Glenn Beck and Friends Mourn Charlie Kirk Following His Assassination, Reflecting on Faith and Legacy
Enjoying this? Share it with someone who needs to see it.
Up Next
Alisa Childers on Charlie Kirk's Memorial and the Shift in Her Ministry Approach
45:48
Allie Beth Stuckey Responds to Jezebel's Witchcraft Curses Against Charlie Kirk and Christian Nationalism Attacks
1:05:18
Lauren Boebert Honoring Charlie Kirk: A Pioneer Who Moved Youth to Faith and God
9:40
Glenn Beck and Friends Mourn Charlie Kirk Following His Assassination, Reflecting on Faith and Legacy
Glenn Beck sits down with Liz Wheeler, Steve Deace, and Ellie in the raw aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination to process grief, anger, and hope. In deeply personal conversations, they share memories of Charlie's kindness, his unwavering faith, and his relentless commitment to engaging those who disagreed with him. They reflect on what his death means for the nation, how evil is permitted but not caused by God, and why Charlie's martyrdom will inspire millions to step up. This is a moment of mourning, but also a call to action rooted in faith, not vengeance.
Glenn Beck begins the conversation with Liz Wheeler, acknowledging the rawness of the moment. Liz describes being in a "fog of grief," feeling as though she's floating outside her body while watching the American reaction to Charlie Kirk's assassination unfold. She agrees with Glenn that the country has changed forever, calling this one of the most significant political events since the nation's founding.
Liz shares that she has been praying constantly for Erika Kirk and her two young children. But beyond personal grief, she observes something profound happening across the country. People are realizing that Charlie was not radical, extreme, or bombastic. He was normal, kind, and principled. And he was killed for those beliefs. For many Americans, this is the first time they truly understand the nature of the political enemy they face. The realization is jarring and gut-wrenching because it reveals that the same forces celebrating Charlie's death would do the same to anyone who shares his values.
Faith in the Face of Evil
Glenn expresses his deep faith in the Lord, acknowledging that while he doesn't know how things will unfold, he trusts that everything happens for God's good. There is no way to thwart God's plan, and though the path may be painful, great and glorious things will emerge from this tragedy.
Liz recalls that when Charlie was once asked what he wanted to be known for most, he said his faith. That answer was powerful, especially now. She reflects on the question of why God allows bad things to happen to good people. Citing Father Mike Schmitz, she explains that evil is not God's perfect will, but His permissive will. God values human freedom and can bring about a greater good through allowed events. While God does not cause evil, He uses it to achieve a higher purpose. Charlie is now in eternity, and Liz believes he is praying for those who killed him.
The Real Irony
Liz addresses the cruel irony some on the left are pointing out—that Charlie, a champion of gun rights, was killed by a gun. But she offers a different irony: Charlie, in this moment of eternity, is praying for his killers. She declares that they will not be silenced by an enemy who seeks to harm them. They will not back down. They will honor Charlie's legacy, care for his family, and understand more clearly the forces they are up against.
She predicts that Charlie's assassination will awaken the nation in a way similar to the Black Lives Matter riots or COVID vaccine mandates, but magnified a thousand times. People who were politically apathetic, lukewarm, or simply not active will now see that subversive forces want to harm and kill them. Churches will fill with people turning to God. Politics will see a surge of good people standing for normalcy and common sense. Two million, five million, ten million new Charlie Kirks will rise because of this.
Steve Deace: Devastated but Resolute
Steve Deace joins the conversation, admitting he has sobbed more in the last 18 hours than at any time since his own conversion. He is angry, but he knows that mourning must come first. Otherwise, the anger will come out destructively rather than constructively. Charlie's legacy as a father, husband, friend, and patriot merits that mourning, and his family and Turning Point USA need it.
Steve reflects on how Charlie was the best of them. Behind the scenes and in public, he was genuinely kind and generous. Too many pastors and ministry leaders thought they were too good for Charlie and TPUSA, claiming to be "seeker friendly" while Charlie was the one who actually sought out the seekers. He went to the places those pastors didn't go, and he took the bullet that was part of their calling. Steve hopes this moment shames some of those pastors into realizing they have slept on the job and that someone like Charlie had to do their work for them.
Steve emphasizes that this is a turning point. America will never go back to the way things were. What happens next will decide whether things are better. He quotes a text from one of Charlie's biggest donors: "We can only pray that out of one many will rise up." Steve affirms this is a guarantee. When the tyrant is killed, his reign is over. When the martyr is killed, his reign has just begun. Charlie Kirk was martyred for liberty.
A Generous Man Who Healed Divides
Glenn wishes America could have known Charlie the way they did. He was generous, and it didn't matter who you were or what rank in life you held—if you needed help, Charlie was there. No matter how busy he was, everything stopped. Glenn saw it over and over again. He laments the cartoon character the media has made Charlie into, calling him a bombthrower, when he was anything but. Charlie had the greatest conversations with people, even those who despised him. He could logically and peacefully engage with nonsense Glenn himself couldn't tolerate. That was so important for the healing of the nation, and Glenn believes it's one reason Charlie was killed. Not just because he was effective, but because he was healing divides.
Steve agrees, noting the testimonies flooding social media from people who interacted with Charlie. He recalls the divisive presidential primary and admits he didn't always handle it well. One of the first people to reach out afterward was Charlie, who texted, "Don't give up. We need you." Charlie didn't have to do that. He had won, had the bigger platform and show. But that's what leaders do.
Steve shares a profound moment from his lowest point of faith when the Lord told him, "Stephen, I need apostles, not assassins." He urges the audience that to win the fight ahead, they must be apostles. Apostles rebuke but don't seek revenge. Apostles confront but don't condemn. The apostles conquered the Roman Empire without military might. They built infrastructure, led, and guided. Charlie did the same, and Steve compares him to "Rush Limbaugh and the Heritage Foundation having a baby."
A Call to Generation X
Steve issues a direct challenge to his generation, Gen X. No more grunge. No more "we're too cool for school." No more complaining that everything sucks and nothing can be done. Charlie was a 31-year-old man doing work that wasn't yet his time to do. He had primary duties as a young husband and father. But Gen X has sat on the sidelines too long. They are the ones with free time and discretionary income. It is their time to lead, to stop complaining about boomers, and to step to the forefront. This is their moment.
Beauty from Ashes
Ellie joins the conversation, affirming that God is in the business of redemption, thwarting Satan's schemes, and bringing beauty out of ashes. If Charlie had been given the choice and told what his death would accomplish—more people hearing the gospel, more people waking up—she knows he would have said yes. He would have said, "Yes, Lord, send me." And he did. He went into the lion's den, and now he is with the Lion of Judah. Everyone will know who he was, why he lived, and the gospel that motivated him. That is the only thing giving her hope, peace, and comfort.
Glenn reflects on how glorious the greeting must have been on the other side. "Well done, good and faithful servant." Ellie agrees. Before anyone heard the news, before Erika got the phone call, Charlie was already hearing those words. She is happy for him, happy that he is with the saints, martyrs, and the persecuted through whom the church of Christ has advanced for millennia. But she is sad for those left behind. Heaven gained an incredible person, but they lost a huge presence.
Faith Transforms Grief
Glenn observes that people of faith don't weep for the dead. They weep for the loss to themselves, the world, and the families who are hurting. They mourn that loss but know exactly where the person has gone. He reflects on knowing Charlie since he was 17—a good kid who transformed into someone on fire for Christ.
Ellie agrees. Over the past five to ten years, Charlie grew into a theologically deep and apologetically astute man of God. That inspired her. When she first heard the news, she thought, "That's it. I'm done. I'm throwing in the towel." But then she went through texts Charlie had sent her over the years—always encouraging. He had sent her an article from a liberal outlet that took jabs at her, and he wrote, "Well done. Keep slugging." She knows that if he were here, that's exactly what he would tell everyone: "You can't get out now. You got to keep going."
Glenn has received emails from people who don't know how to get back up again. He tells them the answer is faith in God. If their side didn't have God, they would be mired in anger and screaming for vengeance, very much like the left. But they do have God.
Jesus Is the Answer
Ellie emphasizes that if Jesus wasn't raised from the dead, they have no hope of resurrection. If He didn't defeat death, they can't defeat death. If Jesus didn't live forever, they can't live forever. That's what Charlie always preached, posted, and said. If you could text him right now and ask what to say about this tragedy, she knows exactly what he would reply with one word: Jesus. Just tell them that. Jesus is the only way.
People may not realize it, but every time Charlie went on a college campus, he wasn't just talking about capitalism or Donald Trump. He shared the gospel. He knew every person in front of him was made in the image of God with a soul destined for eternity in one of two places. He desperately wanted those who hated him to go to heaven. Ellie prays she can have that same boldness for the rest of her life.
