September 10, 2025
Charlie Kirk and the madness of the left
By Andrea Widburg
As you all know, Charlie Kirk was killed today, leaving behind a wife, two young children, and a movement. I had the pleasure of meeting Charlie nine years ago, at the start of his amazing rise as a voice of young conservatism, and I came away deeply impressed, a perception that never left me. But to understand both Charlie and his death, you need to understand the madness of the left. (And no, we don’t yet know who shot him, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t someone with MAGA hats in his closet.)
Almost exactly nine years ago, a young man named Charlie Kirk stepped onto the stage at the 2016 Republican National Convention and blew everyone away. At the time, he was only 22, but, with Bill Montgomery, he’d already been leading Turning Point USA for four years. Outside of college campuses, though, where he was trying to make headway against overwhelming leftism, few had heard of Charlie. After his speech, though, every conservative knew who he was.
Back then, I was the speakers’ chair for a small conservative organization in Marin County. I emailed Charlie and asked if he’d come to speak to our group, and he instantly agreed to do so. On October 12, 2016, he came to Mill Valley, had lunch with us, and then gave an hour-long speech. I wrote about it in a post that same day:
I had the privilege of hearing Charlie Kirk speak today. Oh. My. God. Charlie is a human dynamo: incredible intelligence and moral decency wrapped up in pure energy and passion, presented through the medium of a riveting presence.
more
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/09/charlie_kirk_and_the_madness_of_the_left.html