Pro-life group sees uptick in young activists after Charlie Kirk assassination

president Donald Trump recently awarded the late Turning Point USA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom just over a month after the activist was assassinated. Kirk has been outspoken about his conservative and pro-life views, and his legacy has inspired a new wave of activism.

Sean Carney, president and CEO of 40 Days for Life, praised President Donald Trump as “the most pro-life president ever,” and told Fox News Digital that pro-life Americans were happy to see the president honor Kirk.

“It was so nice to see him honor Charlie,” Carney said. “He stood for freedom, and there would be no pro-life movement without freedom of speech. Freedom of expression is what 40 Days for Life was built on, and it’s what the pro-life dialogue is built on. It’s [what] “Charlie gave his life for him, and it was truly beautiful for all pro-life Americans to see him honored with our nation’s highest honor.”

Charlie Kirk was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom on his 32nd birthday

Kirk was known for participating in debates around the country and the world, often confronting his harshest critics. Carney believes Kirk’s willingness to take on tough terrain combined with his friendly and “genuine” nature attracted young people to him and the pro-life movement.

“Charlie was open and honest, and he was also humble and willing to talk to you,” Carney told Fox News Digital, adding that being approachable, as Kirk was, is crucial in pro-life activism.

He added: “A lot of people have been hurt by abortion. A lot of people feel strongly about supporting reproductive rights. And you can’t go in and scream or say you’re going to burn in hell. You have to be friendly, you have to use reason, and you can’t be afraid to share your faith, and Charlie wasn’t like that.”

The pro-life organization 40 Days for Life has seen an uptick in interest in the wake of the assassination of Turning Point USA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk. (Paul Chen/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images; Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

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Carney said 40 Days for Life has seen a spike in interest, especially among young activists, in the wake of Kirk’s assassination.

“His tragic assassination occurred just two weeks before the launch of one of our largest fall 40 Days for Life campaigns around the world,” Carney said. “More than 700 cities participated, and we saw a huge spike, a 36% increase in participation. We had a lot of young people come out… who knew who Charlie Kirk was, who were inspired by him to participate in 40 Days for Life, who then brought their parents to pray at our vigils.”

A portrait of slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has been placed on a memorial in his honor, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

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He recalled a young woman — whose name was not given — who said she was “too afraid” to participate in pro-life activism before Kirk died. Carney noted that despite the “horrific images” of the assassination, many felt empowered and compelled to speak out about their beliefs.

He said: “You would think the opposite would happen, that she would be more afraid and others would be more afraid, but that did not happen.” “It literally inspired her to overcome years of fear.”

Carney also talked about a TPUSA chapter leader whose mother tried to convince her son not to participate in TPUSA or 40 Days for Life. The young man apparently told his mother that Charlie wanted him to speak out and not run away from the culture wars.

Members of the pro-life group 40 Days for Life hold a vigil near Queen Elizabeth University Hospital on March 05, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

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When asked what Kirk’s message would be to pro-life activists if he were still alive, Carney said it would be to not give up. Carney added that he heard newcomers inspired by Kirk say they believed the TPUSA founder wanted them to be honest and not “twitch.”

“In our culture now, there are so many reasons to be afraid. We can’t give in to them. We have to come out. We have to speak truth and love. That’s what changes hearts and minds, and that’s the best way we can honor Charlie,” Carney told Fox News Digital.