The Charlie Kirk Show – September 17, 2025

Special Memorial Episode: Honoring Charlie Kirk

Host: Glenn Beck (guest host, filling in for Charlie Kirk)
Podcast: Real America’s Voice, iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This special episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, hosted by Glenn Beck, serves as a powerful, wide-ranging tribute to Charlie Kirk following his assassination. The episode reflects on Kirk’s personal and political legacy, features deep conversations about his impact on the conservative movement and American youth, discusses the current political climate, details investigations into his assassination, and considers the movement’s next steps. Key guests and contributors include Anna Paulina Luna, Senator Mike Lee, Turning Point Action’s Tyler Boyer, and investigative researcher Ryan Morrow.

Glenn Beck and others offer poignant memories while dissecting both the immediate aftermath and the broader cultural implications of Kirk’s life and death.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Remembering Charlie Kirk: Personal Reflections and Spiritual Legacy

• Glenn Beck reflects on Kirk as both protégé and peer

  • Shares stories of Kirk’s early years, intellectual curiosity, and drive.
  • “I remember when he was 17…so well-read, so smart, so clear. I thought, this is an amazing man.” – Glenn Beck (26:10)
  • Anecdotes about Rush Limbaugh’s golden microphone being placed at Kirk’s desk as a symbol of legacy.
  • Kirk’s unique blend: broadcaster, “narrowcaster,” pastor, political organizer, and friend.
  • “Charlie could have been president. He surpassed all of us.” – Glenn Beck (31:40)

• Faith & Inspiration

  • Kirk’s role as an evangelical figure and spiritual leader, not just a political commentator.
  • Emphasis on his message of unity, personal faith, and a “God movement” sparking in the aftermath.
  • “Look at the God movement that is happening. He short-circuited a lot of stuff. Now, God is moving with his people.” – Glenn Beck (1:13:40)
  • Musical tribute: “We Are One,” written by David Osmond and performed by Beck’s daughter, encapsulating Kirk’s message of unity (1:23:45).

2. Reactions to the Assassination: Movement, Community, and Law Enforcement

• Investigative Updates (periodic news breaks with Terrence Bates)

  • The suspect is officially charged with aggravated murder; death penalty being sought.
  • Details about evidence: children present, suspect’s DNA on weapon, Discord chat involvement (1:02:00; 1:29:30).
  • Ongoing scrutiny of FBI Director Kash Patel’s handling of the case, congressional hearings with contentious exchanges (e.g., with Adam Schiff and Cory Booker).

• The Movement’s Response

  • Glenn Beck describes widespread grief but also resilience.
  • Encourages continued activism: “What Charlie would have wanted was move forward, keep pressing forward, keep staying true to the principles.” (1:16:40)
  • Warnings to avoid knee-jerk legislative reactions, such as amped-up “Patriot Act”-style security measures or censorship.

• Debate on Free Speech and Hate Speech

  • Strong affirmation that Kirk opposed hate speech laws and would defend speech rights, even for opponents (1:18:15).

3. Charlie Kirk’s Vision for Politics and Turning Point’s Future

• Turning Point USA’s Growth and Grassroots Expansion

  • Anna Paulina Luna highlights unprecedented increase in chapter requests:
    • “No, no, no, no…Don't diminish that. It’s now 56,000 chapters that have been requested to open, not just new members. That’s remarkable.” – Glenn Beck & Luna (1:44:00)
    • Kirk’s approach: “fighting indoctrination” and building from the bottom-up.
    • Luna underscores outside-the-system engagement and the importance of continued activism.

• Tyler Boyer on Strategic Planning

  • Boyer describes Turning Point’s disciplined, principle-based strategy looking ahead to 2028 and beyond.
  • “The really great thing is Charlie was not a guy you weren't joining because you were a fan of him. He was teaching principles. So the base is principle-based. That’s really a healthy thing.” – Tyler Boyer (2:24:20)
  • Describes the immense pressure on Turning Point during the 2024/2025 cycles and pride in meeting that moment.

4. Policy Deep-Dive: Smith-Mundt Act and Countering Government Propaganda

• Interview with Senator Mike Lee (Utah) (2:00:35)
  • Lee discusses Utah’s political divides, higher education, and mismatched media ecosystem.
  • Focuses on the dangers of domestic government propaganda post-Smith-Mundt Act repeal.
  • Announces new legislation: “The Charlie Kirk Act” to reinstate prohibitions on domestic propaganda.
  • “It’s time for it to happen… The American people don’t take kindly to their overly paternalistic, dark overlord government trying to tell them what to think.” – Sen. Mike Lee (2:05:50)
  • Beck contrasts productive legislative responses (like Lee’s) with harmful overreach.

5. Exposing Left-Wing Funding and Ties to Extremism: The Soros Report

• Interview with Ryan Morrow (1:07:10)
  • Morrow details investigative findings: $80 million traced from George Soros’s Open Society to at least 54 groups supporting crime and domestic terrorism.
  • Specific groups named: Center for Third World Organizing, and reference to numerous action toolkits supporting illegal activity.
  • “This is according to his own file. So it's rock solid and over. Of that amount, over $23 million went to at least seven groups that are doing things that meet the FBI's definition of domestic terrorism.” – Ryan Morrow
  • Links to October 7 attacks, instructions for violence, and IRS code violations.
  • Beck recounts earlier interactions: “You realize who you’re getting into war with, don’t you? …That ship that he was talking about, we’re going to sink it.” (1:13:15)
  • Call for nonprofit status revocation and vigorous legal response.

6. The Path Forward: Maintaining Principles in the Face of Adversity

• Handling Grief, Discipline, and the Temptation of Retaliation

  • Beck discusses stages of loss, warns against “righteous anger” lapsing into destructive actions.
  • Emphasis on constitutional discipline and avoiding “hate speech” crackdowns.

• Building and Protecting the Movement

  • Reinforces Kirk’s principles of open debate, transparency, and “keeping people together.”
  • Discussion of the need for continued unity, outreach, and defending American values even in adversity.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “What I would have said to Charlie was, you were thinking too small…Charlie was a broadcaster and a narrowcaster. Charlie was a pastor and a priest... He surpassed Rush Limbaugh by miles.” – Glenn Beck (29:45)

• “He understood that there are so many forces in our world and our politics that are ripping everybody apart. ...God had put him in a position that he could keep people together.” – Andrew Colvett (32:30)

• “Look how many people have gone to church for the first time. Charlie wasn’t just a political guy. Charlie was an evangelical preacher in the end.” – Glenn Beck (1:14:05)

• “This is no mistake. …We have disproven this.” – Ryan Morrow on Soros funding (1:09:50)

• “It is time to bring back the prohibition. …In honor of our friend who lost his life… I’m naming it the Charlie Kirk Act.” – Senator Mike Lee (2:03:35)

• “If you focus on the grassroots, then you get candidates that the grassroots wants to work for, and then, therefore, it kind of builds the program for you. And that’s really the beauty of Turning Point.” – Tyler Boyer (2:25:10)

• “We are one. …I will make a stand. I will raise my voice. I will hold your hand. ‘Cause we are one.” – "We Are One", Song Tribute by Cheyenne Beck & David Osmond (1:23:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment / Topic | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------| | Glenn Beck’s opening reflections | 26:10 – 31:50 | | Placing Rush Limbaugh’s golden microphone | 29:10 | | Investigative coverage & FBI/Patel hearings | 1:03:00, 1:29:30| | Musical tribute “We Are One” | 1:23:45 | | Ryan Morrow on Soros investigation | 1:07:10 – 1:13:25| | Anna Paulina Luna on Turning Point’s growth | 1:43:50–1:48:10 | | Beck on grief, anger, and free speech | 1:16:40 – 1:19:00| | Senator Mike Lee, Smith-Mundt Act, the “Charlie Kirk Act” | 2:00:35–2:13:00 | | Tyler Boyer & Turning Point’s grassroots future | 2:24:20–2:27:30 |

Concluding Insights

Glenn Beck and an array of contributors present Charlie Kirk as more than a political commentator: a visionary youth leader, unifier, and defender of open discourse and constitutional principles. The episode balances grief and tribute with a determined call to move forward—committing to Kirk’s ideals of unity, free speech, and sustaining the conservative grassroots movement.

For listeners, this episode delivers not only a remembrance but also a strategic call to carry onward, defend foundational values, and ensure Kirk’s legacy as both a spiritual and political torchbearer endures.