Gen Z embraces faith and family values following Charlie Kirk assassination

The death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk does not diminish his legacy of encouraging an increasingly “unhappy” generation to search for meaning and purpose through faith and family, Young Americans told Fox News Digital.

“I think we live in a world where people are more unhappy than ever,” said Georgetown University student Elizabeth Oliver. “Depression and suicide rates are extremely high, and people long for true happiness. Charlie always talked about how ‘desires of the flesh’ do not satisfy or make people happy. Instead of pursuing these things, we should direct ourselves toward higher goals like family, marriage, and God, because these are what truly fulfill people’s lives.”

“I actually think most people are looking for something,” she said. “I believe the search should be directed toward God. But I think most people realize these days that what the left offers will not lead to a fulfilling life.”

The happiness of Americans has declined in recent years, with the United States falling eight places in the 2024 World Happiness Report, which ranks life satisfaction in countries, due to reports by young Americans that they are dissatisfied compared to their parents’ and grandparents’ generations. According to the study, Americans over the age of 60 ranked 10th in overall happiness, while young people under 30 ranked 62nd globally in terms of happiness, CNBC reported in 2024.

Meanwhile, rates of suicide and depression have risen dramatically in recent years, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that one in five high school students seriously considered attempting suicide in 2023, with suicide jumping 62% among young adults when comparing 2007 data to 2021 data.

The “sleeping giant” will likely wake up for a turning point in the United States of America after the assassination of Charlie Kirk

Amid rising rates of unhappiness among young people, Kirk fell into the national spotlight as a young man, rallying his peers to embrace conservative and Christian values ​​to find peace.

“Marriage is not just a milestone in life — it is a calling. God did not say ‘Wait until you feel ready.’ He said, ‘It is not good for a man to be alone.’ Marry young. ‘Be fruitful and multiply,’” Kirk posted on Facebook a few months before his death.

Trump even praised his comments, celebrating his message to young people to get married.

“We have a lot of bad philosophies, ideologies and policies,” Trump said on Fox News after Kirk’s death. “He was basically good. He talked about family, he talked about marriage, and ‘Go get married’. It sounds old-fashioned when you think about it, but he’s right.”

Kirk was shot and killed on September 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University, the first stop on TPUSA’s planned “American Comeback Tour.”

After news of Kirk’s murder spread around the country and the world, some college students chose to carry on his legacy by echoing the values ​​he stood for and encouraging political debate among his Generation Z peers.

Oliver is one of those Generation Z, a university student and president of the university’s Right to Life group, Pro-life advocacy group. She told Fox News Digital that she believes open dialogue can help renew the focus on conservative Christian values.

She said Kirk “dedicated his life to speaking to others with respect and listening to them.” “We urgently need more of this dialogue now, more than ever. In a world that has abandoned God and moral values, we have abandoned even basic respect for other human beings, and we need to restore it.”

Kirk spoke often about marriage, children and the importance of family, and his widow continued to promote those values ​​from the stage of his memorial service in Arizona in September.

“We have an encouraging message for America, a message of hope, a message of raising a family and attending church for once to promote business ownership in entrepreneurship,” Kirk said on “The Will Cain Show” on May 2.

“Trump voters, young people, want family, kids and legacy,” Kirk added on September 8, just two days before he was killed. “The young women who voted for Kamala Harris want access to careers, consumerism, and a sense of unity. This is a major divide that will play out in our politics for years to come.”

However, Americans’ pessimism toward the institution of marriage and family currently outweighs their optimism, according to a September 2023 Pew Research Center report titled “The Public’s Mixed Views of the Modern American Family.”

The report found that “Americans more often cite job satisfaction and close friends, rather than marriage or having children, when asked what contributes to a fulfilling life.” “About 71% say having a job or career they enjoy is very important for people to live a fulfilling life, and 61% say the same about having close friends. Only about a quarter say having children (26%) or getting married (23%) is equally important.”

Charlie Kirk answered the question “How do you want to be remembered” less than 3 months before the murder

Sharyl Kirk, his wife Erika, and their two children before his assassination on September 10, 2025. (Erica Kirk via Instagram)

However, young people are picking up the mantle of Kirk’s promotion of traditional values ​​as support for TPUSA continues to grow after his death.

Since Kirk’s assassination, Boston College Republicans Vice President Philip Wohltorf, who also serves as a legislative aide in the Massachusetts State Senate, said his group has seen a significant increase in attendance. He added that Democratic groups on campus were not open to discussion, allowing anti-conservative sentiment to spread throughout the student body.

“We were thinking, ‘OK, the left is open and tolerant, and they want to talk,’” he said. “Unfortunately, they don’t, and it doesn’t really help. I think it would be great on campus if we had a civilized, calm, challenging debate. It would show the student body that people can disagree with each other but still shake hands and be friends afterward.”

He said, “America was founded on the principle of freedom of expression and dialogue, and no one did it better than Charlie Kirk,” as the cultural gap continues to widen.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Boston University College Democrats said the group sent a “polite decline” to the debate request, explaining that “it is very difficult to make debates worthwhile.”

“We feel it is too difficult to make debates worthwhile for participants and viewers, so we reject them with everyone, not just Republicans,” the group said. “Freedom of expression is something we value greatly but we believe open bipartisan cooperation is the way forward at this time.”

The group condemned all forms of political violence, adding: “Charlie Kirk should not have died. We believe everyone should be able to share their thoughts and beliefs without fear.”

Anti-Trump voices praise Charlie Kirk’s legacy after his assassination, saying he was doing politics ‘the right way’

Dan Paisley holds a cross at a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (John Loescher/AP)

TPUSA boomed with new interest after Kirk’s memorial service, receiving more than 120,000 campus chapter submissions, according to the organization.

Before the memorial service, TPUSA had about 60,000 applications, Andrew Colvitt, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” said recently. TPUSA operates 900 formal university chapters and approximately 1,200 collegiate chapters across the country.

Woltorf said more young people are committing to their values, citing faith and family as the top priorities for many in his generation.

“I’m like saying that people have been posting now for the last couple of weeks talking about how Charlie Kirk is gone but a hundred thousand new Charlie Kirks have just been created,” Woltorf said. “The majority conservative movement feels obligated to carry on the legacy of Charlie Kirk and continue to preach these family values ​​and faith and Christianity… I think the majority conservative movement is more likely to fight back now and speak out,” Woltorf said.

Charlie Kirk was painted as “controversial” and “provocative” in media coverage of the assassination

A man listens during a worship song before the start of a memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Sept. 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)

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Oliver Wohltorf believes that these values ​​will continue to be held for years to come after this political turning point. They say they were inspired by Kirk’s legacy to share their beliefs and not be afraid.

“I think the majority are trying to continue his legacy, feel obligated to fight, feel obligated to foster dialogue and debate and challenge each other with ideas,” Woltorf said.

“Ultimately, Charlie said he wanted people to remember him for his courage and faith, and I think that message resonates strongly with my generation,” Oliver said.

Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, on Tuesday at the White House.

Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.