Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: Remembering our Friend, the Great Charlie Kirk
Original Air Date: September 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This deeply somber episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz is dedicated to the memory of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, following his tragic assassination. Hosts Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson reflect on Charlie’s personal impact on themselves, his mission and legacy, and the broader implications for American society and political discourse. The episode moves from mourning and personal reminiscences to a broader reflection on courage, faith, and the battle of ideas, culminating in calls for unity and resilience in the face of political violence.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Personal Reflections and Shock of Loss

• Initial Announcement & Emotional Impact
  • Ben Ferguson opens the episode with sorrow over Charlie Kirk’s assassination, recalling personal memories and lamenting the state of political violence in the country.
  • Senator Cruz shares visceral reactions to hearing the news, including the horror of seeing the shooting video repeatedly on social media.
    • “I don’t think in my life I’ve ever seen a friend of mine get shot, be killed. And the afternoon it happened, I watched him shot and killed over and over and over again.” — Ted Cruz [06:08]

2. Charlie Kirk’s Vision and Mission

• Energizing a Generation

  • Cruz recounts meeting Kirk at 18, describing his clarity and ambition to energize young people and make conservatism “cool.”
    • “He wanted to make it cool to love liberty. He wanted to make it cool to believe in the Constitution, to believe in the First Amendment.” — Ted Cruz [12:34]
  • Ben Ferguson highlights Kirk’s founding of Turning Point with grassroots, one-man campus appearances, showing how that grew into large student gatherings nationwide.

• Willingness to Engage

  • Both hosts emphasize that Kirk was often misrepresented by the media—his real desire was to foster dialogue and grand debate, not confrontation.
    • “Probably the thing that most characterized Charlie was his willingness and eagerness to engage in conversation with those who disagreed with him… using compassion, listening to them, treating them with dignity, treating them with respect.” — Ted Cruz [11:21]

3. Personal Courage in Advocacy

• Ferguson notes the physical and verbal assaults Kirk endured on campus—and his persistent drive to return despite risks.
• Cruz shares a pivotal early memory of Kirk’s conviction and vision in an era when “it wasn’t cool to be conservative.”

4. Faith as Foundation

• Charlie’s Christianity

  • Both hosts agree that the most defining trait of Kirk was his Christian faith, which guided both his public work and personal life.
  • Cruz recounts praying with his wife Heidi and their mutual friend Allie for Kirk after the shooting, underlining their shared faith and grief.
    • “One that was most extraordinary was he was a deeply believing Christian. His faith was real. It mattered to him. And he was a voice for the gospel.” — Ted Cruz [14:42]

• Notable Audio Clip:

  • Kirk’s own words on how he wanted to be remembered:
    • “I want to be remembered for courage, for my faith. That would be the most important thing.” — Charlie Kirk, played by Ted Cruz [16:27]

• Bill Maher Interview Segment

  • Cruz plays a clip of Kirk gracefully defending Christian beliefs on Bill Maher’s show, demonstrating courage and civility even when mocked:
    • “The fact that he has risen transcends time. It’s not just in the present sense, it’s that of all time, that promise is accessible to all of us.” — Charlie Kirk [18:05]
  • Cruz and Ferguson praise Kirk’s ability to intellectually and respectfully plant seeds of faith with audiences unlikely to ever attend church.

5. Advocacy for Traditional Values

• Ferguson praises Kirk’s public stance for marriage, family, being a present and biblically inspired husband and father, and the value of making wise choices early in life.
• Cruz reads a text from a friend who mentored Kirk, noting his “evangelism, his courage… I am wondering this morning if he may have been a saint… because God moved through him, and he was the vehicle God chose.” [24:44]

6. Political Legacy and Impact

• Ferguson credits Kirk and Turning Point for helping galvanize youth voters and contributing significantly to conservative electoral wins, notably the re-election of Donald Trump:
  • “I said, I truly don’t believe Donald Trump would have been elected if it wasn’t for Charlie Kirk and Turning Point and what they did to get out the vote in swing states.” — Ben Ferguson [27:37]
• Cruz reads President Trump’s tribute and acknowledgment of Kirk:
  • “No one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by all, especially me. And now he is no longer with us.” — Donald Trump, read by Ted Cruz [28:21]

7. The Threat of Political Violence and the Culture of Hate

• The hosts reflect on Kirk’s assassination in the shadow of the recent attempt on President Trump’s life, expressing alarm at a political climate where murder is used to silence voices.

• Ferguson recalls his son asking if his own life is now at risk due to his political stance—a question that underlines the anxiety and stakes for conservative commentators.

  • “Daddy, is someone going to shoot you for what you do?” — Ben Ferguson [33:53]

• Cruz highlights the glee of some on the political left in response to Kirk’s murder, but argues for focusing on messages of hope, unity, and faith.

• They praise the statement by progressive commentator Cenk Uygur, calling for unity and empathy across divides:

  • “If you really want to strike back at whoever did this, listen to each other. Instead of hating one another, they want us to hate each other… Treating one another as brothers and sisters, as a united America, would be an historic act of defiance.” — Cenk Uygur, quoted by Ted Cruz [37:47]

8. A Generational Leader

• Ferguson shares an anecdote from a friend comparing Kirk’s generational importance to that of Reagan and Limbaugh—a leader who inspired thousands of young people:
  • “This next generation needed a leader like no one else, and they got Charlie Kirk.” — Friend of Ben Ferguson [40:04]
• They express hope that Kirk’s death and message will spur others to step forward in the fight for their principles and faith.

9. Closing with a Call for Unity

• Cruz closes with Bobby Kennedy’s remarks after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, urging understanding rather than bitterness—a message both hosts hope will shape the response to Kirk’s death.
  • “We have to make an effort… to understand, to go beyond these rather difficult times.” — Bobby Kennedy, played at [41:33]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the repeated exposure to violence:
  “…the afternoon it happened, I watched him shot and killed over and over… it’s just screwed up.” – Ted Cruz [06:08]

• On Kirk’s unique quality:
  “Charlie was always smiling…31 years old when he was killed… His children will never know their dad. They will know the legacy of their dad.” – Ted Cruz [12:34]

• On media misportrayal:
  “If you listen to the media, they act like he was some extremist fringe guy that was trying to break people apart…That is literally not his mission in life at all.” – Ben Ferguson [11:08]

• On faith as a legacy:
  “Charlie is with Jesus in heaven right now. And his role of presenting the good news of the gospel with intelligence and joy, that was a powerful legacy.” – Ted Cruz [15:43]

• On the future:
  “I do worry about where we are as a country… I don’t think any of us are going to back down… This is my mission field. I think you feel the same way.” – Ben Ferguson [35:09]

• Cenk Uygur (paraphrasing): “…We can all choose to hate each other now… Or we can defy the voices of division… Treating one another as brothers and sisters, as a united America, would be an historic act of defiance.” – Read by Ted Cruz [37:47]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:06] — Opening and personal responses to Kirk’s assassination
• [04:02] — Cruz shares first memories of Kirk, impact of violent video
• [11:08] — Ferguson on Kirk’s real legacy and media portrayal
• [12:34] — Cruz on Kirk’s courage, optimism, and mission
• [14:42] — Kirk’s deep Christian faith and living legacy
• [16:20] — Audio: Charlie Kirk on how he wants to be remembered
• [17:51] — Audio: Kirk discussing resurrection with Bill Maher
• [24:44] — Text read on Kirk’s possible sainthood and biblical mission
• [27:37] — Ferguson: Turning Point’s key role in election outcomes
• [28:21] — Cruz reads President Trump’s statement on Kirk’s passing
• [33:53] — Ferguson’s conversation with his son about political risk
• [37:47] — Cruz quotes Cenk Uygur on cross-partisan unity
• [40:04] — Ferguson: Kirk as Reagan/Limbaugh for a new generation
• [41:06] — Cruz: Hopes for Kirk’s legacy to inspire courage
• [41:33] — Bobby Kennedy’s message after MLK’s assassination

Summary Tone & Takeaways

The episode is heartfelt, mournful, yet resolutely hopeful, filled with personal anecdotes and an emphasis on faith and unity. Both hosts balance outrage and sorrow with a powerful call to carry on the “mission field” that was so central to Charlie Kirk’s life and message.

For listeners new to Charlie Kirk or this podcast, this episode serves as both a tribute to a friend and an accessible window into the role of faith, the conservative movement’s battle for young voters, and the toll of increasing political violence—while insisting on responding with courage, compassion, and unity.