Opinion

ANDREW KOLVET: I spent eight years beside Charlie Kirk. Here’s what the world never understood

What Charlie’s critics never understood about him was how hard he was willing to work to accomplish what many believed was an impossible goal

By Andrew Kolvet Fox News

Published September 10, 2026 5:00am EDT

Comments Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Print Email Add Fox News on Google

close

Video

Turning Point USA's Andrew Kolvet reflects on year without Charlie Kirk

Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet spoke with Fox News Digital about how his organization has persevered one year after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. 

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

I first met Charlie Kirk in a hotel lobby in Los Angeles in 2017. I had emailed him a few times suggesting we should work together, and he mostly brushed me off or ignored the inquiries. I was doing communications work and had heard rumors of this young "up-and-comer" with "boundless energy" who was trying to take back college campuses for conservatives.

After a bout of bad press, he finally replied and asked to meet, and as we shook hands that very first time, the first thing I noticed was just how tall he was! At 6’5", Charlie naturally towered over nearly everyone, but somehow his presence made him seem even larger.

The next thing I remember were his eyes that seemed to dart all around the room. He managed to talk directly to you while also perceiving everything and everyone else around him simultaneously. He seemed to multitask by nature, a unique skill I would come to marvel at in years to come.

REMEMBERING CHARLIE KIRK: TURNING POINT USA'S ANDREW KOLVET REFLECTS ON CONSERVATIVE GROUP'S CHALLENGING YEAR

He was also very deliberate. You could tell that Charlie hated wasting time. Without being rude, he wanted to get right into the meat of the discussion, and as we talked, it was impossible not to notice his oversized suit, the dress shoes that seemed more appropriate for a 70-year-old man, or his overall Midwestern disdain for trends.

But something about this 23-year-old kid was just, well, different.

Video

When he spoke, I believed him. In a political world full of talkers who put style above substance, Charlie was the opposite. I could tell he was willing to work his tail off.

By the end of that meeting, we decided to work together, and thus a partnership and a friendship that would grow and expand over the next eight years began right then and there. That’s how Charlie worked. When he made up his mind, he moved.

ERIKA KIRK URGES CONSERVATIVE STUDENTS NOT TO BACK........

© Fox News