Flowers, signs and other public messages of support are seen in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death in Sept. 2025. Kirk, 31, was shot and killed while speaking to thousands of people at Utah Valley University. (Getty Images)
"If we've learned anything in the last week, it’s that you can kill a man, but you cannot kill a movement," he said. "We're not going to be silenced. And more than ever before, we have to make America talk again — and that starts on college campuses."
Kirk, who died at 31, differentiated himself from other political "influencers" because of his authenticity, Hollyhand said. He established a presence in large part because of his college stops, where he'd sit for hours at a "Prove Me Wrong" table to debate young people face-to-face.
He leaped onto the national stage at a time when the Republican Party had been struggling to attract young voters, compared to then-President Barack Obama and the considerable star power wielded by the Democratic Party. And while Kirk's views were unabashedly controversial, they were seen as a welcome breath of fresh air for many Republicans, who often felt out of place and unrepresented on college campuses.
"Charlie has really large shoes to fill, not just because he was a tall guy with a big shoe size," he laughed, "but because he genuinely inspired a generation, and it wasn't a simple task."
"He made young people aware of why politics was important, and he made conservatism cool again. And so we can't attempt to replicate that, but we can carry the torch for him, and we can grab the microphone and continue the relay race.
PASTOR: CHARLIE KIRK’S GRAPHIC DEATH WAS 'TRAUMATIC' AS MANY AMERICANS RECONCILE WITH LOSS
Signs and flowers are placed outside Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix on Sept. 15, 2025. (Jamie Vera/Fox News)
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"There has never been a more impactful figure for Gen Z and or never will be," he said. "And we can't attempt to replicate that, but we can carry the torch for him, and we can grab the microphone and continue the relay race.
"So to continue Charlie's life and legacy, I am honored to announce that I'm partnering with Turning Point USA to launch the one conversation at a time tour where I will be speaking on 10 college campuses this semester, bolder and louder than ever before."
Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/we-wont-cower-young-conservatives-build-kirk-legacy-nationwide-speaking-tour