Apologist and author Frank Turek has kept a level-headed, faith-driven approach to grappling with the unthinkable. Turek, a close ally of the late conservative and Christian commentator Charlie Kirk, was on site at Utah Valley University when Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10, 2025.
When asked how he made sense of all that transpired before his eyes, Turek was candid.
“I made sense of it by knowing that what happened was evil,” he told CBN News. “And the only way I know that that was evil was because I know what is good — and the only reason I know what was good is because there’s a standard of good outside myself, and that’s God’s nature.”
Turek continued, “As soon as we see something evil, we know it’s evil.”
The Lord’s Goodness Abounds
While some might look at Kirk’s death or other horrific events and doubt God, Turek pushed back on such a response, explaining why the Lord’s goodness always abounds.
“An evil event like this doesn’t disprove God,” he said. “It may prove there’s a devil out there, but it doesn’t disprove God, because you wouldn’t even know what evil was unless there was a standard of good, and you wouldn’t know what good was unless God existed. So it’s actually an argument for God, not an argument against God.”
Turek, who considered Kirk close enough to be a son, didn’t just cope with the tragedy of loss and murder; he was also the subject of now-debunked, bizarre conspiracy theories.
Immediately after Kirk’s death, the internet was set ablaze with the claim that a man on video — later revealed to be Turek — was sending the shooter hand signals.
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A Bewildering Theory
As it turns out, Turek was simply supporting and watching Kirk, and wasn’t sending any hand signals. The strange theory that became viral left Turek bewildered.
“I was just adjusting [my] hat,” he said, lamenting the bizarre response online. “It makes no sense at all.”
Since Kirk’s death, prominent figures have posed questions and made statements that have sparked debate, created waves, and caused consternation. Among these individuals is commentator Candace Owens, who has been anything but quiet about Kirk’s death.
“I know she was a good friend of Charlie years ago,” he said. “Charlie would never speak ill of anybody, privately, unless he spoke to that person first and tried to correct them. So Charlie never said anything bad about Candace or anything, but I just find this idea that she’s making all these suggestions without evidence very painful for people.”
Turek continued, “It’s OK to suggest, ‘Well, maybe this, maybe that,’ but as soon as you start launching accusations, ‘TPUSA betrayed … Charlie. … ‘I had a dream that that Charlie told me this,’ that’s not evidence.”
He said those hurling accusations and claims without evidence are “causing dissension among the brothers,” which is “something the Lord hates.”
“There’s people who have enough pain in their lives,” Turek said. “You don’t need to add pain when people are going through this.”
He emphasized that it’s fine for Owens and others to ask questions but that it’s “hurtful” to make suggestions without evidence.
“There’s a difference between a possibility and evidence, and I see this all the time in Christian apologetics,” he said. “People will say, ‘Well, maybe this happened to Jesus’ body, or that happened to Jesus’ body, and that’s how you explain what the resurrection is — it really wasn’t a resurrection.’ Those are all possible, but give me first-century evidence for those possibilities. ‘Oh, we don’t have any.’ OK, well, it’s just a possibility then.”
Reflecting on Kirk’s Death
Turek also reflected on the moments after Kirk was shot, explaining how he initially ducked because he was unsure if more shots were coming.
“Within a second — they were seconds, I don’t know how long it was, very short … they were carrying him out of there,” he said. “So I ran with them to the car.”
Turek, knowing the risks of Kirk’s efforts, had pondered in the past what he would do if anything ever unfolded. In those moments, he remembered his promise to do everything in his power to save Kirk.
“I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t,” he said. “He was like a son to me.”
Once inside the vehicle on the way to the hospital, Turek said it was clear Kirk “was gone.” The entire ordeal has been emotional, yet it has also solidified some realities for the apologist.
“It just further cements my belief that evil exists and therefore God exists,” he said. “I know God can bring good from evil. He does it all the time. We’ve seen it even since Charlie’s death.”
Revival and Spiritual Outpourings
With revival and spiritual outpourings following Kirk’s death, many have spoken about how God took what was meant for evil and used it for good.
“Charlie’s looking down, going, ‘Well, that was worth it,'” he said. “If we were to say, ‘Charlie, you know, 100 people would come to faith if you gave yourself as a martyr,’ he’d go, ‘Sign me up.'”
Ultimately, while Kirk wouldn’t have wanted to leave his wife and children, Turek said he knows he would have wanted to see revival unfold.
Misconceptions About Kirk
The conversation also turned to misconceptions about Kirk that have circulated since his death. Among them: the claim he was souring on Israel or in some way shifting perspectives.
“He certainly wasn’t changing his view on Israel because we had a meeting the day before he was murdered with two people in Israel and a guy living here via Zoom,” he said. “And the whole premise of the meeting was how Charlie wanted to know, ‘How could I better answer questions from college kids on the Israel-Hamas situation?'”
Turek continued, “Charlie was frustrated that some people thought that he had to agree with everything the Israeli government did, otherwise he was somehow anti-Semitic. I agree that that’s a frustration, because … even if you agree that the Bible says you ought to bless Israel … the descendants of Abraham … bless doesn’t mean you agree with people on everything.”
Regardless, Turek said it simply wasn’t true that Kirk “was getting away from Israel.”
“He knew they were a great friend in the region,” he said. “He knew that they were the only democracy there. He knew that Islam is a great threat in terms of religious freedom and freedom of speech.”
And that’s not all. Turek also said claims Kirk was considering becoming a Catholic are “nonsense.” While Kirk reportedly had respect for the Catholic Church, Turek reflected on the fact that people didn’t bother him when he went to a Catholic Church.
“You go to a Protestant church, everybody wants selfies with them all the time,” he said. “So he did enjoy the beauty of a Catholic church.”
Ultimately, Turek said he has no plans to back off visiting college campuses, moving full speed ahead with plans to continue engaging students in the truth.
“Jesus would want us to do it,” he said. “He does want us to do it, and so did Charlie. So we didn’t cancel any of our events.”
Watch the full interview above.
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