HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) -- Political activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Wednesday, explained how he wanted to be remembered during a podcast episode released in June.
Host Jack Selby of The Iced Coffee Hour had asked Kirk how he wanted to be thought of "if everything completely goes away."
You mean if I die?" Kirk questioned.
"Everything just goes away. How would you - if you could be associated with one thing, how would you wanna be remembered?" Selby said.
I wanna be remembered for courage for my faith," Kirk answered. "That would be the most important. The most important thing is my faith."
Kirk was shot in the neck during an event he held at a Utah college. He expressed his Christian faith in many ways, including in interviews, through his conservative activist group and on social media.
In 2021, Kirk helped create TPUSA Faith, a division of Turning Point USA, his original advocacy group. TPUSA Faith has a stated purpose of uniting Christians around "primary doctrine" and eliminating "wokeism" from the "American pulpit."
The Anti-Defamation League has identified many incidents in which Turning Point USA activists and spokespeople made "problematic" comments and appeared next to "extremists" at events and shows. Members of the conservative group have also shared bigoted and racist social media posts and texts, the Anti-Defamation League has said.
On June 24, Kirk wrote in an X post that "America's largest city was attacked by radical Islam 24 years ago, and now a similar form of that pernicious force is poised to capture city hall." The activist was referring to Democratic New York Assm. Zohran Mamdani of District 36, who is a Muslim Democratic candidate in New York City's mayoral election.
President Donald Trump said during a 9/11 ceremony at the Pentagon on Thursday that Kirk's voice would "live on." Vice President JD Vance added in an X post that the activist's faith was "profound."
"Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ," Vance wrote. "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."
Trump also asked in a video address Wednesday night for all Americans to commit to the "American values" for which Kirk lived and died, including the "patriotic devotion and love of God," "free speech," "rule of law" and "citizenship." Some of the activist's critics believed he was at times offensive and provocative, however.