I never met Charlie Kirk. Yet, like many conservatives, I feel as though I did. Exceptionally bright, articulate, and personally engaging, he was a generational talent whose ability to win the hearts and minds of young Americans was unmatched and helped to sway the 2024 election toward President Donald Trump.

Still, as inspirational as he was, I suspect even Kirk himself would have been surprised by the sheer magnitude of the response to his death. Not since the death of Princess Diana have we witnessed such a global outpouring of love and compassion.