The Highwire with Del Bigtree - THE LEGACY OF CHARLIE KIRK

Episode Date: September 13, 2025

What should have been a landmark week for medical freedom was instead cast in sorrow with the shocking assassination of free speech champion and Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk. Del reflects on his friendship with Charlie—an ally who was instrumental in connecting RFK Jr. and President Trump in the spirit of unity and freedom. We also revisit a powerful moment from “The Charlie Kirk Show,” showcasing Charlie’s unwavering belief in honest debate, open dialogue, and the courage to build bridges across divides.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-highwire-with-del-bigtree--3620606/support.

This episode really should have been about an incredible week in Washington, D.C., both the dropping of a study inside of the Ron Johnson hearings that I think may change this conversation about the safety of vaccines forever. Almost that exact same time, a Maha report that is looking at how to make children healthier and an executive order that could really change everything as we know it in television. advertising. But of course all of that right now is being overshadowed by this incredible tragedy yesterday and the assassination of Charlie Kirk. So to start there, I was honored to know Charlie Kirk. I consider him a friend, so this hits very

close to home. Charlie was instrumental in giving a voice to the medical freedom movement that I'd been working at for so many years. The first day that I remember meeting him was actually the moment where Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Donald Trump came together. That incredible, incredible event. Backstage, I got to meet Charlie. None of us really knew the spectacle he was about to make out of that moment. I never saw fireworks in any other of his events that I went to after that. But he knew how important this connection was, he was critical in not only bringing these two gentlemen together, but knowing how to help all of us voice this team and bring these two together under the

idea of healing the divide, which was the core value of the Kennedy campaign that I was honored to be the Director of Communications on. And so then Charlie put Robert Kennedy Jr. fronten foremost at many of these events I got to speak at the turning point events and bring this message of medical freedom and uniting everyone for change to bring that together and reach millions of people we never would have reached before. Just really a spectacular individual who smiled and had joyed what he had done. I went and got to walk through his operations. Incredible what Turning Point has done. This thing that he built starting at the age of 18 and bringing people together into dialogue. This is just a short clip of the podcast I did with him just shortly after

having the opportunity to meet him. Let's take a look at this. Hey, everybody, really excited for our guest this hour. He loves Liberty. He's been a fighter and an effective organizer for Liberty and he loves this country and God bless him. Del, welcome to the program. Charlie, first of all, it's just an honor to be here. I've been watching you for years. You have inspired millions of people and getting to work with you as we are right now, you're just doing God's work at this moment. We're probably not going to agree on everything, but we know that we can communicate, we can talk, we can get out in public, we can talk to an audience, we can get on

news shows, we can speak our time and have debates. The fact that we can even have a disagreement is something we agree on. We want to be able to have disagreement. There is no disagreement allowed on the American left. I think disagreements are fun and exciting and strengthen my argument and hopefully challenge yours. And we find out if there's any commonality and it makes us have to defend our position. And then through that, maybe we can get closer to the best public policy decision.

That is what a free society is all about. There's something really profound happening right now, and it is a realignment that will last a generation. Thank you, Del. Turning point put out this statement about his passing. It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that Charles James Kirk has been murdered by a gun, shot that took place during Turning Point USA is the American Comeback Tour, campus event at Utah Valley

University on September 10, 2025. May he be received into the merciful arms of our loving Savior who suffered and died for Charlie. We ask that everyone keep his family and loved ones in your prayers. We ask that you please respect their privacy and dignity at this time. You know, we're all going through different stages of emotions right now, and I think that it's important to have grace for wherever we're at. But I do want to share this message that we can drop into rage and anger. And I see some of it. And I see posting, you know, people that are celebrating his passing. And I don't know why we, you know, give any voice to that. I don't know why we expand that message at all. I know in some ways it's to try and create anger and frustration, but I want to be clear, I don't believe that that's what Charlie Kirk represented.

This was not a guy that would storm capitals with crowds. He didn't run in front of marches and riots. No one ever threw bricks through windows on behalf of a message that Charlie Kirk was sharing. Instead, this was a loving, you know, religious, beautiful family man that instead, instead of creating drama and creating rage. Instead, he opened up a platform. He would walk into universities, sit down with students, open it up for everyone to speak,

didn't censor his critics, but in fact, gave them a microphone, put them on microphones, and said, I want, I'm going to give you your 15 minutes. I want to hear your perspective. Let's have a debate. Let's see if you can prove me wrong. He literally is the epitome of free speech. In fact, you know, I do consider,

him one of those great leaders of this nation, of our time, because he stood for our First Amendment rights, black, white, yellow, red, race, creed, religion, it didn't matter. He believed you had a voice, and he stood up for that voice at a critical time when we almost lost it, an election that was critical. He went to universities and told university students, you have a voice here. You're not voting, you're not a part of the system, you should get involved. Created public discourse saying be a part of the society. Don't allow yourself to be disenfranchised. Don't stand out there as a victim. Come in. Let's have a conversation. Let's sit down together. And he did it smiling. I never saw him lose it. I didn't see him yell at people. Even when they would try to pick a fight on a microphone or drag

him out. He smiled. He was gracious. He said, okay, can we all just calm down here? Let me just give you my perspective. So if we're to represent, remember Charlie Kirk at this time, I think that it's important that we represent him and stand with him and carry what he wanted in this world, was a world where we could communicate, where we could have differences without rage and without anger. And so for those of us that are feeling that rage and anger, it's natural. But I don't believe it was, you know, Charlie Kirk's message, was one of peace, one of communication. And I hope that that is the legacy that we all stand in and carry on from this moment forward. Sure, we could point out those that are not handling the situation correctly. But what I think Charlie Kirk would do

would be to reach across the aisle, to reach out to your loved ones, and instead of having an argument about this, find a place of agreement, find a place of discussion you can have, find a place of love because love is the only thing that's going to transcend these dark moments that we live in right now. And this clearly is. one of this moment, one of those moments. So Charlie, I just want to say, I love you, my brother. I know you're in a great place. And I also know that Charlie would be happy about a few things.

One, that he was the only victim in that shooting. For people like him, your greatest concern even goes beyond your own life, but to those around you, he never wanted anyone hurt. And I know the thing that probably pains him the most is his family and the sacrifice that they're now going to make without having him in their lives. So our prayers, God, to Erica and the children, you have made the greatest sacrifice of all. Thank you for allowing Charlie Kirk to be that brilliant light that shined on this earth.