Donald Trump Jr., the first son of President Donald Trump, urged attendees at the Republican midterm convention on Thursday night to honor the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on the one-year anniversary of his assassination.
“One year ago today, my good friend Charlie Kirk was cut down by an assassin’s bullet,” Trump Jr. said. “He had already inspired hundreds of thousands of young people to take up the cause of liberty and to fight for it. He wasn’t afraid to go anywhere to fight for faith, family, freedom, and patriotism.”
Trump Jr. told attendees that Kirk was “good” and “pure,” saying he “represented the light.”
“The killer who put a bullet in his neck in cold blood, and the leftists who laughed and mocked his murder?” Trump Jr posed. “Well, they represent the darkness that we are all up against.”
He continued, “We are here tonight in Dallas to stand up against that darkness and to send a loud and clear message: We will not back down. We will not fold. We will honor Charlie by carrying his torch to save this nation that we all love so dearly.”
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Kirk was killed on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University. Speakers at the Republican National Committee’s convention have repeatedly paid tribute to Kirk, and a video tribute for him was played earlier on Thursday.
“They could take the man. They could not take the mission,” said Lucas Miles, a vice president at Turning Point. “The enemy tried to silence Charlie, but his voice has only grown louder.”