Rep. Luna credits Charlie Kirk with launching her political career at memorial service

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., credited Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk with launching her political career during a public memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sept. 21, 2025. In remarks at the service, Luna said "there would be no Congresswoman Luna without Charlie Kirk," recounting how she joined TPUSA after leaving medical school to work on outreach. She recalled the life-changing phone call: "Hey, Anna, it's Charlie. I'd like to offer you a job as Texas National Hispanic Outreach director."

Luna pressed that Kirk "believed with every fiber of his being, that the youth of this nation would save it," and said those sparks lit the path that led her to help him battle what she described as socialist indoctrination on college campuses. She watched Kirk "grow from a young man with conferences of a few hundred people, to one of the most powerful men in the world," and she drew a line between his leadership and figures such as George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy, arguing that his name "will stand etched in history." Looking out at thousands of young people in the crowd, Luna added that Kirk entrusted a generation with restoring the soul of the nation: "Will you live boldly as Charlie did? Will you rise to the challenge as Charlie did? Will you speak truth without fear, as Charlie did? And will you pray with unwavering faith, as Charlie did?"

Luna is among GOP lawmakers who have praised Kirk’s legacy in the wake of his Sept. 10 assassination. In the days following his death, she joined others in urging social media platforms to remove videos of his killing, saying, "He has a family, young children, and no one should be forced to relive this tragedy online." The remarks reflect a broader, ongoing conversation within conservative circles about preserving Kirk’s influence while addressing safety and online content concerns.

The memorial service drew attention from former President Donald Trump and other major Republican figures, underscoring Kirk’s reach within the party and among young conservatives. Tributes extended beyond the Glendale event: crowds at Utah Valley University on Sept. 15, 2025, stopped by a makeshift memorial to pay respects to Kirk, while students and locals reflected on his efforts to mobilize youth around conservative causes. The public outpouring comes as authorities continued to pursue information surrounding Kirk’s death.

Charlie Kirk, the activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, prompting reflections on his organizing work and the movement he helped shape. His death has catalyzed discussions about youth-led political activism, the role of campus activism in national politics, and the legacy of youth outreach initiatives that Kirk championed throughout his career.