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Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, the largest and fastest growing conservative youth activist organization in the country with over 250,000 student members, over 150 full-time staff, and a presence on over 2,000 high school and college campuses nationwide. Charlie is also the Chairman of Students for Trump, which aims to activate one million new college voters on campuses in battleground states in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. His social media reaches over 100 million people per month and according to Axios, he is one of the "top 10 most engaged" Twitter handles in the world. He is also the host of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” which regularly ranks among the top news shows on Apple podcast charts.
Andrew Kolvet and Blake Neff Honor Charlie Kirk with Molly Hemingway and Sean Davis on Christian Martyrdom
Andrew Kolvet and Blake Neff welcome Molly Hemingway, editor-in-chief of The Federalist, and Sean Davis, founder and CEO, for a powerful conversation about Charlie Kirk's legacy as America's first Christian martyr. Nearly a month after his assassination during a campus debate on transgender ideology, the team reflects on how Charlie's death has ignited a movement of faith across the nation. From the memorial service that drew hundreds of thousands to the ripple effects still being felt, this conversation explores what it means to live, and die, for Christ in modern America.
Processing Charlie Kirk's Death as America's First Christian Martyr
Andrew Kolvet opens the show by welcoming Molly Hemingway, editor-in-chief of The Federalist, and Sean Davis, founder and CEO of The Federalist, to discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk and its profound implications for America. Nearly a month after Charlie's death on September 10th, the emotions remain raw for everyone involved.
Molly Hemingway shares her ongoing struggle to accept the reality of what happened. She explains that while The Federalist has been documenting left-wing violence and intolerance for years, experiencing it firsthand with someone she knew and loved brought a different level of pain. Despite the difficulty, she finds inspiration in how people have responded—taking the situation seriously, caring deeply about the country, and being moved by Charlie's commitment to engaging in debates and winning hearts and minds.
Sean Davis offers a striking historical perspective, noting that September 10th fell just before the 24th anniversary of 9/11. He argues that just as 9/11 ushered in the era of the technosurveillance state and decades of war, Charlie Kirk's assassination marks a new chapter in American history—the age of American martyrdom. Charlie, he declares, was the first true American Christian martyr, killed for beliefs that were fundamentally rooted in his faith while debating the foundational question: "Who made you?"
The Prophetic Nature of Charlie Kirk's Ministry
The conversation shifts to the evolution of Charlie Kirk's ministry and message. Molly Hemingway notes that many people who knew Charlie from his early campus activism days may not realize how much his emphasis on Jesus and Scripture grew each year. In his final years, Charlie wasn't simply engaging in political debates—he was seeing the spiritual needs behind the political questions and pointing people to Christ.
Andrew Kolvet reflects on this evolution, describing Charlie as a modern prophet calling the nation to repent. What many called "campus tours" were actually tent revivals, complete with actual tents, where people flocked to hear Charlie preach. His mother had even encouraged Andrew to be "less preachy" on network news appearances following Charlie's death, but Andrew insisted that if there was ever a time to preach, this was it.
Molly shares that her Lutheran church in Washington DC held a special service to commemorate Charlie as a martyr—something they don't typically do. She clarifies a common misconception about martyrdom: people often think of it as purely religious with no political context, but historically, martyrs are usually killed because they run up against political regimes with their beliefs. In Charlie's case, he was killed while debating transgender ideology, refusing to participate in what amounts to a modern imperial cult that demands sacrifice to LGBT ideology.
The Power of the Memorial Service
Blake Neff notes his personal connection to Molly, recalling that when he first received an offer to work with Charlie Kirk, he reached out to her for advice. She told him that while she didn't know Charlie well, everything she had seen was impressive. Both Molly and Sean became regular contributors to the show over time.
The memorial service itself proved to be a transformative experience for many attendees. Molly, accustomed to Lutheran liturgical worship with psalms and traditional hymns, found herself initially unfamiliar with the praise and worship style of music. By the eighth hour of the service, however, she was fully engaged, discovering the power of repetitive choruses that allow everyone to easily participate and become immersed in worship.
What struck Molly most powerfully was hearing Republican politicians, including cabinet secretaries like Marco Rubio, clearly and boldly proclaim the gospel. Rather than the typical vague references to faith that politicians usually offer, these leaders spoke directly about salvation through Jesus Christ—appropriate for a memorial service honoring a Christian martyr.
Sean Davis adds that witnessing the most powerful people on earth proclaim the gospel was reminiscent of the Apostle Paul, who understood he would be martyred but would first be sent to Caesar to testify about Christ to the most powerful man on earth. At Charlie's memorial, potentially the most powerful men in history proclaimed the saving power of Jesus Christ before other powerful leaders. Both Sean and Molly prayed specifically for Elon Musk during the service, hoping the message would reach his heart. Encouragingly, Elon later posted "Forgive us our trespasses" and reposted Erika Kirk's call for people to attend church.
Moving Forward in Faith and Purpose
When asked how to move forward through the grief and anger, Molly emphasizes the importance of focusing on Jesus—attending church, being active in one's congregation, and continuing the work that matters. She admits that before Charlie's death, she had been feeling somewhat tired in her work battling corporate media, the left, and weak Republicans. Charlie's assassination renewed her sense of purpose and gave her courage to continue, and she encourages everyone to do the same, whether in personal conversations or professional endeavors.
The show receives numerous emails from listeners processing their own emotions. One particularly moving message comes from 81-year-old Colleen Floyd, who has followed ministries from Billy Graham to David Jeremiah throughout her life. She writes that after spending time in Proverbs, especially chapters 2 through 4, she found herself unable to separate her thoughts from how completely Charlie's life portrayed the wisdom described there. She places Charlie at the top of her list of most productive, inspiring, and godly men she's followed, believing he was the most impactful with youth for his age. She expresses hope that Charlie's life and testimony will continue bringing young and old to Christ and that he will make heaven as crowded as he devoted his life to making it.
Sean Davis shares a humorous contrast between the emails he and Molly receive. While Molly gets messages praising her as a "shining light on a hill," approximately 95% of Sean's emails tell him he should die. Despite the difference in tone, both value hearing from their audience because it provides insight into how people think outside the Washington DC bubble.
A New Era Begins
The conversation concludes with acknowledgment that the grief comes in waves and is far from linear. Andrew Kolvet notes that even as they've discussed Charlie's legacy, the pain has washed over him again. The team commits to continuing Charlie's practice of reading and responding to audience emails during the show, honoring his example of staying connected to the people he served.
Charlie Kirk's assassination marks a turning point in American history. We are no longer living in a post-9/11 society—we are now in the age of American Christian martyrdom. Charlie's death for refusing to bow to the new imperial cult of gender ideology has ignited fires of faith across the nation, inspiring believers to live boldly for Christ and prepare to die for Him if necessary. His legacy endures not just in the political battles he fought, but in the souls he pointed toward Jesus and the revival movement his martyrdom has sparked.
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