By Cliff Maloney

My friend, mentor, and American visionary, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated in cold blood by a sick, deranged man.

The terrifying nature of the incident is almost indescribable. Although my heart is heavy, I am still determined, as Charlie’s mission lives on. In fact, the urgency and importance of it have only grown since his passing.

I don’t want this just to be a tribute or a reminder of what he stood for. 

I want it to be a call to action. A promise to save America, and in the process, honor his ultimate sacrifice.

Charlie had a profound impact on so many lives

Recently, I posted a thread on X about how Charlie Kirk has supported and mentored me over the years. I was genuinely moved by the flood of supportive messages and phone calls that followed. People shared how he positively influenced their lives, detailing both online and face-to-face encounters, and spoke of the grassroots movement he inspired across the nation.

Many influential conservative figures have also expressed how profoundly Charlie touched their efforts to restore our constitutional republic, emphasizing what a remarkable individual he was.

It is heartwarming and inspiring to see how, in his 31 years of life, he impacted so many people.

Feedback from friends, supporters, and even impartial onlookers highlight that Charlie’s legacy extends beyond politics. It was rooted in integrity, compassion, and, above all, truth.

The left’s reactions to Charlie’s assassination

We simply cannot ignore the fact that many on the left have been seen celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination. 

Unfortunately, there are also videos, memes, and posts that mock his tragic death and ridicule his family. Some posts argue he “deserved” it and even encourage further heinous acts like this.

It’s a stain on civil discourse, a black eye on the soul of our country. It’s not only deeply wrong, it’s also extremely dangerous.

Knowing that there are those who find joy in a political assassination—the loss of a father, husband, and friend—unsettles me in ways I never thought possible.

It reminds me just how fragile our lives and our liberties are, how vital trust and decency are. It makes the work Charlie was doing all that much more important because hatred left unchecked destroys not just individuals — it destroys the possibility of debate, of unity, and of hope.

That destroys societies.

We must pick up the playbook and continue Charlie’s mission

Charlie’s life was about his mission of fostering an open debate between citizens of all political beliefs. 

It was about fighting for truth, for free speech, for the idea that young people matter, that ideas matter, that freedom matters. He built Turning Point and many other efforts to give youth not just belief, but tools: door knocking, speaking out, organizing, and strategy.

If we are to honor his ultimate sacrifice, we must do more than just remember. We must act. We must follow Charlie’s directive, “Do the work”:

• The belief that truth matters — especially when it’s unpopular.

• The courage to speak truth in arenas where silence is easier.

• The work of empowering young people, giving them not just voice, but agency.

• The resolve to engage face-to-face, to knock doors, to build local power, to shift hearts and minds, not just headlines.

This is what he lived for. 

This is the only thing that can save America.

We are at our own turning point as a country. If we lean into fear or pull back, if we silence ourselves — then the values Charlie cared so much about will erode in America. But if we lean forward, if we speak plainly, if we organize, and if we refuse to let hate win — then we build something stronger.

How do we move forward?

I remember when I ran Young Americans for Liberty and later launched Citizens Alliance, Charlie always encouraged me to look at the big picture, and he always helped with strategy. I know what works because I worked with him, and now, I want to put that into the hands of as many people as possible. 

So here’s how we carry on:

We keep knocking doors in states like Pennsylvania and key target states. We keep investing in real grassroots efforts. We keep supporting free speech on college campuses, in public forums, and online. We keep pushing back against censorship. And we keep volunteering, training, speaking, and organizing.

I’m not asking anyone to be fearless, because Charlie certainly walked into some scary situations himself; he was human. What made him remarkable, though, was his courage, a courage we need to exemplify not because we live without fear but because we move on in spite of fear.

We build unity among those who believe in liberty. Not uniformity, but shared purpose. Charlie mentored millions of warriors. Me. You. Countless others. He created an army of conservatives committed to restoring the principles America was founded on, and the best way to honor him is to do the work — not for fame, but for maximum effect.