Just weeks before his shocking assassination in Utah, Charlie Kirk was seen embracing his young daughter on live television in a resurfaced video that has devastated supporters. A Father’s Delight on the Set. The video, which was shot on the Fox & Friends Weekend set, showed Kirk’s 3-year-old daughter crossing the studio floor before sprinting in the direction of her father. As a first-time guest host, Kirk’s face lit up with a big smile as he embraced her while they were sitting on the couch.
It was an uncommon look into the private life that Kirk and his wife, Erika Kirk, have maintained. Both were outspoken about their work and faith, but they frequently kept their kids out of the spotlight. One of the few occasions viewers saw Kirk in his most intimate capacity as a devoted father was during the Fox segment. From the Studio to the Disaster
Now, that moment feels really different. Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck on Wednesday while performing at Utah Valley University as part of the American Comeback Tour. Just seconds before he was shot, he was answering a question about mass shootings during his “prove me wrong” segment, which sent students fleeing for their lives. Two and a half hours after being taken to the hospital, he was declared dead.
A significant FBI and Utah police manhunt is still going on, and the shooter is still at large. The attack followed a petition signed by over 6,000 students to prevent the event from taking place on campus, highlighting the divisive nature of Kirk’s presence in every arena. An Influential Life
In 2012, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, which marked the beginning of his career as a teenager. He was on the national stage by his early twenties, having served as the opening speaker at the 2020 Republican National Convention and the youngest speaker at the 2016 RNC. With chapters on thousands of campuses, a daily podcast with over a million listeners, and faith-based initiatives like Turning Point Academy and Turning Point Faith, he has expanded Turning Point into the nation’s largest network of conservative youth activists over the past ten years.
He is credited by supporters with inspiring a new generation of conservatives and being instrumental in Donald Trump’s wins in 2016 and 2024. Erika and the Missing Children. However, the loss is particularly personal for Erika, a former Miss Arizona USA, ministry leader, and athlete, as well as the couple’s two kids, a 3-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son. In May, the family recently commemorated their fourth wedding anniversary. An eerie reminder of Kirk’s life away from politics is the video of his daughter leaping into his arms.
A few weeks prior to being shot in Utah, Charlie Kirk and his family made an appearance on Fox and Friends. When the clip reappeared, the network posted on X, “Prayers are still coming in for the Turning Point USA co-founder.” Remembered in Politics and Faith Almost immediately after the shooting, tributes began to pour in. Kirk was referred to as “The Great, and even Legendary” by President Donald Trump, who also directed that all American flags be flown at half-staff until Sunday night.
Kirk will be remembered as a firebrand who influenced campus conservatism for the movement he founded. But moments like that Fox News embrace—a smile, an embrace, and a father’s love captured in time—are what his wife and kids will remember most about him.
