This episode is dedicated to the memory of my late husband, Charlie Kirk, who passed away at a young age. He was a loving father, a loving husband, and a loving son. I am so grateful to have him in my life, and I m so grateful that he chose the people that surround me and the village that surrounds me. He handpicked all of the people within our orbit, and the people he loved and trusted so much, who would step up and do what he knew they were born to do.
00:00:59.000The Charlie Kirk Show is proudly sponsored by Preserve Gold, the leading gold and silver experts and the only precious metals company I recommend to my family, friends, and viewers.
00:01:13.000Let me ask you a question that my friends who have lost somebody say is the right question.
00:01:21.000Well, we talked about earlier this week how it was an emotional week for me.
00:01:28.000The firsts are always so interesting because the firsts are either like your first date, you know, your first kiss, your first, and then with loss, it's like the first birthday, the first holiday.
00:01:44.000You know, it was Erica's birthday this week.
00:02:59.000But I am so grateful that my husband, it was, he's hand-selected the village that surrounds me now.
00:03:09.000You know, he built Turning Point USA, yes, and it's a machine, yes.
00:03:13.000But he hand-picked all of the people that not only run the organization, but that were within our orbit, our closest orbit, the people that he loved and he trusted so much and that he knew without a shadow of a doubt, if something happened to him, that they would step up and they would be filled with the Holy Spirit and they would do what he knew they were born to do.
00:03:58.000Yes, obviously, with you as the CEO, but the team that you have around you, all of whom I've met, are good and decent and loving people who adored Charlie.
00:05:32.000He said, but what I have built is, will one day, if I'm not around, be vision-led.
00:05:39.000And he had made mention at the end, like, you know, Erica will do a great job running it.
00:05:45.000And when I watched that video this week, it really put into perspective my youth and what I went through growing up and what I witnessed, you know, my mom having her own company and being a single mother and watching her be the blueprint of, you know, I'm not afraid of raising my children alone because I saw my mom do that.
00:06:12.000I'm not afraid of being a CEO because I saw my mom do that.
00:06:17.000The only thing that I fear to be fully transparent with you is being out of the alignment of God's will because I feel like that is a very dangerous position to be in.
00:06:28.000And so for me growing up, when I was in New York, it was one of those moments where I really trusted God.
00:09:41.000I just, Charlie, in some way, similar to how he sees things in a lot of people, in some way beautifully saved me from a huge mistake of putting career over family and career over husband because it's easy to do when, as a female, when you see Bright Lights Big City.
00:10:12.000How long did it take you to fall in love with him?
00:10:15.000That's the funny thing: it was so interesting because when we were sitting there, I fell in love with how brilliant he was to be able to articulate what he believed in.
00:10:32.000And when he said, I'm not going to hire you, I'm going to date you, I knew that was the Lord because there were so many times where I said, my future husband that's out there, he will literally, it will be the only reason why I look up is because the Lord says to look up, and that was something to look up to when someone's like, I'm going to date you.
00:10:56.000And so I just, but honestly, it was the constant consistency of, I'm here for you, you know, the little texts in the morning.
00:11:06.000And then it just continued to grow in a beautiful way.
00:11:09.000So yes, love at first sight, yes, obviously.
00:12:59.000One day they'll find out right now they're just, you know, little loves.
00:13:02.000One day they'll find out that they're Charlie Kirk's children and they'll know what that means.
00:13:18.000We're honored to be partnering with Alan Jackson Ministries.
00:13:21.000And today I want to point you to their podcast.
00:13:24.000It's called Culture in Christianity, the Allen Jackson Podcast.
00:13:28.000What makes it unique is Pastor Allen's biblical perspective.
00:13:31.000He takes the truth from the Bible and applies it to issues we're facing today: gender confusion, abortion, immigration, Doge, Trump in the White House, issues in the church.
00:15:11.000But I think we lived our life in such a way where if that was our last day, it was our last day, like we always lived as if it was the last day.
00:15:22.000That's why Charlie's speeches were so good.
00:15:26.000Because he didn't know if that was going to be his last speech.
00:15:30.000And he was so intentional about every word.
00:15:39.000And every speech had a connection point for the students and for whoever he was speaking to.
00:15:46.000And that's why he never missed the opportunity to weave the gospel into what he was saying.
00:15:50.000That's what made him so much more powerful than the rest of us.
00:15:53.000If you see the difference between Charlie Kirk and many of the right-wing pundits or commentators, it's that he supercharged the message that the rest of us were saying with biblical references, with faith-based wisdom, which made it ten times more powerful.
00:17:26.000And I know that the morning he died, he went back into your room.
00:17:29.000He had slept in your daughter's room because he got up in the middle of the night and she got up in the middle of the night and there was a switcher room.
00:19:04.000Because it shows that control is an absolute illusion.
00:19:11.000The Lord knows the number of hairs on our head, and he knows the number of our days.
00:19:19.000And that's why Charlie was so intentional of making sure everyone knew that their role in life was so important and that you guys are all the missing puzzle piece to this whole story.
00:19:33.000And we used to explain it when we would have dinner sometimes about how when you look at a tapestry on one side you see all of these hanging threads and it doesn't make any sense.
00:19:47.000They're all different colored threads all over the place.
00:19:50.000But when you turn that tapestry around, you see how beautifully woven together and how intentional every thread is to that tapestry.
00:20:02.000And yes, I fully believe that you put on the full armor of God every single day.
00:20:09.000I mean, henceforth, all of my bracelets and rings, like everything has meaning to me, and that's why I always wear my bracelets, always wear my rings, always wear my necklaces.
00:20:20.000And it's one of those things where we will never understand God's ways fully.
00:21:30.000When we first started dating, this is personal, but I share it only because maybe it'll be a sign for you to know that Charlie's with you in something.
00:21:43.000When we first started dating, we would walk, we were walking to dinner one night, and this happened a lot.
00:22:28.000And I was like, part of me couldn't sleep because it was a strobe light.
00:22:31.000The other part of me couldn't sleep because of how just my world has just crumbled and the other part of me couldn't sleep because I was like, baby, I feel you.
00:23:06.000I tell her, Daddy had so much fun today.
00:23:09.000Everyone who has written letters and sent gifts to my children, thank you.
00:23:14.000I tell her, my son, he's only a year and a half, but I tell both of them, Daddy is telling all of his friends to send you gifts and letters.
00:23:25.000And, you know, Daddy is orchestrating from heaven to make sure that you always feel so loved.
00:23:31.000And the other day she was like, tell me about Daddy's day in heaven.
00:24:32.000It was hard to get him rattled about these attacks.
00:24:36.000But, and I can speak to this, having my own children, two of whom are backstage, you know, there comes a time where you have to sort of help your kids understand the terrible negative messages that are out there about someone they deeply love.
00:25:28.000And I want to teach them so much about God and Jesus so that when they do get older and they do see the hate, they also understand how much good is still out there.
00:25:43.000And they also understand that they could be the antidote to the evil.
00:25:49.000And they can pray for those people and not be afraid.
00:25:55.000But I want them to also see that that evil is because they or their parents or their loved ones is actually doing something to make a difference.
00:26:07.000Because if you're not getting attacked or slandered or whatever else out there, you're just looking a lot like the rest of the world.
00:26:17.000And I want them to know that that's okay.
00:26:21.000You know, I have been called so many names.
00:26:25.000I have been slandered and none of that means anything to me.
00:26:44.000And I know you get this because you have a very, you have a thick skin and a soft heart.
00:26:49.000The thing is, is that the more that people, and it gets outlandish more and more crazy as time goes on because there's just a void that apparently needs to be filled.
00:26:59.000But I'm okay with the world not understanding me.
00:31:59.000So, what you're saying is you have long, thick, coarse hair that takes you a while to grow out and take care of, and you're not black or named Michelle Obama.
00:32:35.000But my mom, if you ask my mom, she'll tell you it's when you grew up from the standpoint of a Lebanese Italian background, and you're supposed to shave your kids' head when they're two, and then it's supposed to grow back really thick after that.
00:32:51.000I was a product of the shaved head, so if you would like to try that on your two-year-old, unsolicited advice.
00:33:45.000So, well, you can take this as a twofold.
00:33:50.000So if you're looking at it from the sports angle, where you're playing up against men, I mean, I know this has been said before, but then what's the point of female sports?
00:34:06.000But to me, being an idiot, I played in college.
00:34:11.000I worked so hard for that scholarship.
00:35:05.000But you know, those girls have worked so hard for their position.
00:35:09.000And to have it taken away from them by someone who couldn't rank in their own sport, then field, it's demoralizing.
00:35:21.000And it also weighs on the whole topic of being a woman, being proud to be a woman, being proud to be a strong female athlete.
00:35:31.000And I wouldn't want that taken away from anybody.
00:35:34.000That's right, having the glorious chance of accomplishment.
00:35:36.000I mean, we'll never win if we're playing against biological boys.
00:35:40.000We'll never have that glorious feeling of crossing the finish line first or being the one who has the game winning shot because it's always going to go to a man.
00:35:49.000We always talk about the unfairness of it and the safety of it, but just think about that, like the glorious feeling of winning, which I never had because I wasn't an athlete.
00:36:29.000Overarching theme of it is the power of honoring the Sabbath and the importance of rest.
00:36:36.000And reading this, and I even brought one of his journals with me to read out of it because the thing that's so interesting about reading this book and reading this journal, and I know a lot of you that are Christians will understand this.
00:36:49.000They tell you that when you read the Bible, it's the living word of God, and it is.
00:36:54.000And you see the Lord in technicolor when you read the Bible and you actually understand those words.
00:37:04.000And so for me, reading Charlie's journals and reading this book, it's like he's, I mean, he's still, he's present with the Lord, but it feels like he's still fully here.
00:37:20.000And that's what's so powerful about this book.
00:37:22.000And I watched him as a wife completely transform into an already, I mean, he was already amazing and incredible, but it totally elevated him when he was honoring the Sabbath and when he really took that seriously, that time to rest seriously.
00:37:41.000And I just can't help but think, like, everything, and to go to your point of signs, I don't think anything is by coincidence, but to have this be his last book and to him totally master what it means to rest with the Lord, it's all for us full circle now because it's the ultimate Sabbath where he is right now.
00:38:24.000But to read it in a book format and not an email format that he would send me is night and day difference, yeah.
00:38:31.000What are the pages that are folded up?
00:38:32.000The one that I, well, all of them are amazing, but the one that I wanted to read was the part about sleeping because Charlie, his adrenaline was always going, and it was very hard for him to turn his brain off at night.
00:40:55.000So the sleep was important because I was like, he loved his sleep.
00:40:59.000And something that I was very intentional about is when he came home, I would always let him sleep in, always on the weekends.
00:41:07.000I would take the kids, go for a walk, whatever it took, and I would want him to wake up when it was time to wake up because I knew how important rest was for him.
00:41:14.000And so when I read this in the book, I just, it was on my heart to share it with you because the title of it says, Jesus Slept, Elijah Slept, and so can you.
00:41:26.000And he said, so start tonight, close the laptop, power down the phone, let the dishes wait, pull the shades, dim the lights, and give your body permission to do what it was created to do, to rest.
00:41:41.000Let your bed become an altar of trust as your head touches the pillow and whisper to God, I release it all to you.
00:41:50.000You don't need to check one more email.
00:45:17.000Sadness, of course, obviously, but yes, against the accused shooter, but just I know you don't ever feel angry against God, but I kind of do.
00:46:50.000And somebody said to me, forgiveness is an action, not an emotion.
00:46:55.000And I was like, okay, that's getting me closer to feeling like I could do it if I don't actually have to feel loving in my heart toward the person.
00:47:04.000But I wonder, like, how do you, if you could say something to him, if you could, like, if you say something to his parents, like, what would it be?
00:48:48.000You mentioned in your remarks at Charlie's funeral that you pointed out the irony that the accused shooter is exactly the kind of person who Charlie meant to help.
00:49:01.000Is trying to reach disaffected young men who had been forgotten by a system or worse than forgotten, remembered and told that they're terrible and to blame for everything.
00:49:11.000And those messages for years now have really materially, seriously affected the health and mental well-being of a generation of young men who need turning point.
00:49:22.000And so that's a huge responsibility for you.
00:49:26.000Like, it's not just, oh, we have a great political organization and it's a really big thing and people love it.
00:49:32.000You actually have to go about the business of saving an entire generation, in particular of young men, but young women too.
00:49:52.000First, Charlie would say, I want to save the lost boys of the West.
00:49:59.000That was on his, he had a to-do list, and that was on the top point of the to-do list.
00:50:08.000That he had, he has that piece of paper still on his desk at his office.
00:50:15.000But what's so powerful about all of this is that Charlie was so focused on the family.
00:50:22.000He didn't believe that it was up to the government to raise your kids.
00:50:29.000He wanted to not only empower the students, but also the parents.
00:50:34.000And something that you've done so beautifully, Megan, is that your children, you've raised them with the truth and understanding the importance of loving this country.
00:50:45.000You might not agree with everything that the government does.
00:50:54.000And so your babies even started turning point chapters.
00:50:59.000But it's also because you as a parent saw how important that was.
00:51:03.000And I think that's what's so special about Turning Point USA is that when we have these events, especially America Fest, it is so family oriented.
00:51:13.000We're not out there trying to raise your kid.
00:51:16.000We're trying to reaffirm what you've been telling them this whole time.
00:51:19.000We're trying to reaffirm to them that there is a space for you.
00:51:38.000But what Charlie loved, and him being a parent also, was that he wanted to inspire the parents to show their kids what true north is and then say, you have a home at Turning Point that will help fuel that even more.
00:51:54.000And so that's how I view us being able to help.
00:51:57.000Charlie spoke very frankly to young men.
00:53:04.000And I think that when you stay focused on the Lord and the lane that he has you in, which is a stream of significance, keep swimming in that.
00:53:15.000The man that's supposed to be with you will not detract you from the Lord.
00:54:53.000So I just want to enjoy that for a minute before we start jumping ahead.
00:54:57.000But my husband, like I said, built a machine.
00:55:04.000And some of the secret sauce within that was that he loved the students.
00:55:13.000But also he loved empowering them to know that they could make a difference and how important voting was.
00:55:21.000And when you see these pictures of him when he first started Turning Point USA, he was so bought into his own mission.
00:55:28.000He wasn't, you know, in an office cubicle while the students were out in an event.
00:55:34.000He was there wearing his lanyard with his little name tag and a big gov sucks button and socialism sucks button.
00:55:45.000And he believed in the mission so much.
00:55:49.000And for lack of a better term, he knew that the unsexy work was what it took to save elections, which is tennis shoes and clipboards and speaking to your neighbors, knocking on doors, being involved with your community, not being afraid to explain to people why you believe what you believe.
00:56:12.000And nothing is changing at Turning Point USA or Turning Point Action.
00:56:16.000If anything, it's just continuing to grow.
00:56:17.000I mean, you've seen the numbers of how many chapters and churches, and it's been phenomenal.
00:56:23.000And yes, there is a structure of quality over quantity, but the 26 midterms, obviously we'll be focusing heavily on Arizona.
00:56:39.000But the thing I love the most, especially about, and if you guys have ever been to our campus, if you have not, I really suggest you come by.
00:56:49.000We have a building that's specifically for the Turning Point Action building.
00:56:52.000And it is one of my favorite buildings to go into because I feel the heartbeat of Charlie in there from a strategy standpoint because it's a literal, it's like a war room in there.
00:57:01.000They have the polling and they have the strategy laid out and they have the door knockers.
00:57:07.000It's really, really powerful to witness.
00:57:10.000And I can just see Charlie being like, knock on that one more door, one more door.
00:57:59.000I saw him with you at the Presidential Medal of Freedom when he awarded it to Charlie posthumously.
00:58:04.000Can you just tell us a little bit about how they've been behind the scenes in this whole thing?
00:58:08.000Charlie and President Trump had a really special relationship.
00:58:15.000It was one that some people would understand, others wouldn't.
00:58:20.000At some times, it was fatherly son, but at other times it was this mutual deep respect of being able to build in a way where Trump understood building in Manhattan and building across the country and across the world architecturally.
00:58:40.000And he also, Charlie understood building with Turning Point USA and his ability to see things that other people couldn't really see, especially in other people.
00:58:54.000But what Charlie really appreciated about President Trump is that no matter what anyone says about him, he is so mission focused.
00:59:09.000And he admired so much the president's tenacity to keep going, especially after January 6th, when no one wanted anything to do with him.
00:59:20.000Charlie said, I got your back, and he meant it.
00:59:24.000And in moments like that really put into perspective the human aspect of politics, you can go down the rabbit hole of slandering someone, but at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, the most important thing is that you realize that we're all just doing our best here with our one life that we have.
00:59:47.000And the president was so good to Charlie from the standpoint of he didn't look down to Charlie.
00:59:54.000He appreciated his ability to be able to mobilize the youth, but also to share the message of how amazing the country we live in.
01:02:51.000That is the Holy Spirit moving within the organization.
01:02:55.000And now more than ever, I see the strength of the organization because people aren't just there to write emails.
01:03:06.000And that's why the age of the individuals that work at the office, everyone's so young.
01:03:12.000Charlie didn't care if you went to college.
01:03:14.000He actually preferred that you didn't.
01:03:16.000He'd hire you right out of high school.
01:03:18.000But the organization itself is so healthy and the culture is so healthy.
01:03:26.000And our chapters, and the students, and the field program, and the Charlie Kirk show, and the events team, and everyone that is a part of the organization goes back to that tapestry of, yeah, there's a bunch of threads, but woven together, the organization is phenomenal.
01:03:49.000If anything, we're being more emboldened, and we will carry on my husband's legacy in a way that no one could even have imagined, and will make it everything he could have ever dreamed of and more.