Nearly two weeks after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at the first stop on his Turning Point USA College Tour, the event is back on the road. Several conservative public figures have stepped in to take the place of the late political podcaster and influencer, including reality star Savannah Chrisley, who has been outspoken in her support of Charlie and his family since his death.
The Turning Point tour resumed this week.
Charlie’s surviving wife, Erika Kirk, has taken over as CEO of Turning Point USA after his death in Utah on September 10, and it seems she’s decided that the organization’s planned college tour must go on, even in his absence.
The tour officially resumed at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities on September 22, with Michael Knowles as the guest speaker.
“Each stop is a chance to honor Charlie’s mission and keep the fight alive,” says a message on the Turning Point website. “We know he wouldn’t want us to surrender or be coerced into silence. Free speech is only free if we use our voices.”
Celebrities including Savannah have been announced to appear in Charlie’s place.
Several conservative influencers, politicians, and public figures have been announced as guest speakers on the tour. Megyn Kelly was at the helm at the September 24 event, with Savannah Chrisley slated to speak at one of the upcoming events. Also on the line up are Tucker Carlson, Rob Schneider, Glenn Beck, and more.
Savannah was already scheduled to join Charlie at one of the tour’s events before he died.
After Charlie’s death, Savannah revealed in a post on Instagram that she had planned to join him on the tour this fall.
“Charlie Kirk changed my life … he brought me into the Turning Point family this past year, and I was supposed to be standing next to him at every college this October. Instead, I sit here with a broken heart, devastated beyond words,” she wrote in a post shared on September 10.
She has been vocal about his impact on her life.
During an appearance on Fox News’ Fox and Friends this week, Savannah talked about what Charlie meant to her as she fought for the presidential pardon that eventually led to her parents Todd and Julie being released from federal prison.
“Charlie gave me a voice when I felt like I didn’t have one — when I felt voiceless,” she said. “And I was so excited to get to sit next to Charlie and open up for him and get to know him on a more personal level like a lot of my friends had gotten to know him. But above all else Charlie has been a voice for our country.”
She continued, “He wants us to fight. He wants us to be loud.”
