Three weeks ago today, Sept. 10, 2025, is a day that will forever live in infamy.
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and arguably the most prolific conservative activist of our generation, was assassinated in cold blood for the mere “crime” of speaking his opinion and changing minds of people all across the land to learn to love their country.
Charlie would spend much of his time visiting college campuses and was famous for challenging anyone who disagreed with him to ask questions and debate, where he would sit near a table that had a sign saying, “Prove Me Wrong.” He lived to engage people and teach them the importance of understanding American principles and values, always prepared with facts and ready to counteract his opponents’ viewpoints, but always with a smile and with respect. Charlie was the quintessential “happy warrior.”
In addition, Charlie arguably helped President Trump win the 2024 election by TPUSA’s outreach and getting younger people out to vote.
But America lost much more than an activist that day, as great an activist as Charlie was. We lost an avatar for America, its values and Western Civilization as a whole. We lost the embodiment of free speech, free thought and civilized debate.
Americans owe it to Charlie to carry on his mission and expand his legacy. But how best can we accomplish this and pick up where Charlie left off?
Some, such as GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, are calling for a statue of Charlie to be placed in the U.S. Capitol. As well, Congress passed resolutions to create a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk, on Oct. 14, 2025, which would have been his 32nd birthday, and many House members, led by the House’s Republican leaders, held a memorial vigil.
Trump also plans to posthumously honor Charlie with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in America.
To be clear, these are all wonderful ideas that we should support. But are they enough to reflect on Charlie’s immeasurable contributions in spreading Americanism to countless people, and his way of doing so with civility and grace, exemplifying what proper disagreement can look like?
Establishing an annual day of reflection—ideally on Charlie’s birthday or the anniversary of his assassination—would serve as a powerful way to honor his values and bring his vision for the country to the forefront of the national consciousness. Charlie’s memory, his life, and his legacy could be studied, learned from and emulated indefinitely.
Designating this day as a federal holiday would offer the nation an opportunity to reflect on the fundamental values of free speech, independent thought, open debate, and the ability to coexist as friends, neighbors, and fellow Americans—principles that Charlie so deeply embodied.
Charlie was, inarguably, a major figure in American history, and we owe it to his legacy to make sure he and his contributions to this country are never forgotten.
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