Will Cain Country - ‘Dark Moment For America’: Charlie Kirk Assassinated (ft. Mark Halperin, Guy Benson, and Joey Jones)

Episode Date: September 11, 2025

Out of respect for the death of Charlie Kirk, a conservative thought leader, founder of Turning Point USA, and dear friend of both Fox News and Will Cain, this episode will be dedicated to honoring his memory. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Will opens with personal reflections on Kirk’s influence, their friendship, and the grief and anger sweeping America. He frames the moment as both a national tragedy and a test of the country’s moral compass. Editor-In-Chief of ‘2Way’ Mark Halperin then joins Will to examine the media’s coverage and the cultural divide surrounding Kirk’s death, calling it a historic loss and urging the press to confront its own role in shaping his image. Host of ‘The Guy Benson Show’ Guy Benson shares stories from Kirk’s early days, his fearless rise, and his generational impact on young conservatives. Benson highlights the shock-waves reverberating through politics and culture, noting this moment feels like a national turning point. Finally, Joey Jones, Author of ‘Behind The Badge’ and FOX News Contributor, reflects on Kirk’s legacy, the meaning of leadership, and the moral struggle between grief, anger, and honoring Kirk’s example. Jones stresses that Kirk’s greatest work was empowering America’s youth and that his influence will outlive all of us Together, the conversations grapple with what Kirk’s death means for politics, media, and America’s future—and how to carry forward his legacy. Subscribe to 'Will Cain Country' on YouTube here: ⁠Watch Will Cain Country!⁠ Follow Will on X: ⁠@WillCain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Where do we go from here in America? Remembering Charlie Kirk. It is Wilcane Country, streaming live at the Wilcane Country YouTube channel, the Fox News Facebook page, Terrestrial Radio across this great United States of America. but always on demand by subscribing at Apple or on Spotify. How do you want to be remembered? If I die, everything just goes away. How would you, if you could be associated with one thing, how would you want to be remembered?

I want to be, I want to be remembered for, for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing. Most important thing is my faith. Charlie Kirk, husband, father of two, patriot, Founder of Turning Point USA, one of the most influential political organizations in the history of the United States of America. A close confidant to the most major players in American politics, from the Secretary of War to the Vice President of the United States, to the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, a friend to almost everyone in this industry. the kind of guy that would send you a text, a DM, a random call, to congratulate you on a job well done, an amazing segment, a really good conversation for some success in your career. In a business full of narcissism and ego, self-involvement and zero-sum game, Charlie Kirk was a friend.

friend is thrown around a lot in this business it often insinuates someone you've met but friendship is a verb friendship is an act friendship is the way you behave and in this rare way Charlie Kirk was one of one not just a friend to me and not just a friend to many

Charlie Kirk was a friend to America Charlie Kirk assassinated yesterday at Utah Valley University in front of a crowd of thousands, students, most supporters, many there, as is often the case, to debate, watched as he was cut down by a sniper's bullet. Charlie Kirk is dead at the age of 31. yesterday was absolutely surreal i never had it on my bingo card it exists in no playbook there's no training and no preparation that one day you would have to sit on a television set and live announce the death of one of your friends i don't even know how you begin to describe how to do that job well i don't know if i did i don't know how to do that job i don't know how to do that job well.

All I know is at every moment that I've ever wanted to spend with you, and I spend a lot of my life with you, as did Charlie. I've only ever wanted to be one thing, and that's not perfect. I've never wanted to be Walter Cronkite.

I've never wanted to be flawless. I've never wanted to always be right. I've only ever wanted to be real. And so that's the only thing I could think of yesterday when, sadly, I had the dishonor of announcing to the nation the death of Charlie Kirk. This program, if anything, is only more real on Wilcane Country.

And so I'm being real with you when I tell you today that I am filled with sadness. I'm so sad for his two young children. I'm so sad for his wife, Erica. I'm so sad for those closest to Charlie, and I'm so sad for America. It's impossible to overstate the influence of Charlie Kirk. I knew the minute that this news came down, that two of the people that would be the first to hear and the first to call me and the first to want to know were my sons, 14 and 17.

And why is that? Because no one has had a greater influence on the youth of America. than Charlie Kirk but I'm also filled with anger I'm so mad I'm so mad in a disorganized and messy way

I'm mad at everyone and like you I've scrolled my social media and I've seen the reaction I've even seen it on mainstream media outlets and I think thank God God is the only thing saving

those who celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk at this moment God is the only thing saving America they may not believe in God but those who would respond do believe in God and the only thing holding them back and maybe the only thing holding me back from my worst angels is the influence of my better angels, our better angels, through the presence of God.

You know, throughout my career, I've managed to do a couple of different things. I've had different chapters, different phases of my relationship to this business in media. I've debated vigorously, politicians and sports pundits, left and right. I've started small businesses I've been an entrepreneur I've bootstrapped things from the ground I've tried to remain a man of faith

I've tried to be a good friend but I know because of all those chapters and those moments of my personal experience on this earth how rare it is to have someone who can embody so many unique things in one personality Turning Point USA is a grassroots ground up built organizations starting from nothing by an 18 year old in roughly 2012 from that

Charlie Kirk built one of the most influential organizations ever to be seen on the political landscape an entrepreneur of a movement he did something that virtually no one else left or right has been able to do which is to reach a brand new, untapped generation, a renewal of spirit in America. Charlie Kirk was also one of the smartest guys in this business. God help you and good luck in a debate against Charlie Kirk. He was asked, why is it you do this? Why is it that you debate?

Here's Charlie. I go around universities and have challenging conversations because that's what is so important to our country, is to find our disagreements respectfully, because when people stop talking, that's when violence happens. I've never seen someone do this. Well, it's a growing trend because people like me are facing violence, assault. The left. Yes, the campus, Antifa.

I've been stormed out of restaurants. I've been assaulted publicly. Multiple death threats. Okay, so what's your goal in this? There's more people that agree with me than some people would actually believe, and they come out of the woodwork. when I do stuff like this, we record all of it so that we put it on the internet so people can see these ideas collide. When people stop talking, that's when you get violence. That's when civil war happens, because you start to think the other side is so evil and they lose their

humanity. When people stop talking, that's when the violence starts. I've witnessed and competed against the best. Stephen A. Smith, Ben Shapiro. Dave Smith, Douglas Murray, Charlie Kirk was among the best, not just the smartest, but the ability to marshal his ideas and articulate concepts

in ways, well, where the success is self-evident, where it's reached a brand new generation. But to be smart, there's a lot of people that are smart. To be able to debate, there are quite a few people that have been able to debate.

To be an entrepreneur, there are a lot of successful entrepreneurs to create a movement fewer but still may be isolated not singular to be a man of god there are many men of god to be a family man many of us hope to be remembered as family men but to be all of that not one but to be all of those characteristics to execute all of that action my friends, that's rare. That's one of one. That's Charlie Kirk. My algorithm in my feed and my mainstream media consumption pushes me beyond sadness today into a whole new world of emotion. And that motion, it's really hard not to give in to, is full of anger. It has to be addressed

that cannot be ignored. Because it's not cherry-picking. It's not a cultivation of clickbait. It's entirely too prevalent. And it has manifested in violence on now more than one occasion. It's gone from censorship and yells of silence to threats of violence. And it's gone from threats of violence to the execution of violence. Rand Paul attacked in his yard by his neighbor, Donald Trump's attempted assassination twice, the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

We have to talk about a mass psychosis in America that has been overtaken on one side of the political aisle. Oh yes, there are crazies of every political strife. But I don't see a appropriate conversation for both sides'ism. This is not of equal measure at this moment in America. And there has to be a reckoning. There has to be accountability. There has to be a change. There must be a shift.

Or this is the end of America. We will address the media. We will address the legacy of Charlie Cook, Kirk. We will address the future of America with Joey Jones, Guy Benson, and Mark Halperin today, together on Wilcane Country. I encourage you to share this moment together in our community in the comment section on YouTube, on Facebook, on social media, you the Wallitia. Today, we process the death of Charlie Kirk together. I leave you now with this footage behind the scenes at Fox and Friends just a few weeks ago. as Charlie Kirk guest host, Fox and Friends, and was joined by his daughter.

Let's continue to process this with two ways. Mark Halperin coming up on, Will Kane Country. This is Jason Chaffetz from the Jason and the House. podcast. Join me every Monday to dive deeper into the latest political headlines and chat with remarkable guests. Listen and follow now at Fox Newspodcast.com or wherever you download podcasts. Listen to the all-new Brett Bear podcast featuring Common Ground, in-depth talks with lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle, along with all your Brett Bear favorites like his all-star panel and much more. Available now at Fox Newspodcasts.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Trey Gowdy host of the Tregaddy podcast. I hope.

you will join me every Tuesday and Thursday as we navigate life together and hopefully find ourselves a little bit better on the other side. Listen and follow now at foxnewspodcast.com. Joining me now is the editor-in-chief of Two-way, the host of Next Up with Mark Halpern. He very successfully launched brand new podcast. I encourage you to check out Mark whenever your Spotify and Apple or YouTube schedules allow it. and we're appreciative of having him here today here on Will King Country. Mark, it's nice to see you.

Thanks for being with us. Good to see you all. Mark, I do think I would like to start with you today talking about the climate of America. And I would like to talk to you today as someone who has, not unlike me, but to a greater degree than me, participated in what others would define as mainstream media. You have been in the hallways. at MSNBC. You've been on the desk at NBC. You've been in these conversations. And I think that it must be acknowledged the tenor, the tone, the headlines today that are out there. We could

start, Mark, if we wanted to, with simply the New York Times, who today ran a headline before I believe it was corrected and changed and placed differently on their website. But I believe it reads as follows. It says, Charlie Kirk, right-wing provocateur and close ally of Trump dies at 31. Talk to me, if you would, Mark, about the climate of America and the media. Well, I threw up a little bit when I saw that headline, although it wasn't the only one that decided the way to memorialize Charlie was to call him right-wing or far-right. Let me just say, listening to you at the beginning of the show talking about what made Charlie so special, You know, sometimes you go to a friend's wedding and maybe you don't know the other people doing toasts and they say things that sound so familiar to you.

Oh, they see the same thing I do. Sometimes happen at a funeral as well. What you said about Charlie's so resident, not just for me, but for so many. And I urge everybody to rewind and listen again if you weren't playing close attention because, Will, you just captured him so perfectly. What made him special? What made him influential? And I've been talking to Charlie about this. when I've interviewed him and on his show when I've been a guest there and trying to explain it to

Democrats, including in the last 24 hours, there's no one like Charlie. I think in American history because technology that he was so central to what he did didn't exist until just recently. And I've been saying to Democrats for a long time, and Gavin Newsom, one of the few Democrats who understood this, you don't have a Charlie Kirk. Part of why you're losing politically so often is you don't have a Charlie Kirk. As for the media, I have worked in true. traditional media. And I've also throughout my career, even when I worked there, I've been a huge critic of it. So what we're seeing play out now is no surprise. What I've asked people on the left to understand is three things. One is, if this had happened to, if the left did have

their version of Charlie Kirk and that person had been assassinated, the coverage would be so different. The coverage would be indicting the far right for killing that person rather than what we see now, which is calling on all sides to do better, which is great, and I'm all for all sides doing better. But they're not covering this, and they wouldn't wait in the case of the right to know the identity of the shooter. Number two, understand and appreciate what Charlie did, because if you don't, you won't understand the anger. The press is treating this like an unfortunate thing. What they're not doing is factoring in just how angry people on the right are. And the press doesn't seem to get that. Our colleagues in the establishment media, what I call the

dominant media. They don't seem to get that. And then lastly, stop covering Charlie like he was a freak and own up to the past coverage. I saw CNN's media critic yesterday in a special newsletter about Charlie, write glowingly about how wonderful Charlie was and all the wonderful things Charlie did. Go look at that guy's previous coverage. Own up to the demonization that occurred about Charlie for years. I'm not saying that's what got him killed. But what I am saying is you can't suddenly decide the guy's a great guy without looking at your previous coverage and asking the question, why didn't we think he was a great guy before? Why didn't we respect what he did? Even if we disagreed with the mediaology, because people in the media are liberal,

they should have respected what he did in his life because he was entitled to it, because he was an historical figure, 31. He was an historical figure for his role, not just in the president's re-election campaign, but in understanding how to appeal to young people and how to have a servant's heart in the rough and tumper role of politics. You know, Mark, I really try not to give attention, both personally and professionally, to the outliers, the freaks, the provocateurs, the flame throwers, the people with social media who today do suggest that Charlie Kirk, because of his position on the Second Amendment, or because of abstract concepts of accusations of hate, got what he deserved. But then

it either bleeds up or bleeds down from those random posters on social media to places like MSNBC where yesterday analyst and commentator and former political advisor Matthew Dowd had this to say in the wake of the death of Charlie. Yeah, and again, I emphasize what you just emphasize. We don't know any of the full details of this. We don't know if this was a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration or so we have no idea about this. he speculates whether or not it was a supporter firing off a gun in celebration but then he goes on mark

to say in a way charlie asked for this he got what he wanted in america listen because um as we were just talking about a moment ago with with alan after one of the doge employees was allegedly attacked in Washington, D.C. That's what Donald Trump used as a justification to send in federal troops into Washington, D.C., to get things under control, the carjacking situation. He used that. And I know it's hard to predict the future, Mark, but you can imagine the administration using this as a justification for something. So Matthew Dowd said that you put hate out there and you get hate back. Matthew Dowd was fired, by the way, yesterday by MSNBC. The second clip was

Katie Turr, a host on MSNBC, saying this will now be, this will be the predicate for Donald Trump to continue his authoritarian march into the United States cities. I don't know if it bleeds up or bleeds down, Mark. I don't know if this is the media giving into a mass psychosis that exists out there in the populace reflected on social media, or I don't know if social media is the tail wagging to the dog of MSNBC? Well, a lot embedded there for sure. You know, I texted one of our mutual friends yesterday who responded to people like that online

with a three-word phrase. The first word is go and the third word is yourself. And I texted him and I said, Charlie would not want you to be this angry. This person isn't worth your time. And I think that's the right attitude mentally, and I think it's the right attitude in terms of what Charlie would have wanted. At the same time, I don't think we can be silent. The fact that Matthew Dowd, I don't like when people lose their jobs.

People say stuff live that, you know, but he seemed to be insufficiently contrite about it. And as your question suggests, the mindset that we cause someone to say that is insidious and it does exist online. But we have to deal with real life and we have to deal with love and productivity and not. try to out-hate people on Twitter. It's a very, you're preaching the better angels. You really are. And I acknowledge in this moment, it is very difficult. And I am battling that.

Personally, Mark, I am battling my own anger. I get it. I truly am. I want to give in. I want to give in to my anger personally and professionally. And I know you do. And I know that many people do. I know many people listening are having that same.

tension internally. I guess what I wonder is if not a significant portion of our population is given into a mass psychosis. We talked about the concept of mass psychosis during COVID, how fear can run rampant through a population, warp your sense of reality and change who you are or reveal who you are to your neighbor. And I have to wonder if there's not some kind of mass psychosis. There are always going to be crazy people on the left and the right. Crazy people exist. concerned as much about the assassination of Charlie Kirk by the response and the celebration of the death of Charlie Kirk. And if that is not a reflection of a real mass psychosis, it's been bred through the irresponsibility of media in teaching everyone that if you disagree, you're at minimum, honestly, minimum a bigot, most probably a fascist and at maximum a Nazi. At that point, you give license to the worst of us.

Yeah. So decades of tens of millions of our fellow citizens, unaware of the pain caused by being barred from college campuses or not being able to speak out if you're a student and you're a conservative or cancel culture or being denied opportunities because you're conservative. Decades of that and the left seems oblivious to it, even now, even now. And now we have Charlie, a free speech advocate who went boldly aggressive. and as a happy warrior onto college campuses. So my preferred next step for everyone is for people on the left to say, tell us about Charlie. Tell us why you felt so strongly about him. Tell him what he did that made you all feel he was such a great leader. And for people on the right and people like me, objective journalists who understand what happened,

to tell them, let them understand how Charlie's death is a metaphor for decades of built up anger and frustration about how the right was treated. And then I'd ask people on the right to try to be similarly understanding. How could they not see Charlie's influence? How could they not see what he represented? Let's try to explain it to them. Better angels, but also better outcome. Because I can tell you, just hating them and being angry at them and saying,

go F yourself to them, it's not right for America. And I feel confident saying it's not what Charlie would have wanted. It's not what Charlie would want. He doesn't want us to be at war, a civil war in America. He doesn't. So let's explain it to them. let's explain them let us tell you and and make sure they need to listen if they say we don't care we don't care about some right wing zeal it well then we can then then we can be angry but for now

i'd like people in the press who understand it and people on the right who love charlie explain it to them kill them with kindness make them see that this was someone trying to write decades of inequity and unfairness. You describe Charlie perfectly in words that I wish that I would have used. He was such a happy warrior. He was never venomous. He was bold and he was blunt. And he told what he saw as the truth.

I more often than not agreed with his observations of the truth, but he was never mean. And it kind of strikes me that the Charlie that, as you point out, the right may know, or those that are informed about Charlie may know is not that Charlie the left thinks exists. And there's an image of him or a perception of him, cultivated through clips, perhaps, that they have, that is totally different,

I think, than the reality. And it makes you wonder, why? How is that? How is it? Is that a failure of media? Is that a product of a fractured information system? Is it, what is it that you could have to, so polar opposite opinions of someone

to polar opposite opinions of someone when you have so much access and exposure to Charlie? Mostly liberal media bias. They don't want to celebrate someone who's so successful and advocating positions they disagree with. The two things I've asked people on the left to read. One is the vice president's long post on X

about his relationship with Charlie. It's lovely. And there's so much embedded in it that tells you why Charlie was so successful and why so beloved and then i'll say with the kind of immodesty that charlie would never show i just published a piece on the daily mail about my based on my long time observation of charlie in conversations with him about what made him special not only not a hater and that's you know 180 degrees opposite of what the media says about him but um but a guy who uh was interested in

learning interested in understanding and you think a 31 year old close friends with the president close friends with the vice president close friends with business leaders and political leaders and spiritual leaders all over this country running a hundred million dollar plus company successful video podcaster least vain least arrogant least boastful person you can imagine all at 31 quite extraordinary and again think about how hard it is it's an inverse relationship in the most cases a successful conservative is going to get worse coverage the more successful they are because they don't want to acknowledge the success of people who are their ideological foes. It's a, it's a huge issue. And I'll say again, if Charlie Kirk were a Democrat and he was doing the things he did

in service of a Democratic president who the press loved, he'd be the, he'd be, he'd be Karl Rove plus James Carville times 100 in terms of how they'd be covered and how they treated by the media. But because he was a conservative, he was barely covered. And if he was, it was always negative about his so-called extreme views or about how, you know, he's coordinating political. with the White House, all these things that he was so effective at, but they treat like a, you know, like a controversy. And that's going to be my last question for you. You talked about him as a man. You've been an astute political observer, not just a journalist. You've written the books on this, on political movements, on political campaigns. And it really is remarkable.

It's beyond remarkable. It is a pillar, a turning point in American history, what has been accomplished by turning point. And the success of that, organization and what it did to an entire generation really honestly stands out over a century in American history. How do you think about that? How do you think about turning point? Yeah, historic. I mean, what Charlie did was say, we're not going to yield the support of young people to the other side because we've got a story to tell. Again, one of the things I write about in my daily mail pieces, Charlie was the best political marketer I've ever met. he would get an idea and then he'd say how do we sell it and so what he's done and we'll see if

it sustains and unfortunately for his side sustained in his absence what he did was to go on the campuses and talk and make it safe and in many cases cool to be a conservative on campus and then to do the nuts and bolts of road of registration Charlie was laughed at including again by some of our friends with an establishment political circles saying I'm going to register people to vote in the battleground states and I'm going to get him to turn out. to vote even though younger voters tend out to do that he did it and he did it because he understood the mechanics but he also understood the poetry he understood the human heart of so many young people were like we're we're we don't we don't feel a kinship to democratic party tell us what you got

the most incredible thing not the least bit surprising to me in the last 24 hours how many older people I've heard from with kids in their 20s and teenagers who emailed me and said you know I really like what you're saying about Charlie he said I've the people most upset in my life for my kids. I had no idea my kids even knew who Charlie Kirk was. Or I knew they knew who he was, but I had no idea this would upset them so much. He personally, because he understood show business and presentation and excitement, but also ideas. He personally had touched so many young people, made them part of the MAGA movement, but part of following Charlie Kirk. And that's why he's so special and singular. And that's why I say he was an historic figure when he died. Because

no one in either party has done that in the modern era, the way Charlie did it as a podcaster, as an entrepreneur, as a public speaker, as a marketer. No one has put all those skills together. I've covered the best political strategists in both parties for my entire career, many decades. There's never been anybody like Charlie was. Mark Halperin is the editor-in-chief of Two-A. You should check Mark out at Two-A and next up with Mark Halper. I appreciate you spending time with us today.

My pleasure. Honored to do. I hope to see you again soon. Okay. Take care, Mark. Let's take a quick break, but continue this conversation about the life and the legacy of Charlie Kirk with the host of the Guy Benson show, Guy Benson, coming up on Will Cain Country. This is Jimmy Fala, inviting you to join me for Fox Across America, where we'll discuss every single one of the Democrats' dumb ideas.

Just kidding, it's only a three-hour show. Listen live at noon Eastern or get the podcast at Fox Across America.com. I'm Janice Dean. Join me every Sunday as I focus on stories of hope and people who are truly rays of sunshine in their community and across the world listen and follow now at foxnewspodcast.com over on youtube joanna morton says wait right wing is now bad i'm sure mr kirk was called much worse right wing is the least of the insults and inaccuracies in that headline from the new york times to describe charlie as a provocateur is to assign to him a negative connotation charlie kirk also didn't just die at 31. Charlie Kirk was assassinated at 31. Raymond Gabe Terrell says,

rest in peace, Charlie Kirk. He will never be forgotten. And Tim Rocket says, I always thought Kirk was sort of neutral and centralized, trying to meet in the middle, sort of like a traditional libertarian. Charlie Kirk was not extreme. Charlie Kirk was, if anything, center-right, somewhat moderate. Charlie Kirk was someone who wanted to to engage with love, who did engage with those who disagreed. He sought out the conversation. It's a scary proposition, but I think it's worth mentioning that one of the most poignant tweets I saw over the past 24 hours was, Charlie Kirk wanted to engage with you. He wanted to converse with you. Charlie Kirk was moderate. You won't like what comes after, Charlie Kirk.

Charlie Kirk's first appearance on the Fox News Channel was in 2012. He was an 18-year-old high school senior. Charlie's last appearance was the day before his death on the Will Kane show. Here's Charlie. And in fact, if you want to actually talk about race-focused activity, why is it that you then ignore all the race-focused activity of black-on-white crime? Will, I want to live in a race-neutral country. I don't like talking about race all the time. But when I see it, and I see the left ignore it, and we try to make them live up, up to their own standard of rules that they force fed us during the chaos of 2020. It shows the, it really goes to show the destruction that this can lead to the entire nation.

Christine on YouTube says this is so sad. Christine says it breaks your heart seeing the pictures of Charlie and his family, his little girl running into his arms on Fox weekend. Mark on YouTube says the real emotions from Jafen Chasets and Will Kane yesterday showed the real picture of how America is feeling. At this moment, at the time of our broadcast, a manhunt is still on for the assassin of Charlie Kirk. Two different individuals have been taken into custody and released after questioning yesterday by the FBI. Reports suggest and a press release by authority suggests a man seemingly in tactical gear in all black

went up to the roof of a building some 200, 250 yards away from Charlie at 1152 a.m. that man took a position in the corner of the building, fired one single shot, got up, ran, jumped off the building, stashed his bolt-action rifle in the woods. There are reports that that ammunition was engraved. We will get into later, as we can confirm details exactly what was engraved on that ammunition, and then made his way into a nearby neighborhood. There are apparently ring door cameras in that neighborhood that captured this suspect, and the authorities are on the look for someone that they have good video of.

Let's continue this conversation. With the host of the Guy Benson show, you can check him out every weekday afternoon on Fox News Radio. He is also my friend. It is Guy Benson. Guy, good to see you here today under horrific circumstances, but you, I'm sure, like everyone else, had a relationship and knew Charlie, and I'm glad to have you here today to hear your thoughts about Charlie Kirk. Yeah, well, thank you.

I've told this story a couple times now, but for your audience, I'll just quickly repeat it. You mentioned that Charlie's first time on Fox News was when he was 18. And I actually met him when he was, I think, 16. He had started this little tiny fledgling group out of his house, basically in Illinois, out of his parents' house. And he was a high school student. I was just starting my career. He was, I think, nine years younger than I am.

And he reached out to me because I had a local show on a radio station in Chicago and was doing some writing at the time. So he got in touch with me. And he said, hey, I want to help educate people my age, young people about American values and about conservatism. I'm having a little gathering. Would you be willing to come and speak? And I don't know if it was this very first conference,

but it might have been. It was this small little half ballroom in a hotel somewhere in Northern Illinois. And I remember thinking this guy is precocious and smart and energetic and really sort of earnest, right? And I was happy to do it and ended up then through the years attending a number, of the events of what turned out to be turning point,

turned this behemoth in American politics, starting with such humble beginnings and a vision from this kid. And I remember around that time he was 16 or 17, and he asked me, he said, I'm not sure if I should go to college. I don't know if I should go get that degree and go that path or after I should really go all in

on this mission and try to build this. And I gave him advice. I said, listen, politics will be there when you're done with college. You know, you're smart. I would go get a degree. That's what you should do. And as I told Brett Bayer yesterday, thank goodness for everyone involved that Charlie was smart enough to totally reject my advice. And politely, of course, and thoughtfully. But he was like, yeah, thanks, but no thanks. I'm actually going to skip the whole college experience. And I'm going to start really taking this whole movement seriously. And then look where that led him. You know, it is incredible. what he was able to do over the course of these years, you know, starting in his parents' house in Illinois, and then being a frequent honored guest at the White House and a personal friend of the president of the United States

and really moving the needle in a way that a lot of people in this world could only dream of, and I think in many cases we're envious of, especially when it came to his mission, which was young people, then moving that cohort in a more, constructive direction in a more conservative direction. And I'm just sort of, and always have been in awe of what he was able to start and then grow. And then I just, you know, I think about where that movement is now, how it, that organization has to just feel shattered this week.

And they're going to have to figure out the path forward. But I'm confident that every single person involved with Turning Point USA, every single person who is a fan of charlie's and there's a lot of them um stopping or scaling back or piping down is not an option um it shouldn't be an option and he would never want it to be an option i feel very confident in saying that you know a couple of things off of what you just shared guy i i've shared this my relationship with charlie and i would definitely say charlie was a friend But that doesn't make me unique. I've said this.

It doesn't make me special because almost everybody in our industry can count Charlie as a friend. Almost everyone in our industry would say, oh, I get the random text. I get the random DM from Charlie. He'll celebrate or congratulate or compliment something he appreciated on television. The last one I got was the day before his death when he texted me and I don't mind sharing heroic segment yesterday, legendary. I said, thanks, man. He goes, I'm blasting that one out. But that doesn't make me special.

Charlie special because everyone has these stories. He was such a supporter, and you know as well as I do, guy, this business is full of narcissism. And that wasn't Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk wanted everyone to succeed. And the word precocious is a weird word. I think sometimes we think of the word precocious and it's like a negative. Like that child is precocious. It's actually a compliment, right? That means that child is way ahead of its time. It's got adult characteristics at a preternaturally early age. That Charlie did all that? Okay. Yes. Wow. Entrepreneurial at 16, 17, 18. Wow. Movement builder at 18, 19, 20. Didn't go to college. Guy, you're really smart. I'd like to think I'm a pretty good debater. Charlie was really among the absolute best at age like 23. And by the way, if I'm good at this, it didn't get there until I'm in my 30s. you know like just the way that he was i don't know how you replace charlie kirk guy to your point i don't know how you do that i really do not and what i will agree with you on is i do suspect it will be like a hydra you're going to see the launch of a thousand charlie charlie kirk's maybe not no one can be charlie kirk but they all can be inspired by charlie kirk yeah i'm in i don't think This is a proposition of replacing.

I mean, it can't be, it won't be. But there's a carrying the torch imperative, I think, now. And one of the other words I would use with Charlie is, and this gets sort of thrown around a lot, and people use it as a compliment, I think, maybe too often. But in terms of the realm in which he operated, in which we operate, he was fearless, right? He would go anywhere and talk to anyone.

Like I was watching clips of him doing a debate at Oxford, right? And I think for a lot of people with, you know, fancy degrees and, you know, who have been steeped in sort of like a cosmopolitan background and all of that, getting invited to debate at Oxford would be daunting just because. of the reputation and you're you know over on foreign soil at you know their version of you know a Harvard type institution and just putting myself in those shoes I'm like you know how how would I do like I think I would do okay but watching the way that he at least evinced zero fear at all I saw someone else

post on X either yesterday or today that they ended up doing a debate a few weeks after Charlie was at Oxford and was asking the students there. By the way, you know, how was Charlie? What do you think of him? And he said almost to a person, even though there was, of course, a lot of disagreements, they just ended up really liking him as a person. So to go there to have this sort of wide-ranging, sort of free-wieldy debate at Oxford to do well, to marshal the preparation and the knowledge that he had, to step into that arena the way that he did and to emerge having made his points often aggressively while also winning in some cases probably the grudging respect of that of that crowd because it was impossible

like to like him that that doesn't come along very often right that's you know in sports we talk about generational talent in this sport if you know Charlie was a generational talent yes perfectly well said it is the combination of unique characteristics that when put together makes someone absolutely one of one you're absolutely right guy fearless fearless in the environment fearless in what need needed to be said aggressive but a happy warrior and yet provocative but also likable personal that is not a combination of things that you just run across, you know, with any level of frequency. I also want to ask you this, lastly, guy, Constantine Kissen, who is a commentator, and I don't even know where he exists on the political

spectrum. My suspicion is somewhere left of center, said this feels like an invisible line has been crossed. Something is now shifting, and this is a turning point in America. I think we all feel something like that in this moment. I'm not even sure the left fully appreciate. what this means and what this moment might actually portend, I don't think anybody. I hope not many are wishing for the worst. But I think if any rational human being is paying attention, you have to at least acknowledge the potential for the worst. And I don't know where we go from here, Guy. I don't know what's next for America. Yeah. I don't know either. It does feel like a turning point or an inflection point. I just don't know in what direction. I don't know if that

it's channeled in a healthy way or an unhealthy way. I don't know what that looks like. I don't know how it manifests itself. What I do know, and I'm gonna talk about this, I think, on the radio show later today. And I don't know if you have shared this experience or not, but I was thinking back to last summer when Trump was shot in Butler.

I happen to be at the RNC already. And they called me, they're like, get in front of a camera right now. There's this breaking news. And I remember it vividly. I always will remember it vividly that horrible day. And I got, you know, a lot of text messages and notes from people that day just because it was scary and disturbing and, you know, people had seen me on the air and that kind of thing. For a number of reasons, I think, at least in my experience, the amount of messages and

reachouts and phone calls and texts and DMs and that sort of thing that I have gotten since Charlie was shot dwarfs what I got that day a year a year plus ago. And from people that I wasn't even really sure would have known who Charlie Kirk was, but they did. And obviously it hits very close to home for those of us in this business. I think people know that I at least had some sort of or suspected I had some sort of friendship or relationship with Charlie, which was true. But I think it goes beyond that. The outpouring of concern and fear for the country, anger, disgust, grief, it's, it's, I don't remember experiencing anything like this before on this scale. Yes. And I don't know what that means, right? I think part of our job is to

analyze things and try to make sense of things. I'm not. in the making sense of things stage yet i'm just i'm barely it barely has registered that he's dead that he's actually gone right that's that's just um really hard really hard um but i can at least make the observation and it sounds like you're you're nodding along i can make the observation that just anecdotally in my little world this has been something of a nuclear detonation among a lot of people. And I think there are many reasons behind that that we can unpack, but at least as far as I'm concerned, it's undeniable, and it is significant. It means something. And what that something is, I'm not sure. Not yet. I feel the same

way. And if I'm being honest, I don't yet know what the right thing is yet as well either. You can get more of this excellent analysis. Today at 3 o'clock on the Fox News Radio channel, make sure you tune in to the Guy Benson show. Guy, I always appreciate the time. Thank you, man. Thank you, Will. Earlier, our guest, Mark Kalperin referenced one of the most poignant messages coming out of the last 24 hours is that of the vice president of the United States, J.D. Vance. It is a long post.

I do want to take a moment to share with you what the vice president had to say. He said as follows, a while. ago, probably in 2017, I appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox show to talk about, God knows what. Outwards, a name I barely knew, afterwards, a name I barely knew, sent me a DM on Twitter and told me, I did a great job. It was Charlie Kirk. And that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today. Charlie was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind, like me.

He was skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016. Like me, he came to see Donald Trump as the only figure capable of me. moving American politics away from the globalism that had dominated our entire lives. When others were right, he learned from them. When he was right, as he usually was, he was generous. With Charlie, the attitude was never, I told you so, but welcome. Charlie was one of the first people I called when I thought about running for Senate in early 2021. I was interested in, but skeptical, there was a pathway.

We talked through everything, from the strategy to the fundraising to the grassroots of the movement he knew so well. he introduced me some of the people that would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr. Like his dad, he's missed understood, said Charlie. He's extremely smart and very much on our wavelength. Don took the call from me because Charlie asked him to. Long before I ever committed, even in my mind, to running, Charlie had me speak to his donors at a Talking Point USA event. He walked me around the room and introduced me. He gave me honest feedback on my remarks. He had no reason to do this, no expectation I'd go anywhere. I was polling at that point. well below 5%. He did it because we were friends, and because he was a good man.

When I became the vice presidential nominee, something Charlie advocated for, both public and in private, Charlie was there for me. I was so glad to be part of the president's team, but candidly, surprised by the effect it had on my family. Our kids, especially the oldest, struggled with the attention and the constant presence of the protective detail. I felt this acute sense of guilt that I had conscripted my kids into this life without getting their permission, and Charlie was constantly calling and texting and checking on our family and offering guidance and prayers. Some of our most successful events were organized not by the campaign, but by TPUSA. He wasn't just a thinker, he was a doer, turning big ideas into bigger events with thousands of activists.

And after every event, he would give me a big hug. He would tell me he was praying for me and asked me what he could do. You focus on Wisconsin, he'd tell me. Arizona is in the bag. And it was. Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ. He had a profound faith. We used to argue about Catholicism and Protestantism

and who was right about minor doctrinal questions because he loved God. He wanted to understand him. Someone else pointed out that Charlie died doing what he loved, discussing ideas. He would go into these hostile crowds and answer the questions. If it was a friendly crowd and a progressive asked a question to jeers of the audience,

he encouraged his fans to calm down, and let everyone speak. He exemplified the foundational virtue of our republic, the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas. Charlie had the uncanny ability to know when to push the envelope and when to be conventional. I've seen people attack him for years for being wrong on this or that issue publicly, never realizing that privately he was working to broaden the scope of acceptable debate. He was a great family man. I was talking to the president in the Oval Office. He said, I know he was a very good friend of yours, and I nodded silently. And President Trump would that Charlie really loved his family. The president was right. Charlie was so proud of

Erica and his two kids. He was happy to be a father, and he felt such gratitude for having found a woman of God with whom he could start a family. He was a true friend, the kind of guy you would say something to, and no, it would stay with him. I'm on more than a few group chats with Charlie and people. He's introduced me to over the years. We celebrate weddings and babies and bust each other's chops and mourn the loss of loved ones. We talk about politics and policy in sports and life. These group chats include people at the very highest level of our government. They trusted him, loved him, and knew he'd always have their backs because he was a true friend.

You could instinctively trust the people Charlie introduced you to. So much of the success we've had in this administration traces directly to Charlie's ability to organize and convene. He didn't just help us win in 2024. He helped us staff the entire government. I was in a meeting in the West Wing when those group chats started lighting up with people telling Charlie that they were praying for him and that's how I learned the news that my friend had been shot I prayed a lot over the next hour

as first good news then bad trickled in God didn't answer those prayers and that's okay he had other plans And now that Charlie is in heaven, I'll ask him to talk to the big man directly. On behalf of family friends' country. You ran a good race, friend. We got it from here. Here's Charlie on his relationship with Jesus Christ.

We as Christians have hoped that we are going to see our loved ones again, and that we will be in heaven, and that we will be in perfect peace, and that this is not it. In fact, there's something even better awaiting us. We are seeing Gen Zee go back to church in record numbers. We are seeing a Christian revival that should give everyone in the service. audience hope it's the greatest news happening in america right now we worship a loving god who allows us to be here on this planet to have to do his will here on earth i want a revival

of christianity in this country i want people to give their life to jesus in huge numbers we're serious about saving this country we need to get back to the source of where that inheritance came from the word of god and our true citizenship which is in heaven sorry about that I didn't expect that today, and I thought it'd be a new day. I truly apologize. Those are the words earlier of Vice President J.D. Vance. Where do we go from here? Let's continue that conversation with my friend Joey Jones when we come back on Will Cain Country.

Joining me now is another good friend of mine. It is Joey Jones, Fox News contributor, the new host of the Big Weekend Show. I'm extremely proud of him, and I'm glad to have him here today. what's up jolly hey bro i don't think you uh i don't think you have to apologize um showing emotion i think you i think you're in a good spot no thank you i don't want to to be honest i don't want that on social media i don't want to i just i don't even know how to explain that you know but i don't want to

um so you and i've been texting and we've been texting about a couple of things. We've been texting about sort of where we go from here, you know, in America. And it's the conversation, Joey, that I'm having with a lot of people, not in our business. People that come up to me to soccer practice and people, you know, no one knows, man. No one knows what comes next for America. You know, I was in L.A. of sitting across the table with Micro. And we were doing this podcast that will come out in October, and he asked me, what scares you the most? That was his question at the end of this, like, hour and a half. I mean, you know how he is.

He says, what scares you the most? And I had to think for a second. It's not because I'm not scared of anything, but it's, you know, I've got to go through the list, I guess. Heights and, you know, tripping and falling. I don't know. And, you know, the one thing I think the most cliche thing I could say is I'm scared I won't be there to protect my kids one day. And then started this whole other conversation about. you know so much of us say what kind of world are we leaving our kids and it just kind of came to me

some people in this world say not just what kind of world am I leaving my kids but what kind of world could my kids build and then the next day this happens and I can't think of anyone in the world that thought that way more than Charlie Kerr what kind of world could our kids build that was That's the difference in how he thinks and how he acts and the rest of us. We're so focused on ourselves. We're sitting here going, you know, what are we, how big of a mess are we making? And Charlie sitting there going, how amazing of a blessing can these kids make it for the rest of us? And so to dedicate his life to that.

I mean, when this happened, one of the first people that text me was an 18-year-old that lives with me through the week and goes to school with my son. he's a senior. And that really exemplifies the generation that Charlie touched. His legacy's going to outlive all of us, not just because he is now a martyr, but because the people that he touched were the youngest among us as adults. And he didn't do it simply because they're young. He did it because he knew if he didn't, he knew who would. He knew that there had to be a balance. There had to be someone sharing with them the things we, Charlie yourself, I, and others believe, because if we didn't, there was a concerted effort to teach them something else

or to breed that out of them in thought and culture. And so as we sit here today and mourn Charlie, man, for those of us that have kids and you and I have young boys, we just have to be so thankful for him, that he lived the time he did live and he chose to use that time the way he did. Because like you said, none of us, I don't believe any of us, you or myself, could have done it. Not to say that you can't do great things and I can't do great things, but that great thing belonged to Charlie and he was put on this world to do it. The last thing I want to point out real quick

is I got a text this morning that really shook me. Today's September 11th, 9-11. And it was from someone about 10 years older me, firmly Gen X. And he said, you know, our parents didn't remember Pearl Harbor and we don't remember JFK. He's like, I woke up yesterday and didn't know who Charlie Kirk was, and today's the first 9-11, that it was page 3 news. And he didn't say that as a complaint. He said, as a reflection I think that points out two things one we have moved forward a generation

and two Charlie is that big of a loss and that big of a movement yeah you're exactly right I listen to the sports radio station Joey sometimes which I have a love-hate relationship with

I don't even want to hear what they have to say after this one time they were making a joke and they can be funny one time they were talking about like meeting their friend's friend like in the parking lot you met your friend's friend who you'd never met before and immediately you're like damn it he's better than me and no guy ever wants to say that no guy ever wants to look at another guy and go damn it he's better than me you know and it's a hell of a thing to admit, but it's an honest thing to acknowledge. And you're absolutely right, Joey. You're absolutely right. I couldn't have done it. I couldn't have done what Charlie did.

I mean, your boys, my boys, I saw the chart, Joey, in 23 Democrats. And I haven't using the word Democrat and Republican because that makes this whole thing partisan. And it's not. Yeah. It's only, a proxy for virtuous ideas in my mind about the renewal of America. But in 2023, Democrats were plus 18 with young men. In 2025, it's plus 23 Republicans. It's something like a 44-point swing among young men. That is the work of Charlie Kirk. Now, it is the work of Donald Trump, and it's the work of J.D. Vance, and the work of a lot of people. But the majority, perhaps the majority is the work done by Charlie Kirk. It's truly, truly remarkable, the effect that he has had on a generation.

And that is all, you and I could know that without even knowing Charlie Kirk. And then there's knowing him and knowing the dude. And you've been in TV and I've been in TV and you can say this as well. There's a lot of really good people at what they do. And I can name the names who are not great dudes that you don't want to be. around. That wasn't Charlie Kirk. I don't know, man. That's just a very, very unique person that has just been lost. I do want to ask you this, Joey. This news will be fluid. It will move throughout the day. Your expertise should not be ignored. A man hunt is on. You texted me

this. I mentioned that you and I have been texting. And I've had this conversation in private with people at high levels of power who have used words like professional. People see what was done here and they're not assuming this is some random crazy lefty, the degree of difficulty, the single shot, the escape, suggest professionalization. You see that a bit differently, I take it, in the way you're analyzing this today. Yeah, I'm a man of the three Razors principle for those. of you that don't know it, you can look them up. But the main one is Occam's Razor, which is the simplest explanation usually wins. Now, if you apply that to Las Vegas, there isn't a simple explanation. So we'll talk conspiracies all day. With this, I had no idea who killed Charlie Kurt or why or who in all was involved. I just, I don't know that. So I'm going to take this stuff I do know. I see in front of me that's being reported, look at it, but 150 yards shot from an elevated position that hits your target in the neck. suggest to me that someone took a regular hunting rifle, zeroed it at 50 yards or 100 yards,

if at all, or Borsight zeroed it even, shot, aimed at Charlie in the chest. And when they shot, there was bullet rise or even their own heart rate caused the bullet to rise. And, you know, you talk about the one in a million shot that saved Donald Trump's life. It was probably something very similar that hit Charlie in just the wrong spot. And, you know, when you're talking about hitting something the size of a serving plate, which would be the target, if they aimed at the center of Charlie's chest and they hit it in the neck, you're talking 8, 12 inch diameter, just about every rifle out there out of the box. If you looked down the bore and pointed it at your target and aligned your sights to it,

even iron sites would hit something like that at 150 yards. So there's nothing yet that suggests, oh, this was a professional shooter or sniper. What does that mean? hell, I don't know what it means. I don't know if it means anything. I think the main thing it means is all of us out there that want to be experts should focus on mourning Charlie and keeping his legacy alive and hoping that the modicum of trust we still have in the government proves true and they find who did this and why and we can take some, some little bit of solace and the fact that the person's held accountable. Is it possible in this world that someone is powerful, grassroots powerful as Charles? was executed, I guess. Does that matter right now today? What matters right now today is that his wife and kids have support and this country keeps his legacy alive and that the work that he gave his life for continues and that the government

that we fund and put some faith in finds his killer. That's what matters today. Julie, I do want to ask you this. I respect your voice. I respect so much. that I probably haven't even told you. Of course, I and everybody else you run into, and your world tells you how much they respect what you've done for this country. But there's something else I respect about you, and it is your dedication to being thoughtful and measured.

Probably more than me on many occasions. I've sat with you on the couch, and I've let her rip in some ways where I've watched you be much more thoughtful and measured. and um you know i sit here today and i go and and i i i know nothing else than to than to just be real i just don't have another north star i just don't have it it's the only one i've ever come back to and so to be real i'm so mad joey and i mean there's there's parts of me that want to let it rip and say you want this you got this and you know who am i talking to I don't even know who I'm talking to, you know? And yet I see the celebration.

Then I'm like, I know exactly who I'm talking to. I see the celebration of Charlie's murder, and I know exactly what I want to happen. And I don't want to say these things out loud, right? And then I try to be the better person inside. And I think, as I said earlier, like the saving grace for these people, the saving grace for this country, I truly believe this, Joey. And I think you're on your own path and your own journey here is God.

Because the thing holding good people back from this, doing bad things is God. That's what's happening. Trust me. And I don't know how well that damn holds. And I don't know what comes. I literally don't know.

Darkness suggests evil. When I say that the future is dark for me right now, it's a mystery. I can't see down the hallway. I don't know what's next for America. I don't know what's Next for America.

I know that if I get to have any type of effect on that, my dad would say, mind the wake you leave. You know your boat's out on the lake. You're leaving a wake behind you. Every time I go on TV, I think about that. What kind of wake am I leaving? And how am I affecting the people that are listening, that are struggling with their emotions?

Charlie is the latest of a list of men better than me that I've been associated with or called a friend that died fighting for something. The difference is most of the others were on a battlefield. And it made enough sense to know we went to war. And at some point, we went to war so shit like this doesn't happen at home. That was the point of it all. And so Charlie hurts a lot worse because this is the home we fought to protect. This is the home that my buddies died to protect.

But when all of them died, you know, in the 60s, they would spit on soldiers. And when my buddies were buried in Arlington, the Westboro Baptist Church was out there protesting, saying evil things about them. And the moment of truth is, you know, what do you do in that moment? How do you react? What do you say to these kids that were celebrating because Charlie was killed? What I have to remind myself is that if I can't love them too, then what was it all for? You know, I didn't, you know, what was it all for?

Why did my buddies die? Why did I lose my legs? If not, so that other people could find redemption and other people could find their way back. The truth is, I don't think today's youth respect death at all. There's a book called On Killing that talks about that. think these college kids understand even death the way that some of us have been forced to and the way that not unlike yourself. And we all have a story, I know, you as well as anybody. We understand death in ways we shouldn't have to. I don't know that all these kids do.

So there's still time. If I get hateful and vengeful and I let those emotions that exist in me control my mouth, then I leave no room. I back myself into my own corner. I leave no room to forgive them one day or to like them one day or to listen to them when they found a light. I go to a small church here in Calhoun, Georgia, and every week somebody goes in and says, you know what, I've fought against it too long. I need to give in and let God take the reins. And I don't know what sins they've committed before they did that. But now it's my job to love them as a member of my church. And this isn't just about faith. It's about humanity as well. And for people like yourself, myself, those things are intertwined, but not for everyone, and I respect that. As a human

being, I have to believe that these people have a path out of it, and I might get to be, like Charlie, one of the people that's words bring them there. I mean, think about it. Had Charlie done exactly what he did in a more flame-throwing way, he wouldn't have brought near as many people to the movement, but he might have galvanized the ones he did. And that wasn't his technique. That wasn't what he wanted to do. He had thoughtful and respectful conversation with everybody that stood in front of him. And if he could do that, if he could sit there and look at people that hated him in the face and at least keep a modicum of respect for them as to not insult them, who the hell am I to want to claim vengeance for his death?

How does that honor his legacy? I don't think it does. It doesn't honor my buddies either. And that's how I find myself where I do sometimes. I also get real mad and fiery like everybody else because we're all human. But in these situations, I find that the most important thing to me is to honor what Charlie stood for. And I think that's what we do. When we take a step back, we take a breath, and we focus on honoring his legacy, promoting his message, not pointing fingers and condemning those that don't understand life and death enough to know what their post might actually mean.

I'm so glad I asked you that question because he couldn't have said anything better. That was full of absolute wisdom. I'm grateful for our friendship, buddy, and I'm grateful for the time that you've given me here today. Thank you, Joey. Appreciate your brother. All right. Check Joey out. The announcement was just made.

Big weekend show, your brand new full-time host every weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Joey Jones. I don't want to end this show today without bringing in two-a-day's Dan and Tinfoil Pat, who I don't think necessarily have a lot to say or feel emboldened to say or want to say. But this is what this show is. This show is a community. It's all of us, Connor, Ed, you guys, everybody watching. This is what we do. And it's unscripted.

I hope that it's real. I was talking last night. I was talking last night with a senator, one of my favorites, on a personal level. He called me, and he just wanted to talk to me as a dude, which probably narrows it down. And this part in the conversation came up, and he's like, I just want to see if you're doing all right. And a lot of people asked me that yesterday. I want to see if you're doing all right. And I'm like, yeah, I'm doing all right.

Yeah, I'm fine. And I am. And I don't need any attention, you know? It's like, not about me. But this part in the conversation came up and it was just interesting. And in just the spirit of being real with everybody here, I'm trying to process this myself. Like, throughout my life, I have been accused of being emotionless, personally and professionally. Not having empathy, not understanding someone else's point of view.

my dad died when I was 25 and I remember people saying I'm concerned that Will's not showing more emotion and I think I'm pretty good at carrying on and I think that I'm pretty good at moving with the task at hand whatever that task may be I'm not here to tell you that's a virtue or that's a vice I don't know if it's good to be good at that I just know it's something I happen to be good at sort of not bottling it up and putting it off and having it fester, no, just moving forward. But this job, and this is the part in the conversation I found fascinating, because this was a man who's been in war. This was a man who is no daisy saying that his feelings about this were very similar and that his appearances were coming off very similar to what I was struggling with. yesterday and what I'm struggling with now, and I don't know why. The only why I can give you,

because I don't want this. I don't ever want to be someone who cries on TV. I don't want to be that guy. Honestly, after the curvil floods or after your friend is shot in the neck. But I think the reason, that's what I said to the senator. I said, I think the reason is because my only North star is to be real. And therefore, this time we have together, literally you guys, and literally all of you watching, becomes therapy. And God help the world where I'm a therapist. But it becomes maybe not therapy for you, but therapy for me. Like, I talk. It's what I do.

I talk. Maybe I don't talk as much in my personal life. Maybe I don't let it fly. But when I get here with you, I'll never be Walter Conkheim. I'll never be Tucker Carlson. I'll never be Charlie Kirk. You know, all I'll be is real. And I think, I think.

That's why this happens here. I think that's why this happens with you. Before I go to you guys, I do want to bring the rest of you back into this conversation. Tim Rocket said I always thought Kirk was sort of neutral and centralized, trying to meet in the middle sort of like a traditional libertarian. Gene Carnes says on YouTube, God Family Country. I am Charlie. Gone but not silenced, never silenced. Millions of voices louder than ever. We are Charlie. We appreciate you being a part of the show, all of you. I appreciate your presence here on Wilcane Country and the Wilcane show. All right, two a days, tinfoil, Ed, Connor. Before we go, today, just want to say what's up to you guys. just whatever you might have on your mind.

I know you're not paid to give your thoughts. I know you don't even probably feel free to give your thoughts. But if you do have a thought, it's welcome right now. No, I know it's really hard for you, and I know you don't want to make it about you, but we were proud the way you handled it, and you should be proud too. It's very hard to go on TV and talk about these things.

And to what you just said about this show and what we do here, you do make it a safe space. and I feel that same way, too, to talk about things and to be open about stuff. And I see it as therapy, too. I get to talk to you guys about this every day. If I have something on my mind, I can bring it up. And you will, and you curate that environment. And I appreciate that very much.

And I think the audience does too. And the audience can get involved in that as well. So it's great. And very sad day, though. Look at me, creating a safe space. I'm a therapist and I create safe spaces. I can't believe I said that. Oh, man.

write it on my obituary the man who created a safe space no uh now i've been talking to you tinfoil as well offline i think we're both battling with some of the same thoughts so you don't have to share them here if you don't want but um it's uh it's uh you know what as we go forward as we go forward and we're gonna have to talk yes because just like charlie kirk said stops, the violence starts. We'll keep talking right here together on Wilcane Country. That's going to do it for us today. Thank you for hanging out, as always. We hope you will check us out every Monday through Thursday live at the Willcane Country YouTube channel or set it on your phone. Follow on Spotify or Apple. We'll see you again next time.

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