enemy did, what this demon did, was unleash millions of Charlies that were being prepared for such a time as this. They were being prepared through tpusa to fight the battle that they're being sent into now. And so, going back to Sean's point, ironically, we're standing in the Kennedy Center. What the enemy meant for evil is exploding back in their face already. And I'm just waiting to see the fruits of this that come out. I still continue to say pray for, obviously the family, pray for truth to come out in this investigation. But ultimately, I'm just sitting back saying, lord, have your will send us. Make this generation bold to fight these battles. David Zier, you've covered this extensively since the 1990s. Everything that happened in New York City, the World Trade center, the first time, 9, 11, all of it, you know, the whole global chess piece here. President of the United States said the other day, we're at war against this radical ideology. Of course, now it looks like he's pointing to these trainee, you know, terror cells. We still. There's so much that hasn't been explained. And, you know, tomorrow on the war, we're going to get into all of it in a lot of detail, maybe even tonight, have Jim Hoffman, some people. But zir, what are your thoughts? You've been like a combat correspondent on this for years. Your thoughts? I. Yes. Good evening, Steve. Good afternoon. It meshes in so many ways, you know, with 911 terrorism, international terrorism, the global intifada. It meshes with what happened to Charlie Kirk because like Ben said, it's seismic, right? And, you know, you have the tragedy and out of that grows resilience and unification. You know, maybe a million plus came out in London and. Right. The media saying 100,000. But tonight, you know, over 3,000 ticket requests for this event. 45 years, 50 years of my memories of, you know, liberals gathering here, Barbra Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, bashing, trashing Reagan and the whole thing. The tide has turned here. And Riley Gaines, I was listening to her on Bartiromo this morning, you know, said, I hope 10,000 Charlie Kirk rise in his place. And it's going to be a of lot, lot more than that. And you mentioned Long Island. You know, there's organic vigils, just like with COVID We sat out on the corners in the beginning, just like the Tea Party, the backroom meetings at the diners across the country, the small group gathering. You know, this is what's going on now on Long Island. There's a protest of Newsday next Saturday, who had this incredibly disgusting op ed cartoon that the editorial board is doubling down on and, and supporting with an empty chair with the wound, you know, with like blood splattered on the wall behind, you know, in the cartoon with an empty chair. That was Charlie Kirk's, you know, and I think there is going to be. There's going to be, I don't want to say payback, but there's going to be a resurgence. And what Charlie Kirk did that we have to remember to do, and everyone needs to remember is he kept them off their game because he was civil. And he, you know, that was like half the battle. Right? Because these kids aren't men and they're not real women. Right? They're not, they're not adults. And he is the youngest person in the room and was the biggest adult we've had. So it's, it's extraordinary times. Okay, I tell you what, we're going to take a break. We got the great Nick Sartor talking about a combat correspondent. Nick is at the tip of the spear. Seems like every incident out there, one of the bravest guys and smartest guys out there where he's at the Kennedy center now with David and Ben Berkwam. We're going to take a short commercial break. We're going to be back in a moment. We also have Brian Kennedy teed up. We've got Jim Hoff, hopefully Jack Bosobic. We're going to go to the degree we can into the line and talk to maga, talk to the Warren Posse. Like David zier said, over 3,000 ticket requests and it just went up, I don't know, 24 hours ago. Really want to thank Real America's Voice. Parker and Rob Sig, the entire team in Denver taking their Sunday and putting this together. Real America's Voice. We're going to have wall to wall coverage of everything leading up to the celebration of life for Charlie next Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona at Cardinal Stadium, NFL Stadium. That has to be used to accommodate the crowd. The President of the United States will be there. Short commercial break. Back to the Kennedy center, the prayer vigil in the nation's capital for Charlie Kirk next in the world. Hey, I realize you got many choices when it comes to who you choose for your cell phone service and there are new ones popping up all the time. But here's the truth. There's only one that boldly stands in the gap for every American that believes that freedom is worth fighting for, and that's the team at Patriot Mobile. For more than 12 years, Patriot Mobile has been on the front lines of fighting for our God given rights and freedoms while also providing exceptional nationwide cell phone service with access to all three of the main networks. Don't just take my word for it. Ask the hundreds of thousands of Americans who've made the switch and are now supporting causes they believe in. Simply by joining Patriot Mobile, switching is easier than ever. Activate in minutes from the comfort of your own home. Keep your number, keep your phone or upgrade. Patriot Mobile's all US Based support team is standing by to take care of you. Call 978 Patriot today or go to patriotmobile.com Bannon that's patriotmobile.com Bannon. Use the promo code Bannon for a free month of service. That's patriotmobile.com Bannon. Or call 972 Patriot and make the switch today. Here's your host, Stephen K. Bann. Okay. Welcome back. Our live coverage of the prayer vigil at The Kennedy center, our nation's capital. We're going to be interviewing people as they come in. The great Nick Sortor joins us. Nick, you've been at the forefront of so many, reporting so many of these amazing events. Give me your sense of what your view is of what happened, where we are, and why did you make it back to Washington for this prevage. I'm telling you, Steve, this is a little bit different than stuff that I've usually covered in the past. And honestly, it's probably one of the most difficult stories that I've ever had to cover. I'm covering the assassination and manhunt of a friend. I mean, I've slept very little. I mean, some of the. Having to watch that video of him being taken out on loop, knowing for, you know, two days that his killer was still out there, was haunting, absolutely haunting. And I'm telling you what right now, the amount of people that have seen that video, Steve, and. And all of the vitriol coming from the left, normal people have been able to make that connection. Now, seeing how bad this was, how gruesome this murder was, and how the left is react, it's turning a lot of people away, regular Americans, taking them and pushing them to the right. That's what's going on here. And honestly, you're looking at NFL games, NASCAR races, all of these things that. That were woke, like BLM honoring George Floyd a couple of years ago. They're now putting Charlie's face up on the screen in memorial, and people are cheering. The stadiums erupt in claps and cheers and even chants of Charlie, Charlie. I mean, it's a beautiful thing to see. And I think a lot of Americans have just. They're now seeing what we see on a daily basis. This proved to them that the left is violent, that, you know, they'll. If they disagree with you on policy, they'll freaking kill you. Charlie wasn't a threat to anybody. They know that. But they still killed him anyway. This is gonna have lasting effects. This is a cultural. You've done such a good job of, particularly when the left explodes. Things like Portland, Seattle, you know, the George Floyd, all of it. You only see this peacefully. You see prayer vigils in Long island drawing tens of thousands of people. You see spontaneous events occurring of young kids walking down the street, cheering, putting, you know, in Korean, chanting Charlie's name. You see it in London at Hyde Park Corner. What do you think? What is causing this explosion? And almost like a revival around the work of Charlie Kirk from many people I think at least 80% that might not have been familiar with his work on a day to day basis, sir. Well, Steve, I shared the other day on X a text that I got from my mom, who was a lifelong Democrat, all growing up, she was Obama, Obama, Obama in my house. And she even texted me and was like, she didn't know who Charlie Kirk was before, but she started watching his videos, watching his speeches, and she said this encouraged me to go back and find God. And she went to church for the first time in years this weekend. And there were so many reports, Steve, of people saying that I couldn't even find a seat in my church and people were parking on the grass because they couldn't get in. You know, like I said, we've been saying this for a long time that these people are violent and they're out to get you. We're not lying. They really are. And people, that's people have now seen it firsthand. It's been confirmed, you know, we're not lying. And I think we're going to continue to see that, especially among students. You saw 3,000 students standing out there at Utah Valley University when Charlie Kirk was shot. Each and every one of them have now been radicalized, right? They just watched some leftist goon assassinate the guy that they went to go listen and talk to out on the lawn at their campus. And you know, after the assassination occurred, what did the left do? They went out with their normal lies. I mean, total lies. They can't even say, well, we just didn't know. They went out and lied and tried to say this guy was some sort of MAGA Republican. When everybody, everybody and their brother knew that it wasn't some sort of MAGA Republican. That makes no sense. That's also been confirmed to be false. So more and more people are seeing the light. They're realizing that the left, honestly, there's no other way to say it, these people are evil. They're evil. Ben Berkwam and David, any response to observations on the great Nick Sortor's assessment? Nick, your coverage everywhere is amazing. I saw you all over during the campaign and stuff. But I want to say that once people go back now, they're finally watching the debate videos, they hear all the hyperbole. What a terrible guy Charlie is. He's a hater when you watch those debates and even me, you know, going back because he predated maga. He's, you know, of the Milton Friedman camp and Hayek and all these guys. And not only is he smart, but the way. He just dismantled the opposition at these events. I think everybody walks away saying, oh my God, I got to rethink my whole game. And I think the world is doing that right now. And he did it nicely, he did it eloquently to the point where he wasn't mean about it, he wasn't nasty, he didn't use ad hominems. He was, his delivery was so effective. That's why he was a target, because he was actually able to convince people to think a different way. Yeah, well, in the end, that's it, Steve. He was so effective at what Charlie did, what nobody else that I've seen been able to do at the level that he was able to do it. And that is reach the youth and start changing the paradigm. And that to me is why they hated him so much. But back to Nick's point, you know, this is what the left has said. The first four years of President Trump, it was all lies. We're all Nazis, we're all racists, we're all bigots, we're all homophobes. Cancel everybody on maga, you already saw that shift after they tried to assassinate President Trump where people said, wait a second, these guys may be not what they said that they were and MAGA may not be as bad as they said MAGA was. Now we're seeing, I think what we saw at Butler, we're going to see on steroids now, where you have people that had sat on the fence and they said, I'm not sitting on the fence anymore. So to Nick's point, you've radicalized the base that was already MAGA to say, I'm going to, if he gave his life for this, I'm going to give my life for my country. You've done that to 20 year olds. Think about the impact that that has 20 year olds who say they'll die for their country en masse. We're going to see that across America. But you're also going to see the people that were on the fence who say, I don't believe anything these guys say anymore. I don't believe anything the left says. I got word that there were like 32,000 new chapters request for TPUSA in the past two days. Yes. It's amazing. Nick, let me ask you, is the brutality of Charlie's, the assassination of Charlie, the inhumanity of it, how cold blooded it was. Was the left playing this thing on a loop and mocking it? Do you think that's, do you think that's part of the reason so many People are getting turned off and turning back and looking at Charlie's work, his body of work in particular, touched by his body of. Not political work, but his body of spiritual work. Absolutely, Steve. I mean, you gotta think about it. This video was so horrifying to watch. And people saw that in their. You know, it shook them a little bit. And then they saw the vitriolic reaction from the left, and they're like, oh, my God, like, I gotta look and see what was this guy saying that was so bad that he needed to be killed and that his killing was justified, like they killed Satan himself. And people go back and look at it, and they can't find any. Not a single instance of Charlie Kirk being hateful or racist or a Nazi or anything like that. They. They see a skilled debater and a visionary to sort of like a guy that sounded like a founding father almost of the country, with these sort of values that he was trying to instill in people. And that. That really woke up people up. I mean, you look at. I think it was Stephen King the other day that tweeted out saying something really stupid, as most Stephen King tweets are, that Charlie said that gays should be stoned to death, and he got ratioed to the stone Age and had to retract the tweet because there was no evidence that Charlie ever said that it was a lie and it was made up, and Stephen King had to end up deleting the tweet. But now these terrible people have been fired. Yeah. Oh, that is. Have been fired. Teachers have been fired. So I hope it continues. Cancel culture in action. They're purging themselves, which is beautiful. I mean, there was just an army colonel, I believe, that got fired today by Pete Hegset or suspended by Pete Hegseth today. Get the woke generals out. Nick, before you bounce, there is a call from, like, Governor Cox and many of the Rhino Republicans that now's the time to. For unity. Now's the time to sit down with the antifa and sit down with the left, and we've got to tone down the rhetoric. Since you've been at the tip of the spear, your thoughts on that. How do you unify with people that want you dead? How do you do it? I don't think you can do it. Am I wrong? These people have. They successfully took out Charlie, but, you know, Jack, they tried to kill his family. They tried to kill my family by swatting. By trying to get them to break down the door and shoot my parents. Right? And they thought that I was there at the time and I wasn't luckily, but that's what they want to do. They want us dead and they'll do it any way possible. I don't, I don't think there's any way to unify. I'm sorry. We just need to leave them in the dust. That's it. There is no, there is no unification and there never will be. We need to stop playing that card. Stop saying both sides. Oh, both sides are radical. Both sides need to tone down the rhetoric. Only one side is killing people on the other side. So, Nick, where do people go on social media? Your, your, your feed is like the Associated Press of maga. Where do people go? I appreciate you, Steve. Pretty much only on X because I'll get banned everywhere else. It's Nick Sorter. N I C K S O R T O R Nick, thank you so much. Appreciate you. Thank you, Steve. David Zier and Ben Berkhwam are at the Kennedy Center. We're going to be interviewing more of the dignitaries that arrive for Charlie Kirk's prayer vigil. We're also going to be going into the line and talking to the people who really matter. That would be the War Room Posse, the viewers of Real America's Voice maga, the bass, call them what you want. These are the working men and women that make this country what it is. And I know everyone's been touched. As Nick just said, church is overflowing today. Some people have not been to church in decades. Others, young people, have never been inside a church, from Korea to Europe and all over the United States. And like they said, I think it is 30,000 new chapters of Turning Point USA. Charlie Kirk, one of the most extraordinary leaders in our country, and I would argue you have to go back to the revolutionary generation to see someone that in his 20s change the direction of this country. Short commercial break. We're going to go back to the Kennedy center in just a moment. If you're a homeowner, you need to listen to this. In today's AI and cyber world, scammers are stealing home titles with more ease than ever, and your equity is the target. Here's how it works. Criminals forge your signature on one document, use a fake notary stamp, pay small fee with your county, and boom. Your home title has been transferred out of your name. Then they take out loans using your equity or even sell your property. You won't even know it's happened until you get a collection or foreclosure, foreclosure notice. So let me ask You. When was the last time you personally checked your home title? If you're like me, the answer is never. And that's exactly what scammers are counting on. That's why I trust Home Title Lock. Use promo code steve@hometitlec.com to make sure your title is still in your name. You also get a free title history report plus a free 14 day trial of their million dollar triple lock protection. That's 24,7 monitoring of your title, urgent alerts to any changes and if fraud should happen, they'll spend up to $1 million to fix it. Go to home title lock.com now. Use promo code Steve. That's hometitle lock.com promo code Steve. Do it today. Here's your host, Stephen K. Ban. Wanna thank our sponsor Birch Gold Philip Patrick. We've postponed some of Philip Patrick's hits given the intensity of her coverage. Also tomorrow really going to be drilling down on, on actually the, the manhunt. What's going on right now. I think it's quite, I think it's quite confusing. Some of the information and videos we're going to talk about that we've got in the next hour. Jim Hoft is going to join us from Gateway Pundit. Hopefully poso in the next hour. The great Brian Kennedy. They were trying to track down Dave Bossi who's actually at the Kennedy Center. The great Dave Bossi. As soon as we get him we're going to talk to him. But I want to thank Birchgold. You can go to Tex Bannon B A N N O N at 989-898. Get the Ultimate Guide for investing in gold and precious metals. Like I said, thank Birch Gold for their sponsorship and we'll have Philip Patrick back on in the next couple of days. Let me go to Berquam. I think Ben is doing a walk and talk. Ben, are you, are you walking through the crowd? Can I. Right there. Let's go to Ben Berkwam live at the Kennedy Center. Yeah, I'm just going to go down the line and so everybody's filing in. Very kind of somber night tonight but just wanted to talk to folks and see what, what Charlie meant to you, what this night means to you. How you doing? Good. Charlie's is just one of a kind and it means a lot and I'm glad we're here. Have nothing else to say. Matt. Yeah. God bless you. Okay. Hey friend, how you doing? Hello. Where you from? D.C. edge of D.C. northwest. What does this night mean to you? What did Charlie mean To you, Charlie. Number one. The humanity of him and my seeing across the globe how the whole world knew more about him than I might have expected. And special person, you know. And, I mean, I am pretty conservative and to watch his politics. It's not mainly about politics, but he really came pretty far towards some positions that I think are more sane and needed for saving the country in the last six months. Yeah. But special human being. Sad day for America. Thank you. You want to say why you're here? What Charlie meant to you? What Turning Point. Yes. It's the voice of change, of positive change in the world that was early extinguished and now we have a blaze coming about. That's what it means. I just saw today that 32,000 new chapters of Turning Point they received the application today. So that's amazing. So it's like a phoenix, you know, from the ashes. Glory for God's almighty glory. So. And. And I don't know if you notice this, Steve. We do have some young folks over here. They're going in. Ladies, do you mind saying where you're from and why. And why this matters to you?
- [42:35]
Steve Bannon
We're from North Carolina, but I'm gonna go ahead. I'm from Alabama.
- [42:38]
Ben Berkwam
Alabama.
- [42:39]
Steve Bannon
Yeah.
- [42:39]
Ben Berkwam
And actually, as we're talking here, we actually have the one and only Dave Bossi just walked up. If. If I can jump on. Grab you real quick, sir. Absolutely. How you doing? I've had better days, but this is. We all have. This is a tragedy. It's an American tragedy. You know, I'm deeply, deeply distraught. I know Steve is known. All of us here, some of us feel like you've known Charlie since he was, like, a kid, and what he was able to do, the impact that he had on our nation has been just tremendous. And I'm angry. I'm going to be somebody who is even more in the fray than receding. There's going to be a lot of people who recede now. This is going to scare a lot of people. We have to fight. We have to fight for this country. The battle of ideas that Charlie waged, we owe it to him. We owe it to our country. We owe it to our kids, our grandkids. But Charlie, Kirk, what he did and what he stood for, we all have to step up. I know Steve Bannon is. I know that for sure. Steve. Ben. Ask Dave. Ask Dave. He's built one of the biggest grassroots organizations. How tough is it for Charlie to build this massive operation? He's built at Turning Point. So, Dave, you've built a massive grassroots operation. But you look at what Charlie was able to do in 31 years and really in 10 years, you know, young guy, every time I looked at him, I was like, how old is this guy? He was younger than me. To be able to do what he did in the amount of time he was able to do it. Tell us what kind of person that takes. So let me just say I cut my teeth in politics, in the College Republicans, all the battles of good versus evil inside the organization, conservative versus liberal inside the organization. We thought at the time, in the 80s, during the Reagan years, that that was incredibly important. It really wasn't. I look back now and I say, Charlie Kirk got it. He bypassed all of that. All of that, you know, real noise, okay? And he was. He was right on the target long before, long before his years. He was so wise beyond his years. And so he didn't waste any time. He said, I'm not going to participate in this fraud that is the university system. And I'm going to go and I'm going to educate. First of all, the depth and breadth of his knowledge was just incredible. I've been around a lot of really smart people. I know Steve has says, we've been honored and to be. To work alongside a lot of really smart people. Charlie was one of the true intellects of his time, and he just did it on his own, on his own terms. And that's what I just. I. I just was so proud of watching him develop because you. You could see him argue and debate people, and he was so knowledgeable on so many topics. There's a lot of guys like me do TV. You know, you get us past 10 or 15 minutes on a topic and you got, you know, look, I mean, that's just the reality of it, right? Because we have to be good at a lot of different things. And guys like, to be honest with you, guys like Steve Bannon, guys like Charlie Kirk, there's not a lot of them who have an incredible depth of knowledge on an incredible array of topics. And that's what made Charlie different. But his fire, his spirit, the ability for him to be positive every minute of every day was a really joy to watch. Hey, Ben. But Ben, ask Dave before he let him go. There's so many of the typical voices telling us, now we have to compromise, we should have to have unity, that our rhetoric is dangerous. Ask him his thoughts on that. So this is the question. You've got this drumbeat now from some people saying it's time to unify. It's time to Kumbaya. It's time to come together. There's basically equivocating what the left is and the right, they're analogous. What's your message? That's not my message, I can assure you. Donald Trump is a change agent. He's a change agent president if he does not have people like us out there every single day making sure we're using this next three and a half years to get America back on track. We are a nation destined for the ash heap of history. If Donald Trump does not utilize this next three and a half years to destroy this very swamp that he has taken over. And that's what Charlie Kirk understood. See, that's the difference. He was not going to allow the left to get one minute of his time. He was not going to allow the left to, to, to push him around. He was not going to be defeated in, in any argument. And that's what we have to do. Charlie has. And, you know, it really bothers me and I, People say, oh, Charlie passed away. He didn't pass away. He was murdered. He was assassinated. And we have to remember that these people, the violent left. The violent left, that's what they are. And they're violent Democrats too. Let's. We, we kind of use the wrong language when we say left because they're Democrats. And I think the American people have to understand the difference between Republicans and Democrats, that these people are. That the people that are like the assassin, like these crazed leftists, like the per. The two different individuals that tried to assassinate Donald Trump, they're vile Democrats. And that's the problem. And I think the American people have to wake up to that. And I think this great awakening that is coming because of Charlie's assassination is going to be part of that. The education is coming. But we have to, we have to be smart, we have to be thoughtful, but we have to continue to bring pressure and we have to win. This is not a time for just moral equivalency. This is not a time for singing Kumbaya. This is a time for Donald Trump and the Trump administration to continue their push to make America great again. And that's what Charlie would have wanted to. What's, what is Ben, what is Dave's social media? Where they get his. Where they get all his movies and his books, all your movies and your books. Where do people find you, Sir? You know, citizensunited.org you can see all of our stuff. Steve, I do want to talk to you about, you know, thinking of a way to make a film utilizing this moment And I think you and I have to put our heads together and put it together real soon. The great Matthew Taylor, I see the great Matthew Taylor over here. This is, this is a, this is an incredible moment in time. And I think we, Steve, you and I have to think about how we really capture it and, and make it important for the American people. I'll talk to you after the vigil tonight. Dave Bossi, thank you so much. Ben Bergquam, you hang right there at Kennedy Center. Maybe you grab Matthew Taylor. We're going to take a short commercial break. We're going out with something you hear every day as we toss from the War Room to Charlie Kirk show the Charlie Kirk bagpipes from his ancestral Scotland, which, by the way, is having vigils for Charlie Kirk. We're going to take a short commercial break. We've got Jim Hoff, a Gateway pundit. We have Brian Kennedy. We've got Jack Posovic. We're going to have more interviews from the Kennedy Center. We're probably, I don't know, 30 minutes away from the start of the prayer vigil. We will be here throughout it, then with a summary afterwards. Short commercial break. We're going to leave you now with Charlie and his bagpipes.
- [51:12]
Steve Bannon
Sa.
- [51:42]
Ben Berkwam
What if he had the brightest mind in the war room delivering critical financial research every month? Steve Bannon here. War Room listeners know Jim Rickards. I love this guy. He's our wise man. A former CIA, Pentagon and White House advisor with an unmatched grasp of geopolitics and capital markets, Jim predicted Trump's Electoral College victory exactly 312 to 1, 226, down to the actual number itself. Now he's issuing a dire warning about April 11, a moment that could define Trump's presidency and your financial future. His latest book, Money GPT, exposes how AI is setting the stage for financial chaos. Bank runs at lightning speeds, algorithm driven crashes and even threats to national security. Right now, War Room members get a free copy of MoneyGPT when they sign up for Strategic Intelligence. This is Jim's flagship financial newsletter, Strategic Intelligence. I read it. You should read it. Time is running out. Go to rickardswarroom.com that's all one word. Rickards war Room Rickards with an S. Go now and claim your free book. That's rickardswarroom.com do it today. It is Sunday, the 14th of September in the year of our Lord 2025. That's Charlie Kirk's famous bagpipes you hear on his show every day as we tossed here on Real america's Voice at high noon to the Charlie Kirk show five days a week. We will toss to it tomorrow. I don't think they've announced they're going to have some very special folks sitting in with the Turning Point team this week as we tossed them. I think more about that later. Want to go to so we're going to go back to the Kennedy center, the prayer vigil with many luminaries from the Trump administration and others around town that knew Charlie are going to be there and give a few remarks. There'll be some prayers, some music as Sean Foitz put this together. We'll probably start at the bottom of the hour about 6:30. I think they're getting people in, but as soon as they do, we'll go live to the stage. I want to bring in Jim Hoff. Jim, you and I have known each other since the early days of the Andrew Breitbart revolution, the Tea Party revolution of which, by the way, you were one of the founders in St. Louis in the very first gathering. I always tell people that guys like Charlie Kirk, you know, we've had two in my lifetime. You've had Andrew Breitbart and you've had Charlie Kirk and of course, Donald Trump. These individuals come along once a generation, once every hundred years. They're just, they're that unique. And I think you can see from the explosion throughout the world and just kind of self organizing these vigils, remembrances of Charlie and quite frankly, most importantly today, people returning to church shows you the power of his personality and his teaching, how humble he was. He was a guy I knew very well and never bragged about himself, never talked about himself, just very, very, very humble. One thing, Jim, I want to have you on today is that all over the media and the mainstream media is about and one of the reasons that Charlie Kirk was assassinated in cold blood is that Charlie Kirk was a hater and that particularly he hated gay people. Do you have any thoughts on that or any witness eyewitness accounts of this? Thank you, Steve, for having me on. It's such a sad time. You know, I was looking through my text messages today from Charlie and something popped out to me. This was a couple years ago. He was at his events and he would be attacked by some fringe group was attacking him and they'd be crude and they'd like to ask him about gays and gay rights and gay sex acts and put him on the spot. They thought that that would be a good way to take Charlie Kirk Down. And Charlie, he could have folded. He could have said, you know, he could have said, you know, I don't want. I don't want to be around gays or anything. You know, there's people who might do something like that. Charlie held his ground, and he took them on. I actually sent you a message then that he sent me, and it was a tweet, and it includes the video of Charlie responding to one of these guys. And I was thinking to myself, you know, Charlie didn't have to do that. I. I don't. I. I don't talk about my sexuality. I. I run Gateway Pundit. It's one of the most powerful conservative websites in. In the country, in the world. And I don't talk about my, you know, who. Who I am as a person and. And who I. Who I. My partner or anything, but Charlie knew this, and he sent it to me, and I just thought, what a kind moment. And that's who Charlie was. So when I hear someone like Stephen King, that asshole, talk about how Charlie wanted to kill gays and have them stoned, it's not just that what the media is saying is not true, because it's not true. These are lies about Charlie, just like they're lies about you and lies about me all the time. It's not just that it's not true, but it's the exact opposite. Charlie stood up for gays, and I think that's very important that people understand that. I think that's very important that the gay community understands that. I think it's important that the critical mass that is waking up in America understands that. Charlie was not someone out there who was spitting on gays. He was somebody or any other group Charlie was welcoming. He started so many groups like, you know, that he took a. He filled the White House with some black conservatives for one event. He filled a group with pastors. But he wasn't shy to support somebody, you know, and wasn't afraid to say that he supported gays. I just. It was very moving to me. That's who Charlie Kirk was, and I saw that today. That got me teared up a little bit because he was a truly great man, and we're gonna miss him. So thank you for having me on today. Really moving event, and I'll miss Charlie. Jim, as Gateway pundits always doing, like you said, you're one of the most influential conservative news sites. You had great coverage of Turning Point Charlie over the years. You guys have been all over this investigation, and I'm going to tell the audience Tomorrow we're really going to get into it. We've been working all weekend behind the scenes and people should know, I think a lot of things are going to, or some things are going to happen tomorrow that have been different up until the last 24 hours. But can we talk about this story and if Denver, I think we have it. If you can put up what's the story that you're breaking on Gateway Pundit this afternoon? Well, Steve, there wasn't just one mass killing by a transsexual in the past year in, in the same location. This is the second one. There was another person, she went by the name Mia Bailey. She caught, she shot both of her parents in, in a neighboring town and then she, when she was caught, she was caught in the same town as, as, as where this guy's parents live. So this isn't the only, the only trans mass murder in the past year or trans murder in the past year in this, in this location. So what's going on? And we've done a lot of digging into some of these groups that these people were communicating in and we think it's a much wider network than what we're hearing about already. Jim, there's a lot of questions and we're going to get into that. You know, you got Michael Savage, you have all these army special forces. The videos don't kind of add up to the narrative. I hope that that is going to be put forward tomorrow by the FBI and the Department of Justice. And I think we get a clearer context of really having professionals instead of the governor of Utah make these presentations. Because right now I think there's a lot of Gateway Punnett readers and a lot of the Warren Posse that are just sitting there going, you know, this looks almost too convenient. You got, you got, you got a guy that's converted to antifa. He's been radicalized by antifa. He's living with a tranny who happens to be a furry. You've got all this evidence that just kind of pops up and still like the guys in the Discord chat aren't rolled up yet like the Boston Marathon bomber roommates were. So there's a lot of questions to be asked. But you've hit on something with your coverage this afternoon as I've been over at Gateway Pundit and now you see online, people are finally talking about it. This, this transgender, almost terrorist violent. I don't know if it's an organization or self organizing, but the hate and the violence coming out of this group nationwide. And like you said what you brought up today, that happened I think in Orem didn't even make national, forget national. I'm not even sure it made regional news that big. But this violence is much broader, much deeper, much more hate filled than anybody's ever anticipated. And this is including us watching the Minneapolis shooting, the Nashville shooting. This thing is actually metastasizing at an increasing rate, sir. Yeah, absolutely. And we do find, we did find out that they are, like I said, communicating on these platforms like Stream, which is a video platform. And we looked into this, I guess it's Steam, not Stream and something I don't even know anything about. Basically it's one of these video chat groups and, and we also found out that people were talking on that same platform in that same group of transsexuals before Charlie was shot and directly afterwards about the shooting before, before this man was even captured. So it's really interesting. I understand that Cash Patel and the FBI now is investigating this group, this Steam group. So that's good. I think it's a great lead and I'm sure they're going to find out quite a bit. Is your reporting so far leads you guys to believe that the people in this group might have had foreknowledge of this, that this was something that didn't come as a surprise to them. Well, we absolutely have found some comments that were put up early. This was Cassandra Fairbanks who did this excellent work. She continues to do a deep dive into this at Gateway Pundit and yes, I do believe that there was foreknowledge and like I said, I think they're going to find out quite a bit once they start looking at this group and these other groups that these transsexuals have been on, these radical transsexuals who you know, ended up then, now we know what they're, you know, they're angry at Charlie Kirk, they're angry at us and Charlie Kirk is dead. They shot him in the head and it's just awful. Jim, your social media and where do people go to Gateway Pundit because your coverage is unparalleled and you've got a big team over there on the investigation of all this. Of course you'll be with us for all the vigils, etc. Where do people go? It's Gateway thegatewaypundant.com and you can find us on Getter and Twitter X as Gateway Pundit and several others. But most of our reporting will be breaking it at thegatewaypundit.com Jim Hoft the founder, publisher, I think still editor in chief of the Gateway Pundit, one of the originals, along with Andrew Breitbart. Thank you, sir. Sir. God bless you, Steve. Thank you, brother. Andrew Breitbart and Charlie Kirk, two of a kind. They come along once a generation. You can't replace them. What you have to do is take their work and go forward. You saw with Erica Kirk, her amazing remarks the other Night Live, I might add, there are very few people on this globe that can do what she did. It was just incredible. Charlie's partner should be taking turning point forward and I think you could say it's in very good and safe hands. We're gonna take a short break. We return to the Kennedy center for the prayer vigil in the nation's capital for Charlie Kirk. I got American faith in America. Okay. Welcome back to our coverage of the prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk in our nation's capital in the Kennedy Center. I think Nick Sorter said it best. You know, this is kind of the temple of secular humanism. It is pretty shocking to know that we're going to have a prayer vigil today with some of the top evangelical preachers. It's going to be quite extraordinary. Sean Foyt, who we had on first, a friend of the show, we've had him many times, followed him around the country, is going to kick things off. I think he'll be the prayer leader. Let's go to David Zier. David Zier is actually inside the theater at the Kennedy center momentarily at the bottom of the hour. As soon as we have real America's voice. We have a couple of cameras there. As soon as they begin the ceremony, begin the event, we will go live to the stage. We will be here if I need to. I'll make some commentary during the event. It should take about an hour, maybe 90 minutes. We're going to be here afterwards to wrap up with maybe certain dignitaries that are there that we can get and get some feedback and also from the Warren posse and the RAV audience that is there right now. David Zier, put us in the room, sir. The line was wrapped around the building earlier. They're filing into the concert hall here at the Kennedy center. And this room holds about 2,500 plus, I believe, and over 3,000 people have registered. So. So it's going to be a full house here and waiting for the program to start at about 6:30. It's about a two hour program and Sean Foyt will be one of the opening people and the closing for the evening here. And as you were saying, there's a long list of people here and notables. I don't know if you went over earlier like Tulsi Gabbard and rfk, Andy Biggs and Anna Paulina, Carrie Lake, Jake Hoffman, Eli Crane. A lot of people will be here and this will be a. I bet there won't be a dry eye in the house for Charlie Kirk. David, I want to bring this up. Was there any special security precautions coming into this? I mean, it seats 3,000 people. You are in the nation's capital there, you know, particularly the local media there, the Washington Post, there's been a, a lot of hate and discontent. I think the New York Times today, there's up online some true hater they had write an op ed. Is your sense any raised level of security? Yes, absolutely. And they're very organized here and the staff is, you know, watching everyone closely where you're not supposed to go. I did hear reports earlier Secret Service was on site and that security has been beefed up for this event. I think everybody's always on edge, you know, this weekend here in D.C. and others. So. But the staff seems to have their act together here and again, you know, tight security. Went through the metal detectors and got wanded. Had to put our electronics aside, went through our bathroom. Definitely, definitely tight security. Yes. David, throughout the country, these have been self organizing over the last couple days. Throughout the world, they've really been amazing. Some have been very joyous, some have been somber. What is the feeling there in the concert hall at the Kennedy Center? Sir, I believe that everybody's still in shock. People are going about their business here to pay respects for Charlie Kirk. I think a lot of people are still processing this and how to handle it. And there are organic groups. A lot of these people here, I'm sure, are involved not only in their local community, but on the national stage in the response for this. And you know, it's like very organic, like MAGA was organic. And you know, these people, you know, they're tired of being told they're the bad people for being the good people. Steve and that's the message that Charlie brought to the students, right? When you couldn't go on campus 10 years ago with a table without a table getting ripped up or, you know, collapsed on you. I think these people are the good people of America and they want to make sure that this doesn't happen again. David, hang on. I'm going to go to Brian Kennedy. Brian, you ran Claremont. The Claremont Institute is kind of the you know, the intellectual center. It's become one of the intellectual center of maga, but for years been intellectual center of the conservative movement. I don't remember if Charlie was a Lincoln scholar or not. I know that he learned a lot from Andrew Breiper and from others that were. What is your take on the life and work of Charlie Kirk? Well, look, Steve, first of all, thank you for doing this today. I think Charlie Kirk was a great man. He was a Lincoln Fellow of the Claremont institute back in 2021. Andrew Breitbart was a Lincoln Fellow, I would say, also back a decade before. Both of them were warriors who believed in the country, what was good about the country. And in the case of Charlie, Charlie's project was to remoralize this nation. He saw that it had been demoralized and he wanted to remoralize it. And that's a project that was near and dear to the heart of President Trump and the MAGA movement. The goal of MAGA is to remoralize the country, to teach Americans that they have a good country that's worth defending. Now, I would say maybe in disagreement with some of the earlier folks who said Charlie was not a threat. Charlie was a threat. He represented a recovery in this country of limited constitutional government, of a decency, a morality, a pro family agenda that the American left finds abhorrent. And President Trump was, I think, spot on on Fox News when he said that we're in a war and that there are terrorist elements in this country that would like to destroy this country. Well, I would say to you, Steve, that you will know that we are in a war. If there are 100 lawyers today, right now at the DOJ or the FBI who are working around the clock to figure out how to dismantle the criminal parts of the American left, whether it's George and Alexander Soros or Arabella advisors and the way they put dark money into the system or their funding of Antifa and a variety of other left wing causes. You'll know you're in a war. If they're finding out right now what is really going on and how you dismantle that. This cannot be business as usual. They have killed a leader of MAGA in a most brutal way. And until you signal to our side that you're going to take this seriously, sure, you can find the killer and in that network and that will yield you something. I think at the end of the day, there has to be justice for Charlie and that will be it. But if you really want to help save this country, you'll dismantle those networks that are operational today. There is a Communist Party in this country. There is antifa, there is the Muslim Brotherhood, there are the Democratic Socialists of America. These people have networks, they have funding, they have operatives operating at a variety of levels that are, piece by piece, taking this country apart. Still today, the Trump administration, for all the good things it's done, is not doing this with the speed and diligence that's going to be required to actually make that a reality. I think Charlie was pointing to this. He understood this. And if we're going to honor his memory at all, we have to do the necessary steps to make sure that the American left is defunded. We're not going to silence anyone, but we're going to make sure that they're not breaking the law and that these networks are not going to, on a regular basis, be able to inspire these demons on the, on the left that are going to create this kind of violence, but that on a broader level, are operating within our government today to make sure that our freedoms are being abridged and that they're going to look to the future to make sure that they can win elections in 2026 and 2028. That was what made Charlie dangerous. Charlie understood all those things. What. And Brian, I asked you. We're going to go momentary, we're going to take a short commercial break in a moment and then come back and go right to the main stage. I think they'll be ready to kick things off for the prayer vigil tomorrow morning. What would you like? What are the top two or three things you would like President Trump and the administration to do, to start to dismantle this, to get serious about not just tracking down the assassins, but really the infrastructure underneath it, the financing underneath it. Because you can see from Luigi Manjoni to what's happening in New York with the Working People's Party and the dsa, there's a rise of dangerous radicalism in this country. What would you propose is done, sir? Well, between the Treasury Department and the FBI and the doj, there are how many billions of dollars being put into this political network that exists on the left? They need to track that down today. They need to bring in both Soroses for questioning today or tomorrow morning. But there better be lawyers today working on this to make sure that that's a reality. And look, you can't spend two or three billion dollars a year on these kind of operations without somebody know what's going on. We've got to fix the FBI. We've got to fix the doj. We've got to take these things seriously. Ask Scott Besant and his team to make sure that that money is not flowing to the wrong sources. Find out where the money is flowing, stop its flow today. And the President has to get his team in order right away. Brian Kennedy, you're going to hang with me, but what is your social media? I want to make sure everybody gets to your content. One of the smartest guys in the MAGA movement. Where do people go? On X it's Brian T. Kennedy one and on Getter it's Brian T. Kennedy. Thank you, Steve. Brian, hang around. Okay, we're gonna take a short commercial break. We're gonna go out with Nicole Nogrady's modern day Holy War. Kind of a prescient song, was it not? We're gonna return and go to the main stage at the Kennedy Concert hall where the prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk and our nation's capital all will commence. Back in a moment. All that you are, it's Sunday the 14th of September in the year of our Lord 2025. No one obviously thought last was it Thursday morning. And particularly when we tossed to the, we tossed to the Charlie Kirk show at noon from the worm that we done for years that on Sunday evening we would be in a prayer vigil in the temple of Secular Humanism, the Kennedy center in Washington D.C. with an overflowing massive crowd coming to a vigil for Charlie Kirk because of his assassination. Let's go to our own Ben Berkwam who's outside of the Kennedy center as the, as MAGA fills in. Ben, I think we're going to start a little late because it's going to take a while to get these folks in there, is it not, sir? Yeah, Steve, just to show you. So this was supposed to start right now, but the line just to get in here, it goes through these doors back here, General mission, the loops around the building inside comes out here, goes down to the end of the Kennedy building and then it comes all the way back and goes out the other side of the Kennedy building. So, so we're talking, I mean if they're wanting to start this thing with everyone inside, we're talking probably at least 20 minutes, half an hour and more people keep coming. We've got busloads of people that have come in just for this event. They've traveled in just for this event. So yes, it's incredible. Here's what's really incredible, Ben. You talk about the self organizing all over the world, from Korea, young kids in the streets of Korea chanting Charlie's name to, To Long island, to Hyde park, in, in the United Kingdom. This just came about. What, in the last 24 hours, you have buses of people coming in, they've chartered buses. And you have this massive crowd on a, on a Sunday afternoon of which NFL football and so many other things people have to do. So, so can you go online? Let's go, let's go talk to some of the, some of the war room posse that's out there. Yeah, I will. Before we do real quick though, I just want to touch on something. You asked Dave and you asked Nick. You can't. This idea of Kumbaya and with these guys, you can't Kumbaya with evil. You can't compromise with evil. That is what has gotten us to this point. It's why the Republican Party has fallen and it's why MAGA ascended. It's because we compromised with evil too long and now Charlie Kirk is dead because of it. Unless you want to die. That's the ultimate. That's what compromise with evil is. That's what compromise with, with the left is. It's choosing suicide. We cannot do that. But we have to do it in a righteous way. But let's go down here and just talk to some of the folks. Hold on, hold on, hold up. Ben, hang on one second. Ben, Ben, hang on one second. I want to follow up on that. You went and covered, you know, you were there with Charlie on the, on the recount in Arizona. You did all these turning point events. Mo went to all these turning point events. We went to many of them. We did live, you know, as you remember, you were there. We did live at all the big turning point events. Charlie Kirk. Here's what I tell people. Charlie Kirk was the most humble, decent, good man, one of the best I've ever met. If they're going to assassinate and gun down Charlie Kirk at 31 years old, a father loving husband with two small children, one what, three years old, the other one year old. They'll murder anybody they targeted. The best that we have to offer, the best this country has to offer. And that's what I say. There's no compromise. You can't compromise with that. These politicians on TV that say, oh, no, we need unity. There's nothing to unify with. There is nothing to unify. Unless you want to unify with evil. Unless you want to unify with demons and satanic powers, then tell me what you're unifying with this is not about unity. This is about victory. BEN BERQUO yeah, no, it's, you know, it's cliche now, but it's the Wilt Chamberlain, you know, it's peace in our time. That's what they're asking us to do. They're asking us to turn our backs and get shot in the back or stabbed in the back, and we won't do it. We've done it for too long. We've seen it too many times. I've been doing this. You've been doing this. I've been attacked. I've got the stitches and the spit in my mouth to prove it. I've been attacked in a hundred different ways by these people. And there is no compromise. In fact, there's not even any common ground. I started my action actually on college campuses as well, and I would go out and just try to find common ground. And for trying to do that, I was attacked. I had my MAGA hat stolen. I got beat over the head with sticks. You know, you look at that. And I had to make the choice early on in my career, was this worth it? Is it worth putting my life on the line to do this fight? And ultimately, I came down to, I have to. I'm a husband and a father. I'm the protector of my wife and my children. I have to do this. It's what God has called me to do, to be that protector in my family and the protector for this nation. If we don't do it, if the men of this nation don't rise up and stand up and say, no more, not on our watch, we're not having it. Yeah, we follow the God of the New Testament and the Old Testament, and there's a time for righteousness. There's a time for mercy, but there's also a time for wrath. We follow God's word in that. But ultimately, it's the men's job, the protectors of this nation to stand up and fight this fight. Ben, let's get some. Let's get to some of the posse and some of the MAGA movement folks that are in line. We're going to go down the line now. You don't have to say it. I know it's a tough day, but we're trying to find out what Charlie meant to you and what this night means to you. Moms for Liberty.
- [83:03]
Steve Bannon
I'm Moms for Liberty, Cumberland county chapter chair, and Charlie Kirk was the leader of a movement that started almost everything for all of us. Other movements that we joined up Together. And he meant everything to us. And I'm. I want to say a Bible verse that's what a verse. It's Romans 8. 28. For all things work together for good to them that love the Lord, for those who are called according to his purpose. And he was called for this purpose. And I'm going to rejoice that he is in heaven with his heavenly Father. And I'm going to rejoice because I believe our country is at a turning point. And I think people are going to see Jesus more than ever and be unafraid to speak because of Him.
- [83:49]
Ben Berkwam
God bless you.
- [83:50]
Steve Bannon
Yeah, God bless you. Charlie Kirk reminded me a lot of my son. He the same age as my son.
- [83:57]
Ben Berkwam
My son had passed away when he was 22.
- [83:59]
Steve Bannon
But the boldness that Charlie Kirk had to preach the gospel, everything he talked about, he segued into the gospel. And that, to me, was like, so powerful. And it just shows that we need to be bold as Christians.
- [84:12]
Ben Berkwam
We need to speak out.
- [84:13]
Steve Bannon
We need to use our voice to reach people for Jesus Christ. And that. That, to me, was. Makes him the martyr that he was. His life seemed to exemplify everything that he preached. And I just. It is a sad loss, but what it has stirred up, what the.
- [84:36]
Ben Berkwam
Movement.
- [84:37]
Steve Bannon
That this has created, I just pray that those that have listened to him will take heed to his most earnest plea to them. And that is, seek Christ. Seek Jesus Christ. Find out who he is. If this many people are talking about him, you ought to know who he is. Find out who he is. He's everything he's ever promised to be. And Jesus Christ is alive. If Jesus is alive, then Charlie Kirk is alive and Jesus Christ is alive. So Charlie Kirk is alive, and I will see him again. And I thank God for that, for that assurance. My answer is very quick. I am not a perfect messenger. A lot of us aren't. We're all sinners. But Charlie Kirk has reminded me how.
- [85:25]
Ben Berkwam
Important it is to share the gospel.
- [85:27]
Steve Bannon
And to love like Jesus and to just tell people about Jesus. And I want to make sure my son knows that and make sure I grow him and let him become that kind of man, that he shares the gospel with others as well. Because everything else is not a kingdom issue. But that is. And we're grateful to Charlie for showing us how to do that with grace. Thank you for doing this.
- [85:50]
Ben Berkwam
What's your son's name?
- [85:51]
Steve Bannon
This is Grant.
- [85:51]
Ben Berkwam
Grant. Lord, we just place a special blessing on Grant on all the young people of this nation. Lord, bless and keep them make your face to shine upon them. Be gracious unto them and raise grant and this next generation up into the warriors that you'd have them to be. In Jesus name. Amen.
- [86:07]
Steve Bannon
Thank you, Lord.
- [86:08]
Ben Berkwam
Thank you. Amen.
- [86:09]
Steve Bannon
Thank you.
- [86:10]
Ben Berkwam
You guys want to jump in? What Charlie meant to you, why you're here today. No pressure, but thank you.
- [86:16]
Steve Bannon
You're welcome. Sure. Thanks.
- [86:21]
Ben Berkwam
No pressure. We are live.
- [86:22]
Steve Bannon
Oh, no, no, no, you're good. I mean, Charlie means my generation. I'm 32, so we. I follow him since we both. Since he started and we were both growing up through college, which is a really hard time for a lot of young people.
- [86:36]
Ben Berkwam
And he.
- [86:37]
Steve Bannon
To me, he means that we can share who we are and what we believe. And unfortunately, he was not able to share that in a way that everyone accepted, but he shared it with an astounding amount of people. And his legacy is going to live on forever.
- [86:54]
Ben Berkwam
What's your name? Where are you from from?
- [86:55]
Steve Bannon
My name is Jessica and I'm from Alabama.
- [86:57]
Ben Berkwam
Did you come just for this?
- [86:59]
Steve Bannon
No, I'm. No, I was already here, but glad to be able to attend this event.
- [87:03]
Ben Berkwam
God bless you, Steve. Just look at this line. It's everybody. You got young people, you got their families, you got parents, you got kids, you got grandparents, you got everybody. The amount of people that Charlie Kirk touched, the ripples we will never see. We'll never know the end until we get to heaven, but it's incredible. Ben, Ben, hold right there. That commentary is better than anything we've had. So you just stick right there. Hang on. We're gonna take a short commercial break. We're gonna return in a moment. We're gonna go to the Kennedy Center. We're gonna start a little late, as you can tell, because of the overwhelming number of people. I don't know how they're gonna get into the concert hall. I think they'll have an overflow room because there are thousands and thousands and Thousands. They had 3,000 in advance. Looks like many more have shown up. We're going to show everything, of course. Take a short commercial break. Ben's going to return. We're going to return to outside. The best commentary so far has been by, guess what, maga. Just people right there. Self organizing. Short commercial break. We're in return to the Kennedy center for the prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk. Let's show you what st start a little late, but that's okay. This is the kind of night that you hope never ends. Short break. Back in a moment. Cause I think you changed already. You Went and lost your pride. But I'm American made. I got American power. I got American faith in America's heart. Okay, right there you see the stage, very simple, Charlie Kirk's bagpipes. That's a very simple stage with a podium, two American flags, a small flower arrangement. To the left is a photo of Charlie and his family. And to the right is a photo of Charlie and the President of the United States. Very, very, very simple, very powerful. Really want to give a hat tip to the Turning Point team that put this together and did it so classy. We have literally thousands of people outside and we're going to get them all in. I'm sure they're going to use an overflow, probably the opera house there. It will fill up two of the major theaters in the Kennedy Center. Think about that for a second. Let's go to have David Zier. I think I have David Zier inside the center. Is David Zier there? Not. Okay, David Zier's inside. He's got some people to interview. Let's go back outside to Ben Berkwam. Ben, who do you have for me? These are the best interviews we've had all day. So let's keep rolling. Yeah, tell me your name, where you're from. Hi, my name is Rafi Rubino. I am from Rockville, Maryland, local DMV, D.C. area person. Yeah. And what did Charlie mean to you? What does Turning Point mean to you? Well, I, there are, there's a lot of things I could use to describe Charlie Kirk and Turning Point usa. But I'll just keep it concise and brief. So to start off with, I was very honored since I transferred from, for some context, I transferred from Purdue and Charlie Kirk was one of the, he spoke at Purdue and my friends, left center, right, we all had a great time. Like, even though he didn't disagree with all the more left leaning friends, didn't disagree with a lot of what he had to say, we all respected his time, effort and commitment to help unify our nation. So that, that's what he really meant, unifying this nation. And it's, it's important. And for some of the personal struggles I faced, he was truly is an inspiration to me and lots of my peers and people throughout the world. So. Yeah. God bless you, man. All right, appreciate you. Thank you. Steve. We got the line coming here. I just want to show this real quick. You know, this is what it's all about. It's about families, young people. You got the next generation down here. Where are you guys from?
- [91:28]
Steve Bannon
Virginia.
- [91:29]
Ben Berkwam
Virginia, what brings you out? Why does this matter so much to you? Yeah, I mean, I've never personally met Charlie, but I don't know, it's just having seen it just you can feel, you know, it just, it resonated. And I just had to go pay tribute to him. And the stuff I was watching, it just kind of made me feel like I had to go say because I don't think we're ever gonna see, not for a while, someone who is like influential and impactful like Charlie was. So I just take this moment to such a moment in history to go and be a part of how much does it matter for your daughter to be able to raise her up in conservative, not this woke craziness that's going on in college campuses? Yeah, I was actually thinking about that. I mean, she's just nine months, but like in like five years when she starts this or four years when she starts school, I just really want her to be a part of like an environment that's healthy for her to grow up in. And it's just like you're saying like some of the ideologies of like the wokeness is just. I don't know that I want her to be a part of that. So I were thinking about putting her in like a school through our church instead of going to public. So that's what we. We homeschool. I can't, I can't recommend that more highly, but God bless you guys. Thank you. About you guys, young. So we're trying to what what Charlie meant to you. What tp you can't be interviewed. Okay. No stress. I love, I love the flowers. Can you. Where's he going? Real America's Voice News. Steve. Actually Charlie Kirk's channel. Yes.
- [92:54]
Steve Bannon
Okay, I'll speak. Hi, Jordan. I'm a senior at the George Washington University studying communications and marketing. I'm from New York City, where I grew up indoctrinated in a very democratic ideologies and way of minds. And coming here in D.C. and seeing so many different political views and so many people with so many different opinions.
- [93:13]
Ben Berkwam
Really allowed me to open up and.
- [93:15]
Steve Bannon
Understand there's a different side to politics and it's okay to have a different opinion.
- [93:19]
Ben Berkwam
Thank you. God bless you. I think that's the bottom line. And when I say Charlie Kirk channel. Charlie Kirk was on our channel. Real America's Voice News, obviously TP USA is their own event. We've got more people coming through here. Steve. Just the beautiful kids. This again. This is what it's about. As A dad. This is what it's about. Why does this matter so much to you guys?
- [93:38]
Steve Bannon
It's her future. We're so excited for this movement and all the people here, all the young people here.
- [93:43]
Ben Berkwam
Do you think what the enemy meant for evil in murdering Charlie Kirk, do you think that's going to backfire and you're gonna have more young people raised? Right?
- [93:51]
Steve Bannon
Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. Evil never prevails, so we're excited. The devil overplayed his hand. Seen that all over Twitter. It's so. So well put.
- [94:00]
Ben Berkwam
Yeah. So where are you guys from?
- [94:02]
Steve Bannon
I'm from Texas, but families from D.C. yeah.
- [94:07]
Ben Berkwam
How about anyone else want to jump in? What this means, what Charlie meant to you, what Turning Point means? Why? Why it's worth coming out.
- [94:13]
Steve Bannon
I just used to watch him every day at noon on Real America Voice, and I just feel like a son is gone. So we're here to just show support.
- [94:24]
Ben Berkwam
Thank you for what you do, too. God bless you guys. You want to jump in? God bless what Charlie meant to your generation. I mean, just such a huge voice. I know a lot of my friends listen to him. I listen to him a lot. Saw him all over social media and, you know, you know, just someone who got conversations started, and that's really what we need now more than ever, is just to talk to one another and figure out ways to move forward. So. And he was obviously a huge catalyst of that, so thank you. Young man, you want to say why you're here, what Charlie Kirk meant to you? He was my idol. Like, I remember watching his videos, wanting to be like him. Like, I would just see the way he would debate, and he was. Stayed calm while the left was just yelling at him, and he was just so nice about it. And then they hated him so much because he. He knew. He knew he was right, but they just didn't want to admit it. So they ended up hating him, hitting him, and they just killed him for it. What's your name? How old are you? I'm Bryson Levy. I'm 14, man. God bless you. But where are you from? I'm from here. Oakton, man. I pray a blessing on Bryson. Ah, this whole generation, Lord, raise them up. Give them extra strength, extra power, wisdom, and favor. Lord, I just pray your angel armies go with Bryson everywhere you go, brother. That God makes you a man, a warrior for this generation. My man.
- [95:44]
Steve Bannon
Thank you.
- [95:46]
Ben Berkwam
What's your name? I'm Ben. God bless you, man. This is Steve. This is what it's about, man. You know, it breaks my heart because I'VE got young kids, too. And I think about his kids. And the thing that breaks my heart the most is my biggest fear. I've said this earlier, hard thing to say. My biggest fear is what happened to Charlie last week. That I leave my wife and my girls to fend for themselves, to not be able to protect them. And I think about that. I think about what Charlie, what he meant to his family. And it just breaks my heart. But, man, when you hear the impact that he has, and this is just the tip of the iceberg of the stories we're going to be getting, it's just. It's just true. Incredible. Come here. Come here, brother. Come here, you guys. Come here. I'll walk. I'll walk with you guys. Okay. Hey, Ben, tell me, what does this mean to you, brother? It means everything. Love. Love is the greatest force. And so this means love. This, this means not hate, not anger, not vitriol, not vengeance. Pure love. And everyone showing up, showing their love, that's what this means today. We can't go back to hatred. We can't go back to that. That solves nothing. We gotta be free and we gotta walk in this freedom. And the highest freedom, the Bible says, is love. And that's how we love our brother. Love? Yeah, love. Love, love. No greater love than this. Than a man lay down his life for his friends. It's the greatest love. And that's what Charlie did. I mean, I know he knew the chances and the risk of going, Going out here with thousands and thousands talking and giving his opinion. That's what it was it. Everyone had a chance to share their opinion. And so that's. That's love. Wow. Do you want to jump in this, ma'? Am? It's rare. It's rare. Bishop Leon Benjamin. God bless you. I love you. All right. Hey, hey. Yeah. You know what? Charlie basically came out authentically, spoke from spirit. And if anybody throughout this entire nation has learned one thing is always speak the truth. Tune into spirit, Be authentic. Come from a space of love, but don't shy away from speaking the truth. You're either 100% or you're zero. And that's where he operated from. And he was a good friend of mine. We did the border battles together. Remember the six part document series? Border battles. But he always was consistent, unwavering. His faith was 100% seated in the rock. This, this for us is a moment in history that he's got actually this whole thing put gat like fire in their gas tanks of the youth. So they're going to be unapologetic. They're not going to shy away from it. And this also to the politicians that like to play both sides sides and try to be vanilla about it. You're either lukewarm and God Christ said he'll spit you out or you speak the truth and don't worry about what it looks like. Cancel culture. The woke side of it is dead. It's over. So speak for step forward even more now fearless trusting God because he's got you 100 moment to moment to moment. Tune in spiritually because that's where we all operate from. Love the work you guys are doing. Keep spreading the truth and just this is how our legacy lives through all of us. Amen. Amen. Yes sir. This is it guys. And hang on for one second. Let's go to the stage actually started the musical presentation. Let's go ahead and Ben, just hang on for one second. I just want to go to the stage. Momentary let's go. And death could not hold you. The veil tore before you Silence the boat. The heavens are roll for you are raised to life again. You have no rival, you have have no equal now and forever yours is the king, yours is the name. Come on. Death cannot hold you. Death could not hold you. The venture is for you Silence the mouth. Heaven praising your glory.
- [101:01]
Steve Bannon
For you.
- [101:07]
Ben Berkwam
You have no rival and you have.
- [101:10]
Steve Bannon
No rival.
- [101:13]
Ben Berkwam
You have no king. Now it's yours is the kingdom, yours is the glory yours is. What a powerful name it is.
- [101:43]
Steve Bannon
What a powerful name it is the.
- [101:47]
Ben Berkwam
Name of Jesus Christ, my king. What a powerful name name it is and nothing can stand against. What a powerful name it is the name of Jesus. What a powerful name it is. Name of Jesus. What a powerful name it is the.
- [102:21]
Steve Bannon
Name name of Jesus. What a beautiful name it is.
- [102:36]
Ben Berkwam
What a beautiful name it is the name of Jesus Christ my king. What a beautiful name it is Nothing can stand against what a beautiful name it is the name of Jesus. Sam. Oh, keep singing till they start. And oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow no other found I know. Sing it out. Nothing in nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh precious when O precious is the flow and that makes me wide eyes that st. Of what can wash away what can wash away when what can wash away my sin? In nothing but. But the blood can make me whole and nothing but the blood of Jes. Precious Jesus. Oh precious. So precious is the flow that makes me white as snow no other found I know. In nothing but the blood of Jesus. I have decided to Follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus no turning back back no turning back Though none go with me Though none go with me Still I will follow Though none go with me Still I will follow Though none go with me Still I will fall no turning back no turning back the cross before me and the cross.
- [107:41]
Steve Bannon
Before me the world the cross before.
- [107:51]
Ben Berkwam
Me the the world behind me the cross before me the world behind me no turning back into Come on. I have decided Come on, sing it with me. I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus I have.
- [108:30]
Steve Bannon
Decided.
- [108:33]
Ben Berkwam
To follow Jesus no turning back no turning Come on. Just. Your voice is the same this song. I have decided to follow Jesus I.
- [108:54]
Steve Bannon
Have decided.
- [108:57]
Ben Berkwam
To follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus no turning back no turning back and no turning back no turning back no turning back no turning back Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Micah Ray, who will open tonight's service in prayer. Well, thank you all for your patience with us and getting this going. We are absolutely honored that you would be here tonight. And the large crowd speaks volumes for our brother and our friend, Charlie Kirk. Would you all pray with me now as we begin this memorial vigil? Our loving heavenly Father, we come before you tonight with heavy hearts mourning the loss of our dear friend and brother, Charlie Kirk. But we also rejoice in knowing that he is with you and has heard those sweet words. Well done, good and faithful servant. Lord, we thank you for his life, his bold faith, the witness he bore for you and all that he did. We're grateful for the way that. That he pointed others to Christ and lived with courage and conviction to fight for truth. Father, will you lift up his wife, Erica, his children, his family and friends? Would you surround them with your comfort and peace? Would you hold them close in this time of grief and give them strength that only you can provide? Your word reminds us in Psalm 34:18. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Saves those who are crushed in spirit. Be that refuge and strength for them now. Lord. And Lord, we thank you for all those who have come out tonight to honor him, Many who have traveled far, especially our special guests who took from their busy schedules to honor Charlie. Lord, may everyone here tonight be lifted up and encouraged by this gathering. We pray that this memorial will run smoothly, become a real source of comfort to those here in person and watching online. And most of all, may I honor Charlie's memory, bring hope to his family and friends, and may his life and testimony stir us to live with the same kind of bold Faith, courage to speak truth, and commitment to what's right, just like he did. Lord, we know that he would want one message to come from this event, and that would be that those who do not know you as a personal savior would draw to him and call on him Now. He wants to bring those to him. Lord, we know that the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. That was Charlie's hope that he carried every day. The good news that no matter what, our past forgiveness and eternal life are offered freely through Christ. Lord, we know that. That Charlie knew that this life is precious and often shorter than we expect. And that's why he lived with urgency, to point others toward what mattered most, a real and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As Charlie himself said, give your life to Jesus and he will rescue you. As he reminded us, our hope is not talking about politics or success or even the good that we can do. It's only found in Jesus Christ. And that hope is available to all tonight. Charlie once said recently, Jesus defeated death so that we can live. So tonight, as we honor Charlie's memory, may we also take heart to the message of his life. Let's choose to walk with that same courage, to love people deeply, to stand boldly for truth. And most importantly, Lord, would we anchor our lives on you. And it's your son's holy name we pray. Amen. Please rise and join retired Colonel Mark Shirley for the Pledge of Allegiance. Good evening. Please join me as we recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag in the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you so much. Please remain standing as we enter into worship, led by Sean Voight. Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I found Was blind but now I sin Twas grace Twas grace that taught my heart to feel and grace my fears really how precious is that peace of.
- [115:40]
Steve Bannon
Being.
- [115:42]
Ben Berkwam
Through many dangers through many dangers we've already come and grace will lead me home We've been there when we've been mountainous right? And sh to sing God's praise And when we first began Amazing grace How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I was blind but now I see. You're worthy of it all. You're worthy of it all. For for from you are all things and to you are all things you deserve the glory. Come on, lift it up. You're worthy of it all. You are worthy of it all. For from you are all things and to you are all things you deserve. Come on. Name above all names. You're the name above all Name is our God.
- [118:53]
Steve Bannon
You're the name and you're the name.
- [118:58]
Ben Berkwam
Name above you are worthy of. Pray when my heart will sing how great. Come on, sing it. How great, how great and how great is our God. Sing with me. How great is our God. I will sing how great, how great our God. Come on, one more time. Sing it. How great and how great is our God. Sing with me. How great.
- [120:07]
Steve Bannon
Is our God.
- [120:10]
Ben Berkwam
Oh, see? How great, how great is our God.
- [120:21]
Steve Bannon
Come on.
- [120:21]
Ben Berkwam
Name above all names. Name above all names in my is our God. Come on, one last time. You're the name, you're the name. You are in my heart. We'll see how great is our God. Please welcome Malia Shirley and Charlotte Perez, dear friends of Charlie Kirk and former Turning Point team members. With tonight's welcoming remarks.
- [122:02]
Steve Bannon
Please feel free to have a seat. Good evening, everyone. My name is Malia Shirley. And I'm Charlotte Perez. We want to thank everyone for gathering with us tonight to celebrate the life and legacy of the one and only Charlie Kirk. We also want to to thank President of the Kennedy Center, Ambassador Rick Grenell, and his amazing staff, without whom this event would not have been possible. When the horrific, tragic assassination of Charlie took place on Wednesday, we were devastated, as were millions across the country and the world. As I'm sure many of you have seen. Vigils, prayer services and memorials started popping up everywhere, completely organically. We kept waiting to hear of one that was going to be happening in the D.C. area and at as patience is not the strongest virtue that either of us possess. By Thursday evening, we were going stir crazy and knew we had to do something. That's when we banded together to do what Turning Point quite literally trained us for. To plan a massive event like this with all but 48 hours notice. Truly to honor one of the greatest men that we've ever known. Another thank you to the over 80 volunteers who were made up of friends, Turning Point alum, and those simply inspired by Charlie to get involved and lend a hand. It takes an army to pull off something like this. And thankfully, over the past decade, that's exactly what Charlie has built. Exactly one year ago today, I stood with Charlie Kirk on campus at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. We were still pushing to get winner take all passed in the Nebraska legislature before the 2024 election. He texted me yet again 48 hours beforehand, simply saying, hey, if I come to the game Saturday, can we do a pop up winner take all rally outside of the stadium? And of course, as one does whenever Charlie asks for something, of course we'll make it happen. And we did. When he showed up to a campus, a crowd of 300 to 400 students greeted him, wanting selfies, their MAGA hat signed, or to answer one of his man on the street questions in front of the film crew. I met Charlie for the first time back in 2014 when I was only a freshman in college trying to start a Turning Point USA chapter on my own campus. We really got to know each other in 2017 when that same campus in Nebraska had professors and administrators harassing and yelling profanities at our chapter leader there. We of course got video footage of the insanity, sent it to Charlie immediately, and his response was, oh, we're gonna make these people famous. And we did. If there was any doubt, I've planned a lot of events over the years, both with and for Charlie. From debates with theology professors and campus class tours, to county party fundraisers and pop up rallies. It was incredible to witness the growth of Turning Point USA under his leadership. We went from having to all but bribe people to attend our events on campus because it was not yet cool to be a conservative in politics, to having to turn people away at events because we reached max capacity with very little promotion. The one thing I never imagined, though, was that this would be the last event that I planned for him. I owe a lot in my life to Charlie Kirk, as I know so many do. His ability to invest in you, bring out the best in you and push you to be better and work harder is unmatched. People like him only come along once in a generation. I'm a better person for knowing him. And we're a better. We're a better country because of him. Echoing everything Malia just said. Our country would look very different today if it wasn't for Charlie Kirk. What started as a small get together on the Washington Monument quickly became very much bigger. We are honored to have so many amazing speakers here with us tonight who knew Charlie well and wanted the opportunity to share their personal, close stories with him. As I'm sure many of us have. In one way or another, we are all connected by Charlie Kirk. Your emcee for the evening will be someone who is very near and dear to my heart from the great state of Arizona, State Senator Jake Kaufman. Jake has known Charlie for over a decade. And has been an integral part in the building and growth of Turning Point. We thank all of you for taking time out of your very busy schedule, especially on such short notice, to help us honor the life and legacy of Charles James Kirk. And with that, our program will officially begin.
- [128:45]
Ben Berkwam
Ladies and gentlemen, there are plenty of people looking for seats. If you have any seats to open, please, please go move together so we can have everyone sit. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Arizona State Senator and longtime friend of Charlie Kirk, Senator Jake Hoffman. Well, I gotta just say this is a beautiful sight because this is exactly what Charlie would want to see right now. This coming together of young and old, of our nation's leaders. Some of the most powerful people on planet Earth are in this room tonight. All because Charlie had an indelible impact on their lives, the same way that he had on your lives. You know, there's a lot of thank yous for tonight. I'll just echo what they said. Thank you to Ambassador Grinnell and the Kennedy center staff. I want to thank a specific group of four people who helped make tonight possible. And that Charlotte Perez, who you just saw, Malia Shirley, Mike Arraya. And there was so many more than that. But those three put in countless hours of work to make tonight possible. I want to thank all of you. I want to thank everyone in this room that took time out of their schedule to be here. I want to thank Speaker Johnson for being here, all of the White House administration officials that are here, and we know there are two special individuals in that big, beautiful White House that care about Charlie Kirk, don't we? President Donald J. Trump and Vice President J.D. vance. Love Charlie Kirk just like you love Charlie Kirk. We have over 85 members of Congress here tonight to honor Charlie Kirk. We have national conservative leaders that flown in on a moment's notice just to be a part of this. And to honor the life and legacy and the impact of Charlie Kirk. We have grassroots from all over the D.C. and Virginia and Maryland areas. Thank you all. I saw buses out there. Anybody who came on a bus, God bless you for doing that. And this impact here tonight goes so much bigger than just what you see in this room, because we had every network beg us to live stream this. And so we have foxes providing pool coverage. And there are millions of people that will be watching along with us. Now, this. This is a prayer vigil. And so bow your heads with me, because I want to offer up some words for the night. Dear Heavenly Father, Jesus, we love you and we know that Charlie Kirk loved you dearly. God we know that you have a plan for our lives. We know that your plan is perfect. And the peace that I have been finding these last few days. God. Is that Charlie Kirk, when he sat down at that table, when he picked up that microphone, he knew that no matter what happened, your plan was perfect. God, I pray that you will be with the Kirk family. I pray that you will be with Erica and those little babies. God, just bless them, because this week they lost a husband and they lost a dad. God. But we know that Charlie wants us to celebrate, not just mourn. And so we come to you tonight and we ask that you would let this be an honor to his legacy and that we would celebrate him all the like in your name. Amen. So with that in mind, because, friends, we are mourning, but we are also celebrating an incredible life. From South Korea to London, Charlie Kirk has had an impact. From student campuses to the White House, Charlie Kirk has had an impact. So I gotta ask you, if you are in here and you are under the age of 35 and Charlie Kirk touched your life, let's hear you. You know, there's a motto going around the Turning Point offices right now, and that's one. We are all Charlie Kirk now. You are all Charlie Kirk now. Charlie Kirk sacrificed his life defending our civil liberties to engage in free and open and honest debate. Charlie Kirk, you know, I know a different side of this man. I've known Charlie for a very long time, since he was a Chicago boy who was trying to figure out whether he was going to make the move to D.C. as he grew his organization, or whether he was going to move to the heartland. And it was a. It was his right hand man, Tyler Boyer. Tyler Boyer has been by his side since day one. And he convinced Charlie and they decided that it was better to move to the Hart heartland because everyday Americans were who were going to save this country. It was going to be the people that live on Main street, not the people that perpetually run for office. You know, 2019, it was new Year's Day. And most people on New Year's Day are, you know, waking up slow and having breakfast because they probably stayed up too late the night before. And I get a frantic text from Charlie Kirk and he says, jake, you got to come to the office. We're having a team meeting to strategize for the next three years. Yes, sir. Because that's what you do with Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk is a personality. He was a personality that when he asked you to do something, you knew in your bones that he knew what he was talking about because his convictions, they weren't driven by personal ambitions. They weren't driven by a desire for celebrity. They weren't driven by a desire for fame or for power or influence or for money. Charlie cared about the principles of America. He cared about the history of America. And he built an organization with people like Tyler by his side, many, many others, thousands of others by his side. He built an organization to give you a voice. And so I hope that tonight this will be an honor to him. I hope that we can do him right by this service. God bless you all. And I want to welcome up Speaker Mike Johnson. Please welcome the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson. Thank you. All right. Thank you all so much. It does my heart good to see you. And they hear that all the way in heaven. I'm telling you, it's been a very, very difficult week in America. We all know that. It's been a mixture of unspeakable sadness and grief and anger and even fear. It's as if a dark shadow was cast over our country. And certainly here, even on Capitol Hill, the leaders of the nation have been shaken, as have university students and college students and young people all across the country. It's as if the ground was shifted beneath us. We all felt it deep, deep inside. And in spite of that, we remember that our dear friend Charlie would never want us to be overcome by despair. He would want exactly the opposite. You know, Charlie Kirk recruited and trained and educated a generation of happy warriors. And we do well to be reminded that the best way to honor his memory and honor his unmatched legacy. Legacy is to live as Charlie did. That's right. I just have two thoughts in a very brief moment, I'm given to speak to you tonight. I just want to give you two thoughts in that regard. If we can do two things that Charlie did, we will honor that legacy. One is to advance his principles, and the other is to adopt his approach. Now, regarding his principles, Charlie was a man of deep faith and conviction. Everyone here can testify to that, and all the speakers will tonight. I mean, he meant it to his core. He was authentic, and that's what drew people to the message so much. And he believed in the things that are noble and praiseworthy and good that scripture talks about. He believed in family and freedom, faith and virtue and. And patriotism. See, Charlie understood that we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. It's not even close. I don't care what anybody argues. And Charlie could beat them. All. We're the most, we're the most free, most successful, most powerful, most benevolent nation that has ever been on the earth. And Charlie understood why. And he wanted others to understand it as well. Because Charlie knew that if you don't understand the source of your freedom, it is easy for it to be taken away. Charlie believed in the creed of our country, which we will celebrate our 250th anniversary next year. Charlie love to take university students and young people through the second paragraph, the Declaration. We hold these truths to be self evident. By the way, students, what is a self evident truth? It's something that's obvious. We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal. Not born equal, created equal. That's what Charlie knew. And Charlie knew that because of that. Because what the founders said, what they articulated, that God created us. He's the one that gave us our inalienable rights. Charlie Kirk stood for the principle and he shared it everywhere he could. Our rights do not derive from the state or a king. They come from the king of kings. Charlie also taught so effectively, he did it as well as anybody in his generation, or possibly for many generations, that the other principles that come from that, what the founders do and when they put this country together, this grand experiment in self governance, they understood that we are made in the image of God. And because of that. That's right, because of that, Charlie knew and he believed it. And you could see, see it in how he, he advanced this ministry of his. He knew that because we're all made in the image of God, every single person has inestimable dignity and value. And your value is not related in any way to the color of your skin or what zip code you live in, where you go to school. It's irrelevant. Your value is inherent because it is given to you by God. That's what Charlie Kirk believed. That's what Charlie Kirk. If we could advance those principles that Charlie advanced, we'll be able to save this great republic. And that's what he was all about. But we should also adopt his approach. See, Charlie loved a vigorous debate, but he loved people more. Charlie. That's right, Charlie. Charlie was never motivated by hate. I mean, he could clean the sock of anybody in a debate, we all know it. But you know what he did after those debates? He was always the first person to reach out a hand of friendship or to offer an arm around the shoulder of someone who he felt was lost. Because in many places, in many cases, the people he was debating were indeed lost. Not Just philosophically, but spiritually. And Charlie knew the truth and he knew that eternity awaits us all. We know exactly where Charlie is right now. That's right. Charlie had such faith and such, such belief, and he wanted to share that truth with others. And what he was trying to do is pull people back from the abyss, not just to save a country, but to save souls. That's what Charlie Kirk was about. And that, that will resonate. It goes far beyond him.
- [143:25]
Steve Bannon
It.
- [143:25]
Ben Berkwam
His legacy is immeasurable. I used to be a lawyer. I defended free speech and religious freedom and all that in the courts. And we talked a lot about advancing and preserving the free marketplace of ideas. I think Charlie Kirk offered more productive content, the free marketplace of ideas than anyone in its generation and arguably in the last hundred years of U.S. history. I could go on and on, but I'm out of time because you have a lot of great people to hear from tonight. Everybody has a story about Charlie and they're all worthy to be shared. And I would know we'll be doing that for many days to come. I just leave you with a thought. Edmund Burke. It's attributed to him. And Charlie knew this quote. Well, he was my friend. We talked about these things. He reminded young people all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Charlie Kirk did so much in his short life that he spurred that on in other people. He inspired it in other people. And that message and that truth will go more boldly now than it did while he was here. It will go forward with power and strength. That's it. I've been asked to offer a brief word of prayer, so if you would do that with me. Heavenly Father, we come to you tonight in sadness, but also with grateful hearts because we know that your truth endures. We know where our dear brother and friend Charlie is. We thank you that he is receiving his reward and that he's heard those words that we all aspire to hear. Well done, good and faithful servant. Father, help us to remember the principles of your word that Charlie worked every day to advance. That we do not return evil for evil, but we overcome evil with good. And we pray that you bless our friend and brother's legacy, that it goes on, roars on throughout the nation that you pray and encourage and inspire. Erica, the children, the Kirk family, the Turning Point staff, and all the volunteers and supporters, and every student around the nation who is already connected to this organization and the 18,000 plus inquiries that they received this week for new chapters. Heavenly Father, we pray that you Bless that in such a supernatural, exponential way that no one can explain it, but that your spirit has been involved. We pray and believe all this and we commit our great nation to you in Jesus name. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen, the White House Press Secretary, Caroline Lee. It.
- [146:42]
Steve Bannon
Good evening, everyone. Good evening. Please be seated. Thank you so much. It's such an honor to be here behind us podium. I'm very comfortable behind podiums and it's really comforting to be around so many good, faithful, God fearing people at a time when I know we are all still mourning. We're confused. We are angry over the assassination of a legendary American and a friend to so many in this room and so many across the country. Charlie Kirk, the presence of God. And he is a good God. As Erica Kirk so beautifully and powerfully stated, he is a good God. He is clearly present in this room tonight. You can feel the spirit moving and working in this room as we remember Charlie's life and his legacy. I have the honor of going to work every day at the White House as the press secretary for the 47th president of the United States, President Donald Trump. And I repeat that because I would not be in this position if not for the heroic efforts of Charlie Kirk, who turned the political tide among young people in this country and helped usher in President Trump's historic victory on November 5, 2024. And I know that point has been said over and over by so many over the last few days, but it's because that point is absolutely true. President Trump's win in November was fueled in no small part by the tireless work of Charlie, the Turning Point organization that he built from scratch out of a garage. The true essence of the American dream and the MAGA movement that he helped so many young people join. The important work that's being done every day right down the street from here at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that I witness to restore American greatness. It's happening in large part due to the blood, the sweat and the tears that Charlie poured into this movement, not just during the 2024 cycle, but all the way back to the founding of turning point 13 years ago. Charlie fundamentally believes in the potential and the promise of so many in this room, young, patriotic Americans. And he inspired millions of us across the country to get off the couch and to enter the political arena to fight for our nation's conservative values. And I, too, was one of those young people when I launched my campaign for Congress at just 23 years old during the 2022 midterm elections, most people in this town Pretty much all of the people in this town of Washington did not take me seriously. Charlie Kirk, however, did. Charlie in his political pac, Turning Point Action, immediately embraced me with open arms and endorsed my campaign. Charlie personally and his team would check in with me throughout the campaign. They asked how they could help. And when Washington Super PACs poured money into the coffers of my opponents campaigns, Charlie and Turning Point gave more to me to help me across the finish line. Charlie and his team flew me out to Arizona to introduce me to some of the biggest donors in Republican politics so I could fuel my race. Charlie welcomed me on stage to speak at the Student Action Summit in Florida to raise national awareness for my candidacy and to speak directly to young voters. And when most played it safe and stuck to the business as usual approach of the establishment Republican Party that no longer exists, Charlie looked. Charlie looked for the outsiders, the up and coming truth tellers with new ideas who weren't afraid to challenge the status quo. Just like President Trump, whom he loved so much. And I speak on behalf of the President when I say President Trump loved you, Charlie, so much too. When the President appointed me as White House Press Secretary, Charlie was one of the first people to reach out and congratulate me with genuine sincerity. I still have that text from him and I will keep it forever. Charlie Kirk was a maverick, an independent minded person who had the courage of his convictions. When so many influential voices in our society are brainwashing young people to abandon our faith, to stay single, not to have children, and to bash our country, Charlie Kirk offered us an alternative path. Charlie embraced our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and proclaimed the Gospel boldly and proudly. Charlie preached a message of faith to all who would listen. He encouraged young people to get married and to have children. And as a young person who has done it, I encourage you to do that as well. It is the best thing in life. It is the ultimate legacy that we can leave in our most important mission on this earth. Charlie celebrated American exceptionalism. And as you heard from our great speaker of the House, he firmly believed and he proclaimed that America is the greatest country in the history of the world.
- [152:25]
Ben Berkwam
And that's why.
- [152:33]
Steve Bannon
And that's why we must continue to fight to protect her. Simply put, Charlie was a beaming light in a world that is so consumed by darkness, it's going to take all of us in this room and all of us across the country to take up Charlie's torch. Because that's exactly what he wants, would want us to do. We have to lean on our faith. Dig in and fight back harder than ever before for the beliefs and the convictions that Charlie Kirk gave his life for. That's how we'll honor his family, and that's how we will honor his legacy. If Erica Kirk, God bless her, could speak so powerfully in front of the entire nation just two days after her beloved husband was stolen from her in their two beautiful, precious children, then every single person in this room can rededicate themselves to the righteous cause of keeping America the greatest country in the history of the world. So as I continue to step before the White House podium, I will continue to to pray to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But starting tomorrow, every time I take that podium, I will think of Charlie Kirk. I will remain inspired by his courage and his conviction. And I will continue to speak the truth as Charlie did so well. I will leave you all with a scripture that feels so perfectly written for the time we are in. Romans 12:21. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil, which with good. We cannot allow evil to prevail in our beautiful country. We must all commit ourselves to doing good. Good for God, good for our families, and good for our nation. In that order. The order that Charlie always spoke about. May God bless you and keep all of you in this room. Thank you.
- [154:37]
Ben Berkwam
Please welcome the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gaffer.
- [155:08]
Steve Bannon
Aloha. In the book of Corinthians, Paul said, therefore, we are always of good courage.
- [155:24]
Ben Berkwam
And know that while we are at.
- [155:26]
Steve Bannon
Home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. We are of good courage, I say, and prefer to rather be absent from the body and be home with the Lord. Ultimately, for every one of us, the time that we have in this world is temporary. Our time will come sooner or later. And so the critical question that we have for ourselves is, whatever time we have, what are we doing with it? How are we making the most of every day that we have? Charlie Kirk, every single day, carried out his mission motivated by his faith in Jesus Christ and his unwavering dedication to defending our God given freedoms enshrined in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Because of his commitment and dedication, his impact here and around the world is profound. And it is a beautiful thing to see it playing out.
- [156:41]
Ben Berkwam
Now.
- [156:43]
Steve Bannon
Probably, like many of you, I had the privilege of joining Charlie at some of his different campus visits. And it was truly something to behold because he did things that no one else would do as I sat with him in the very first time. Huge crowd, thousands and thousands of, yes, students, but faculty members and people of all different ages. And the first two or three people who had stood in line waiting to say something to Charlie were very kind. And they thanked him for his work. They praised him. They talked about how he positively impacted their lives. It was powerful to witness and to see. But Charlie wasn't there for praise. He would call to the crowd and say, hey, who here disagrees with me? Come to the front of the line. He listened carefully to everyone. Even when others in the crowd booed whoever was speaking, he told them to be quiet and to let this person speak, to show them respect. And he engaged in that lively debate. He encouraged it, he welcomed it, and he inspired it in others, not belittling them, not arguing, just to argue, but to have a real, sincere dialogue. You know, I've said many times, and every soldier lives, this fact, this truth. I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death for your right to say it. Charlie lived by this principle. Charlie lived by the principle that no matter how horrible another person's speech may be, their ideas must be defeated by better ideas, not by resorting to violence. Charlie was killed on September 10. On September 11, we observed the 24th anniversary of the Islamist terrorist attack on our country 24 years ago. Now these events have something in common. They were both carried out by those who hold on to ideologies that cannot stand up to scrutiny and challenge. So they feel that their only recourse is to commit an act of violence, to silence those who oppose them and to intimidate and terrorize others into silence. This is the definition of terrorism. We cannot allow ourselves to be terrorized into silence. We need to live Charlie Kirk's example, the example that he set, that are captured by the words of Reverend Martin Luther King. Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. This was more than a quote from an icon in our past to Charlie. He lived this every day, and he inspired countless people around the world to do the same. And in the wake of this tragedy, this has been what, to me has been beautiful to see how today and, you know, Sunday football games all across the country, these teams were leading moments of silence, putting pictures of Charlie up on the big screen, having a flyover with the flags flying at half staff to honor the impact of Charlie's life, how he positively inspired countless people, and how it's up to us to continue Charlie's legacy. It's time for us every day in how we engage with others to choose to live. Aloha, love, respect.
- [161:11]
Ben Berkwam
You know, from my.
- [161:11]
Steve Bannon
Home state of Hawaii. The reason why we greet each other with the word aloha is because of its deeply spiritual meaning. It doesn't actually mean hello or goodbye. We greet each other with aloha because what we are really saying when we say aloha is I see you as a child of God and I respect you as such. It is to recognize that God is all powerful and God's love is all powerful. Love is not weak. Respect for others is not weak. There is nothing more powerful than love. Living aloha, living that love and respect. It doesn't mean being a pastor. Pacifists are rolling over when our ideas are challenged or when our freedoms are under attack. Actually, it's the exact opposite. It means standing up, fueled by love, to defeat hate, to defeat that evil and that darkness, and to speak the truth and defend our fundamental freedoms that are granted to us by God. Charlie lived this. Charlie embodied this. And Charlie changed hearts and minds of countless people around the world because he made a conscious choice every day to choose love. I had a friend of mine who sent me a text the day after Charlie was killed, really distraught, and she said, what do we do now? I know the answer should be love. The answer should be peace. But Charlie tried that and it didn't work. And my response to her was, no, it did work powerfully, and that's why they killed him. We look at the movement that Charlie inspired around the world. Love, truth, freedom. Turning to God in good times and hard times. Not asking God what he will do for us. But as Charlie said, quote, I am far more interested in what God wants from me than what I want from God. He said, my prayer is very simple, God, use me for your will. If only 10 of us committed ourselves to continuing Charlie's mission, that alone would be incredible. To be that fertilizer and that water that will help spread this light that is inspired by God's love. But there are far more than 10 of us. There are countless people, countless people around the world, speaking different languages, have different backgrounds, different views and opinions, who are eager to carry on Charlie's mission to spread this light inspired by God's love, which will also expose those who are trying to shut down free speech, trying to silence us through violence, intimidation and terrorism. It will expose them for who they are and the hollowness and emptiness and weakness of the ideas that they present. So while we will miss Charlie dearly, our hearts should not be broken because we are confident that Charlie is at home with the Lord, embraced in the loving arms of Jesus Christ to whom he dedicated his life. Those who are full of anger and hopelessness and hate right now, some of them protesting outside this hall today, unfortunately they do not have the spiritual happiness that Charlie experienced. They're empty. And this is where their anger is coming from. It is their rejection of God, their desire to be God. And therefore they have made God their enemy. I have hope today that every one of us will do our best to shine the light of God's love in our lives and in our work. That we will treat each other with aloha respect and stand strong and unshakable in the defense of our God given rights and freedoms. May God bless you all. May God bless this great nation. Aloha.
- [166:52]
Ben Berkwam
Now joining us, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. SA Yesterday, my 17 year old niece left for Europe to go to college. And while she was packing, her mother, Amaryllis, my daughter in law, noticed that she had put a Bible in her suitcase. And Amaryllis was curious about it and she asked her and Zoe said to her, I want to live like Charlie Kirk. There are millions and millions of kids around the country who he inspired, who now want to live with Charlie Kirk. And that's a great thing for our country. I met Charlie for the first time in July of 20 2001. I went on his podcast and I think we approached each other with a lot of trepidation at that time. But by the end of the podcast we were soulmates. We were his spiritual brothers and we were friends. And over the next couple of years our friendship blossomed. He ended up being, being the primary architect of my unification with President Trump, which I, which I did my endorsement at his rally at the Turning Point rally in Scottsdale. He was the one who put the sparklers on the stage when I, when I shook it. He made a big show of it. But the overarching mission of Charlie Kirk was Jesus and also free speech. And he saw them as intertwined. He thought conversation was the only way we were going to heal our country. We had to learn to talk to each other without vitriol, without poison, without anger. We had to be able to listen to ideas, we had to be able to say what we mean without being mean and to talk to each other across this divide, the only way. And the polarization that's driven now by these algorithms and by all these other forces, forces in our society. And that first conversation with him that I had, we talked a lot. We had a wide ranging conversation. We talked mainly about the First Amendment. We talked about the fact that our founders put freedom of speech in the first Amendment because all the other rights are dependent on it. A government that can silence its opponents has license for any kind of a trial. We were specifically talking about what happened during the pandemic. Once the government figured out that we would put up with the censorship, they went after the entire Constitution immediately. They immediately took away our right to assembly, the first Amendment right with social distancing regulations. They shut down the first Amendment right to worship by closing all of our churches for almost a year, keeping the liquor stores open as essential businesses. They went after our fifth Amendment right to our property rights. They closed down three and a half businesses with no due process, no trust compensation. They went after our seventh Amendment right to jury trials by making whole categories of businesses that we could no longer sue no matter what they did to us. They went after the fourth Amendment right, the protection against unwarranted searches and seizures, with all these social distancing regulations that made us have to produce our medical records before we went to a public building or an airplane or enjoyed other constitutional rights. And Charlie, more than any figure in our country, led the resistance that has restored freedom of speech to this country. And he built this movement, you, which is going to make sure that that never, ever happens again. When my brother David died, I had a conversation with my mother, who had been through more than her share of loss and tragedy. And I said, I asked her, I said, does the hole that they leave in you when they die, does it ever get any smaller? And she said, no, it never gets any smaller. But our job is to build ourselves bigger around the hole. We do that. We do that by taking the best virtues and character traits of the person that we lost and using discipline and restraint and practice, integrating those character traits into our own character. And in doing that, we make ourselves larger and the whole gets proportionally smaller. We also give that person a kind of immortality because they are now living on. The best parts of them are now living on in us. In one of my conversations, and Charlie was a target rich environment for virtues. We can all think of something extraordinary that his love of family, his love of God, his love of freedom of speech, his reverence for this country, his belief that we are an exemplary nation, we are unique in history, we're the only nation with this kind of constitution. In Europe, they don't have free speech anymore. We have it here. And we are the beacon for humanity for the rest of the world.
- [174:24]
Steve Bannon
And all of those.
- [174:36]
Ben Berkwam
All of those visions, his vision his mission to preserve those things, his kindness. His kindness in talking to people with whom he disagreed, are all things that we need to learn and we need to integrate into our own lives. As Tulsi said, we need to reach out with love to the people who. On the other side, who are asleep and who are too frightened and too panicked and too controlled to understand what they are losing. And we need to protect those things until they wake up. And I had a conversation once with Charlie where we were talking about the danger that we both face from challenging entrenched interests. And he asked me if I was scared to die. And I said to him, there's a lot worse things than dying. And one of those, chief among us, is losing our constitutional rights and having our children raised in slavery. And I said to him at that time, I said, sometimes our only consolation is that we can die with our boots on. We can die fighting for these things. Charlie gave his life so that the rest of us would not have to suffer those fates worse than death. Now it's our job, he's no longer there, to lead us, to rush in and fill the breach and win this battle for our country, for God, and for our families. Thank you all for that. Please welcome the senior Advisor for the U.S. agency for Global Media, Carrie Lake.
- [177:16]
Steve Bannon
Oh, wow. Charlie, you can still draw a crowd. And I know that if Charlie were to be told, wow, you filled up Kennedy center tonight. He said, it wasn't me, it was God. Boy, I miss Charlie. I will say that he would be. He'd have a couple criticisms tonight. He'd say, where are the smoke machines? Where's the confetti? Where are the sparklers? When Bobby Kennedy took the stage.
- [177:59]
Ben Berkwam
Because.
- [177:59]
Steve Bannon
Charlie knew how to put on a show to spread the message of Jesus Christ, he really did. You know what? There's a. In the book of Genesis, there's a Bible quote that says in so many words, it's actually a little easier to understand if I put it in modern language, what the enemy meant for harm, God will use for good, and God.
- [178:29]
Ben Berkwam
Is using Charlie Kirk for good.
- [178:40]
Steve Bannon
I'm heartbroken about Charlie's loss. 31, and somebody took his life. I got the call on Wednesday. I was working, and a friend of mine called and said, is Charlie okay? I heard he was shot. I said, charlie, who couldn't have been Charlie. Charlie Kirk. And I got on. Of course. I went to Twitter. Like, how many of you went to Twitter? To Twitter? And I saw a clip of people running, and I thought, that doesn't look good. That doesn't look good. I knew Charlie was starting up this amazing movement where he was going to go campus to campus to talk about America and what's happening in America, which is so amazing and so powerful, and talk to people who disagreed with him, debate them. There's nothing more peaceful than that. That first clip I saw was of people running, and I thought, that looks bad, but of course everything's going to be fine. And then I saw another clip, and it was Charlie being asked a question. And out of nowhere, an assassin's bullet came through the crowd and hit him in the neck. We saw his head, we saw the blood, and we saw him go down. We've got to stop this, folks. We can't let this go on. This violence has got to stop. It's got to stop. And I'm not going to say our side is perfect, but damn it, this is coming from the other side. How does a 22 year old become so filled with hate? Five years earlier, I was told he was a Trump supporter and we sent our kids off to college and they brainwashed him. I am making a plea to mothers out there. Do not send your children into these indoctrination camps.
- [180:57]
Ben Berkwam
Don't do it. Do not.
- [181:08]
Steve Bannon
At one moment, that 22 year old who shot Charlie was a baby in his mother's arms. And by all accounts, those parents did a good job raising him until he was sent off to be brainwashed. We have lived through the most horrific brainwashing campaign in the history of mankind. And the very fact that we're all here means we have somehow survived it. We've survived it, but too many youngsters are not surviving it. And we have to stand up because some things are non negotiable. Our children's minds and futures are non negotiable. Charlie Kirk came to my house several years ago with Erica. They had just gotten married. I remember asking him about the beautiful wedding rings that were. They were made specifically for them. Matching rings. Although I will say Erica had a beautiful cascade of diamonds around hers. Charlie, good job. You did a good job with that. And they hadn't had children yet. And my children joined us at the table. And it happened to be the day I invited them to dinner, it happened to be, by the grace of God, the day that President Trump gave me my first endorsement from President Donald J. Trump, which is pretty special. Which, by the way, thank you, Charlie, for helping us make sure President Trump won this time. We got to give him some thanks for that. Charlie's 25 years younger than me. I'M not going to have you do the math. Please do not do the math. If I catch one of you with a calculator on your phone right now, I'm gonna have the security guards take your phone. 25 years younger than me, and I was so excited through dinner, I kept saying, I got the endorsement, Charlie. And he finally said, stop, enough celebrating. Let's make the next plan. What's the next step? And for two and a half hours, Charlie gave me the best political advice of anybody in the world. I mean, better political advice than you could get from anybody who had 60 years on him. And then when he left, he said, from now on. I thought this was great. He said, by the way, from now on, your name isn't, your first name isn't Kerry, your first name is Trump Endorsed, and your last name is Carrie Lake. So use that everywhere you go. I know we don't have a lot of time. There's so many good speakers tonight. This is a battle between good and evil. I wish, I wish we could compromise, but you can't compromise with evil. You can't compromise with evil. Charlie didn't go to college. My daughter didn't go to college and said she went and worked for, for Charlie Kirk and she quit about a year ago. And Charlie said, I heard Ruby quit. And I said, well, she's taking your advice. She wants to get married and start a family. And he said, well, that's a pretty.
- [184:41]
Ben Berkwam
Good reason to quit.
- [184:43]
Steve Bannon
So. I miss Charlie already. I know all of you do. I know that you're comforting your children, you might be comforting one another, but I just ask us all to step up and be strong. Charlie had a shirt when he was taken from us. Do you remember what that said? Freedom. We can't have freedom without faith. And I believe that Charlie will live an even bigger life after, after Wednesday than he would have before Wednesday. And I hate to say that because I miss him, but God is using him in such powerful ways. Charlie is not dead. He's got everlasting life. He's got everlasting life. I tried to sleep in today and my beautiful, wonderful husband brought me coffee in bed, which is the best thing ever. Find a good spouse. Please, everybody. If you're not married, find one that loves and supports you. And I was reading some, I got on Twitter and I happened to. One of the first things I saw was from Tyler Boyer, who we love in Arizona. He is Charlie's right hand man at Turning Point Action. They're trying to put him in prison, by the way. Because of his support for President Trump. So this fight is not over, not by a long shot. We're here today fighting because Charlie and many people before Charlie gave us the courage. But it's not going to be easy. If you think it's going to be easy now, if you're really willing to stand up and fight, it's really going to get harder. They're going to try to cancel you. You're going to lose friends. How many of you have lost friends? Raise. Keep your hand up. How many of you have been canceled? How many of you have been law fared? I need three arms. How many of you have been deposed, subpoenaed? It's not going to get easier. It only gets easier when we meet the Almighty in heaven. That's when it gets easier. But until we do, we've got to be up for the fight. Before I leave tonight, I want to read you something that Tyler shared on Twitter. He said, please take the time to look through these posts. It was a woman who had said, how many of you are going to go to church tomorrow because of Charlie Kirk? And there were 805 posts as of Saturday night. Today there were about 8,000 posts. Charlie's going to be remembered for politics, but he's going to be remembered most for bringing people to God. Let me just read a couple of these because they move me to tears.
- [187:26]
Ben Berkwam
Today.
- [187:29]
Steve Bannon
I'm going to church because that's exactly where Charlie would want us to be, said one post. One post said, my husband and I are going to try diving into this journey with our children for the first time ever since Wednesday when Charlie died. Another person said, I just bought a Bible. I haven't been to church in 10 years. My body hurts, my brain hurts. I need rest, and I only know one way to find it. Another person said, I bought my first Bible on Friday, first Bible I've ever owned and I'm finally seeing the light of it. How about this one? I haven't been to church, one woman said, since I was 10 or 11. I'm 31. I'm heading to church tomorrow morning with my husband and kids. I gotta find the one I love the most because it was the first Bible verse I reread when I was 50. I can't find it. But I'll tell you what it was. Somebody said, I bought a Bible. I just read the Book of James, which, by the way, I highly recommend. It tells you how to be a good Christian. And I'm going to church tomorrow. Charlie, we miss you. We love you. We're going to protect and stand around Erica. She's got an army of mama bears and papa bears and cubs around her. We're stepping forward and we're going to save this republic. You got us going. You gave us a voice. You gave us the strength. And we're going to carry on so that we can find the freedom that you have. We love you, Charlie. We miss you. God bless you all.
- [189:29]
Ben Berkwam
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna.
- [189:47]
Steve Bannon
I want to thank you all for being here today and start by expressing my deepest gratitude not just to those who have joined us here today, but to the millions of Americans who have poured out their love, prayers and support for Erica, Charlie's family, and the Turning Point USA community during this heartbreaking time. Like so many of you, I'm still struggling to process the reality of Charlie's absence. It's hard to accept that someone so vibrant and so full of life is no longer with us. But in my heart, I know Charlie was not, would not want us to throw in the towel. He'd tell us to pick up the mic, to keep pushing and to carry his movement forward with an unwavering resolve. I first Met Charlie on August 5, 2018, at Turning Point USA's Young Women Leadership Summit. I just left the Air Force and was working as a counter trafficking activist, planning on attending medical school. At the time, Turning Point was a small organization with maybe a few hundred people at every conference. I vividly remember seeing Charlie walk through the crowd, young, wearing sneakers of course, with his suits, yet radiating a larger than life aura. And when he passed by, I remember hearing people say, that's Charlie Kirk. Even then, you could feel his energy, his vision, and his ability to inspire. That conference was my own Turning Point. For me, it's where I met some of my closest friends, many of whom are now some of the most influential and biggest names in conservative and Republican politics. I also saw women I admired speak boldly about issues that mattered. And what I didn't know at the time is that Charlie, in Turning Point usa, was scouting me to become their National Hispanic Outreach Director. Charlie had this extraordinary gift of being able to recognize things in people before they realized it for themselves. In 2018, when young conservatives and Republicans were not being engaged by the gop, Turning Point was ahead of the curve. And that was because of Charlie's vision and leadership. Not long after that summit, I received an unexpected phone call from Fox News inviting me on air. I never done television and I had no idea how they got my contact and after pressing the producer, I later found out that Charlie had pitched me to the network in an effort to advocate for me sharing my immigration perspective. That was always Charlie thinking about how to lift up other voices, voices, amplify new perspectives and strengthen the movement. He understood the challenges that we collectively face together. And he knew that he couldn't do it alone. Shortly after that, I was literally preparing to go to medical school, bags packed, and I kid you not, 24 hours prior, I got a call that changed my life. Hey, Anna, it's Charlie Kirk from Turning Point usa, and I'd like to offer you a job as our National Hispanic outreach director. 24 hours prior? Guys, that was my fork in the road. Was I going to continue on of what I thought my path was, or was I going to pay attention to God knocking at the door and showing me that there might be a different one? And so, in about six hours, I decided that I would stay and help fight socialism on college campuses alongside Charlie parents. And that's where the real adventure began. I'll never forget our first table and campus event. It was in Portland, Oregon. So you know where I'm going with this. You may have seen the video. Charlie Kirk wearing an ice hat, sitting at a table with a sign that read, there are only two genders. As I sat there next to him, student after student approached the debate, often with heated emotions. But Charlie remained cool, calm, and logical. And one by one, no matter how controversial the question was, he would dismantle them with his reasoning. And that's when I realized something. Charlie Kirk didn't need. College. College needed Charlie Kirk. Those college tours are some of my fondest memories. Charlie's work ethic was truly unmatched, only probably rivaled by President Trump. He'd be on a different plane every day, in a new city, at a new campus, all while fundraising, engaging in social media, appearing on different media outlets, and still running Turning Point usa. But yet, when he sat at that table or in the chair, ready to debate anyone, he was truly in his element. Fearless, focused, and fully committed to the truth. I saw Turning Point grow from those early days of a few hundred attendees to conferences with thousands upon thousands of young people, all inspired by Charlie's vision. Turning Point wasn't just a nonprofit. It's a movement, a force for change to empower young conservatives to take a stand. Walking into Turning Point's headquarters for the first time, I was struck by the energy of young people. Dynamic, creative and passionate, my age were running the entire operation. They were making politics fun and accessible. And impactful. And Charlie had built something extraordinary, and it was truly changing the political landscape. One day, Charlie and I were talking. He said, anna, you really need to share your story. Story. He knew my background and understood the power of personal connection. He taught me that while identity politics was real, not everyone thought that way. And stories like mine could help combat the narrative. I remember one of Turning Point's first events at Mar a Lago. Showing up and being next to this wonderful lady who was looking at him beam on stage. I realized I'd been sitting next to Charlie Kirk's mom and how proud she was to see her young boy there. I was already on social media, but Charlie showed me how to use it effectively, how to respond to headlines, especially those with false narratives, and how to win the argument with truth. Truth is the best disinfectant, he would say. And he truly lived by that principle. When I decided to run for Congress, I had no idea what I was doing. My own party worked against me, but Charlie was one of the few who backed me. From the very beginning. Turning Point helped me knock doors, and Charlie invited me onto his podcast to share my message. In a world where political alliances are often transactional, Charlie asked for nothing in return. To him, it was about saving our country and advancing the movement. He introduced me to some incredible people, like Caroline Levitt, who is running for office at Patrick Time as well. Charlie hosted us both at the Student Action Summit. And I often joke that Charlie's probably the only reason why I have friends. Some of the many people that I'm closest today I met through his organization and this movement. Charlie was more than a commentator or a show host or an online personality. He was a patriot in every sense of the word. He lived to preserve our nation's founding principles, not just through words, but through action. He did not just complain about the state of our country, he did something about it. Even as a private citizen, Charlie advised sitting members of Congress. During the 2022 speakers fight, he called me to check in and asked me what was going on. As I'm sure you guys can imagine, it was kind of chaotic. After explaining everything, he said, okay, just make sure that you guys know when to take the deal, right? President Trump called me shortly there. After, Darren echoed the same advice. And that's the kind of influence Charlie had. Strategic, brilliant, and trusted. I remember discussing inherent contempt with Charlie. Charlie was fascinated, always eager to dive into the details and strategize. And I saw Charlie evolve from a young man tabling on college campuses to a global leader where he remained humble and still driven. Whether at conferences, on video, calls from media heads, or at Mar a Lago, he was always Charlie, encouraging and pushing us to be our best. During this past election cycle, I saw him in Arizona at a campaign stop while I was campaigning with Now Vice President J.D. vance. He pulled me aside to share messaging tips as he always did, and of course I took his advice because it always worked. Backstage, he was chatting it up with JD and doing what he did best, building a movement one conversation at a time. The last time I saw Charlie in person was at the Student Action Summit in Tampa. I spoke on a show, addressed the students, and spent time with my friend. That day. I talked a little bit about the evil that we face in our world, a topic Charlie was passionate about as he used his platform to reach millions, not just to discuss politics, but to share his faith and point people toward God. Charlie Kirk will go down in history as one of the greatest political minds and activists of our lifetime. His impact places him alongside transformative figures like Dr. Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy, leaders who inspired movements, challenged the status quo, and fought for what they believed in. Charlie's legacy is not just in the ideas that he championed, but the countless of lives that he's touched, the voices he amplified, and the movement that he built. Though Charlie's no longer with us physically, his spirit lives on. And in my heart, according to the scriptures, I know that I will see my friend again one day. Since his passing, Turning Point USA has received the request to start over 32,000 new college campus chapters. Churches are overflowing and young people across the country are asking how they can get involved. Charlie's legacy is keeping this movement alive and it's up to us to carry it forward. So I want to leave you with the very same advice that Charlie gave me once upon a time. Share your story get involved, join the movement. Help others run for office. But above all, keep the debate alive and pray truth will always prevail. To Erica and Charlie's family, you have my word. Alongside with every single person that was on the stage and millions of other Americans, including some of the most powerful voices in Washington, D.C. that we will continue. Charlie's mission, his vision, his courage, and his love of country will live on through all of us. Thank you and God Bless.
- [201:24]
Ben Berkwam
From the great state of Arizona, please welcome to the stage Congressman Andy Biggs. We are so fortunate to live in the greatest nation in the history of the world, and we are especially blessed to have lived the two greatest political movements of the 20th and 21st century. First of all, President Trump's Maga movement joined at the hip with Charlie Kirk's Turning Point movement. They changed the trajectory of a nation, and in so doing, they changed the direction of the world. We thank you them, and I thank Charlie Kirk for his courage, his tenacity, his wisdom, his preparation. The first time I met Charlie, everybody's got one of those stories. My, I have family members that have worked for him. I have nephews that have worked with him for eight years, and I had not met the guy, but, boy, they sure told me how great he was. I met him and I said, behold the man. You remember Solzhenitsyn, who basically chronicled life in the gulag of the Communist Soviet Union? He interviewed people, and in that chronicle, he quotes people time and time again, saying, the reason we fell to the Communists is because we as a people forgot God. This past week, we are reminded how real evil is. Evil is real. And it occurs in a vacuum when we forget God. But we also have something very real happening to us as well. We know that healing, healing in the name of Jesus Christ is also real. And so we've wept, we've mourned, we've grieved. And that will be for a short season, because it is incumbent upon us to take the healing, the healing balm of Gilead and march forward on the mission to complete the mission that we are on today, which is to save this nation and in turn, save the world. That is the mission that Charlie Kirk undertook with confidence. We learn and are reminded, if we didn't know before this week, that we are eternal beings. Every person that comes here at some point, the winds of immortality sweep us away in the sands of time. But each of us has left a mark, a trace, a track. None of us are evanescent. We are all eternal. And Charlie has left for us a track. We love him, we embrace him, and we walk and join hand in hand, walking that track to broaden it. You see, the movement, as Ana was talking about and others have talked about, has expanded enormously already because it calls to the spirit. It speaks to the heart and to the brain. I loved. I always. Did you watch the Oxford debates? Those are the best debates in the world. Smugness, arrogance, defeated. So as we go, and we're getting ready to leave this venue, let us not leave anything behind other than our love for each other, our respect and love for Charlie, our love and concern for Erica and their beautiful family, our love for this nation, our love for a fellow man. We'll walk out with our preparation, a commitment to be like Charlie. Charlie was always smart. He was the smartest dude. We will be eloquent and patient, but firm and convicted in our principles. And I feel to tell you this before I do this, Winston Churchill was an emotional man. I'm trying not to be like Winston Churchill tonight, but I feel impressed to share with you and join in, Charlie, in my testimony that Jesus Christ is the son of a living God. He is my Savior and. And your Savior. He is my redeemer. He is your redeemer. And as the Savior taught, no man cometh to the Father, but by and through Jesus Christ, we are eternal beings. Charlie's eternal. He rests in the bosom of our Lord and Savior. And I would suggest that each one of us now has an additional mission. And the mission is to preserve the freedom of this country. The First Amendment is, as Secretary Kennedy talked about. It's not just about free speech either, is it? It is about free speech, so we can worship. And that's what we want to do. And so we walk out of here, heads held high, recommitted to our mission, preservation of freedom and understanding our relationship to God and Jesus Christ our Savior. Join me in wishing and praying that God will bless Erica. God will bless each of you. God will bless our great President Donald J. Trump. That God will bless this country, that it will endure until that happy day, and that God will bless Charlie. May Charlie rest in peace. And may us, each one of us now go forward in the season of work and be happy warriors, always willing to do what we need to do to further the cause of freedom and justice. God bless all. If you think to offer closing reflections once again, please welcome Arizona State Senator Jay Kaufman. Let's hear it one more time for the entire team here at the Kennedy Center. Let's hear it for Ambassador Rick Grinnell. None of this would have been possible without that entire team's dedicated commitment to honoring the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk taught us that one man plus God equals. Equals a majority. It is our job to now carry on the torch that Charlie Kirk lit. That is faith in Jesus plus courage of conviction plus unabashed truth is how we will usher in the next 250 years of freedom. Like our founding fathers ushered in the first 250. 50 years of freedom. Now I have to give one shout out to all of those young 20 somethings and 30 somethings working at turning Point right now. With Erica Kirk at the helm, with leaders like Tyler Boyer and Justin Strife, And Marina Menes and Amy Smith and all of the dedicated young people who are out there preparing to go to battle for truth, to stand up and double down and triple down in the face of their founder being slain by an assassin's bullet. We are all Charlie Kirk now, and let's join them in this fight. Let's carry the cause of freedom and let's honor Charlie Kirk once and for all. Charlie, we love you. We miss you. But we will fight to continue your legacy. God bless you all for coming. Let's have some worship. All my life you have been faithful. All my life you have been so, so good. With every breath that I made I will see of the goodness of God. All my life. All my life you have been faithful. All my life you have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able And I will sing of the goodness of God. Your goodness, your goodness is running after. It's running after me. Your goodness is running after. It's running after me. With my life laid down, surrendered now I. I give you everything your goodness is running after. It's running after me. Come on, sing it. Your goodness and your goodness is running after. It's running after me. Your goodness is running after. It's running after. To me, with my life laid down, I surrendered now I give you everything your goodness is running after. It's running after me now could you go ahead and get out your phone with your light on it? If you don't have a candle, we only had 500 candles, a lot more people. So come on, everybody. Get your phone with your light. Come on, everybody. All over. On the top, on the bottom, Every, every light on all across America, churches were full, people showing up to worship Jesus. Spurred on by Charlie. Let's sing this out together. And I have decided, decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back. Though none go with me. Though none go with me still I will follow. Though none go with me Still I will follow. Though not go with me still I will follow. No turning back. Come on, one more time. I have decided. Come on, sing it out. And I have decided to follow.
- [218:00]
Steve Bannon
I have decided.
- [218:04]
Ben Berkwam
To follow, follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back and no turning back. No turning, no turning back. I just want to thank you all again for coming. All of us here, everybody who had a part in this. We're so grateful to you taking the time to be here. You love Charlie. You knew Charlie and I just want to close in A prayer thanking the life of Charlie. Thanking you all again, a special shout out. And thanks to the wonderful staff here at the Kendi Center, Ambassador Grinnell, for allowing us to do this in such a short amount of time. We could not have done it without so many amazing people, and we're very, very thankful. This event was definitely God's event, and that's what Charlie would have wanted. So bow your heads, put up your hands, close your eyes, whatever you do, and we'll conclude this evening. Lord, we're thankful for the life of Charlie. As we close this memorial service, a service of praise and testimony to his life. We honor the life and legacy of our brother. Charlie often said that what he wanted to be remembered for was his courage and his faith. And, Lord, you've answered those requests. And all those that knew him, they knew exactly that's how he lived. He faced life with boldness. He anchored his hope in Jesus Christ. His courage wasn't just about speaking truth or standing for what's right, but flowed from a deeper faith and knowledge in you. So, Lord, we ask that, as we conclude now, you would bless those that are here. If there are some that have never found this Jesus and this friend, have not known the relationship that Charlie knew with his Savior, would you allow them to find that Jesus tonight, to accept into their heart a savior, Savior who died for them, who came to this earth as a man, lived perfectly, died. Rose was buried, Rose again. And on the third day, Lord, he sended. Lord, we're thankful that Charlie is now with his Savior. We're thankful that his. His time is not done. His testimony and his impact will go on, Lord. So if there are those here that have even strained from you, would you bring them back to you? Charlie would want that. He would want the glory to be back to his Savior. As we go out now, Lord, will we never forget his impact? May we never forget the life that he lived. And may we take the courage. May we fight the fight like Charlie did. May we pick up the cross and may we lead the charge. Lord, we ask these things of you. Bless us now. Give us safety as we go home. Thank you for allowing us to meet together. Thank you for your son. And it's in his name we pray. Amen. Thank you all on behalf of tonight's organizers, speaking speakers and all who gathered here or viewed from afar. Thank you for joining us in honoring the life of Charlie Kirk. May his legacy of faith, courage and conviction continue to inspire us all. This concludes our services this evening. Okay, Live from the Kennedy Center Absolutely. Powerful, moving music, religious teachings and of course, personages that knew Charlie Kirk. Let's go to Ben Berkwam who's outside the Kennedy Center. Ben, your closing thoughts, sir? A couple things. First, as we said before, there is no more compromising with evil. But one thought I had was when Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr were talking. There are millions of people and I've met a lot of them that I've had people come up to me and say, you know, I used to be a Democrat, I used to be on the left and I watched what you did, I watched your network and I've woken up, pray for those people and keep reaching those people. There is a portion of the population that is unreachable, that is hard in their heart to the Lord. And as Romans 1 says, the Lord given him over to that sinful heart. But there are millions more that still can be reached. And my biggest the best quote I had from tonight was Anna Paulina Luna who said Charlie Kirk didn't need college, college needed Charlie Kirk. And if we can focus our energy anywhere, it's on this next generation of young people. We've got to continue to reach them. Now obviously Charlie did that Turning Point did that. That's going to continue to grow. But that's where the fight really is in this next generation. Ben Berkwamp Social media Where do people get you at Ben Bergquam? Catch a flight, go straight from here. I'm going to be speaking down on the border tomorrow. So we're not stopping. The fight for America continues and everyone that's watching this continue to fight at Ben Berkwam. Obviously Real America's Voice News Law and Border. We've got new episodes coming out and then substack Frontline America on my website frontlineamerica.com God bless you, Steve. Love you sir. We'll see you in Arizona in the funeral. Let's go to David Zier. David Zier's in the concert hall. David Zier closing thoughts well, my wife reminded me before the program that my son shares the same birthday and is the same age of Charlie. So that really hit home with me. I didn't put it together before but the organizers at this event put this together and let's than 48 hours with 80 volunteers and you know, they said earlier Charlie built an army that allowed something like this to happen Tonight. Emotions were roaring side when people sit down. But I think once the service started, you know, the impact of Charlie's life on others, you know really set in and it was uplifting. I think people are leaving here tonight with a renewed sense of purpose. And I just wanted to say the quote of the night was definitely Kari Lake when she said don't send your kids to these indoctrination camps. You know, so very moving night though. Charlie Kirk, a very, very special person and not many like him. David Zier, social media. Where do people find you? Avezear on X and David Zier on everything else except insta David Wzier. Thank you, Steve. Thank you, brother Zier. David Zier, Ben Berkwam, Fantastic coverage. Also want to thank the real America's Voice team and the Charlie Kirk's turning point to put this all together to go off as flawlessly. And folks, there were thousands and thousands and thousands of people there. Kennedy center is massive. Absolutely packed. Everybody in. Just look at the spirit there. You don't see people in the streets. You don't see burning buildings. That's why we're going to win. Let's go. We're going to play the pipes right now for Charlie Kirk, his famous bagpipes. And we're going to be back at 10:00am Eastern Daylight Time tomorrow. There's going to be a lot of activity. I believe you will see some real movement on the search for the assassin. Might want to leave you with the fact that the assassin has not, the alleged assassin has not confessed yet as we're here out of Utah. Okay. We're going to be working all night. We'll be up on getter. Check out Grace and Mo. I want to thank the entire team once again, Robin, Parker, Sig and all the real America's Voice team for pulling this together tomorrow. There's going to be some very special as we toss to the Charlie Kirk show throughout the week. There's going to be some, how do I say, some interesting surprises. So we'll see at 10am Eastern Daylight Time for the war room and we'll pitch to Charlie Kirk as we do every day. Thank you so much for joining us. This has been a live special report. We now join our programming already in progress.