Fox News Channel will air a one-hour primetime special titled "Charlie Kirk: An American Original" on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET to honor the life and work of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot this week while speaking at Utah Valley University.
The program will be hosted by Jesse Watters and feature friends, colleagues and Fox personalities reflecting on Kirk's influence as a conservative organizer and communicator. Scheduled participants include Donald Trump Jr., Lara Trump, Graham Allen, OutKick commentator Riley Gaines and Pastor Jack Hibbs. Fox hosts Will Cain, Laura Ingraham, Brian Kilmeade, Ainsley Earhardt and Lawrence Jones are also set to appear, along with contributors Jason Chaffetz and Lisa Boothe. An encore presentation will air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, and the special will be available to stream on FOX Nation.
Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck Wednesday while speaking and participating in debates at the Utah college campus. He was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead that afternoon. Authorities announced Friday that a suspect in the killing was in custody.
Kirk founded Turning Point USA, a national conservative student organization that grew into a prominent political group on college campuses and in conservative circles. He was a frequent guest on Fox News programs and had last appeared on "The Will Cain Show" the day before the shooting; he also served as a guest co-host on "FOX & Friends Weekend" in July. Turning Point USA invited him to speak at the Utah event.
Fox News described the special as a reflection on Kirk's career as a conservative thought leader and communicator, saying hosts and guests would discuss his impact on conservative activism and campus politics. The program comes amid extended coverage across outlets following the killing and the subsequent arrest.
Kirk's public profile in recent years encompassed organizing on college campuses, media appearances and advocacy for conservative policies and candidates. He frequently framed his work around promoting Christian values on campuses and building a new generation of conservative activists.
Fox News Digital reporters contributed to coverage of the special and the events surrounding Kirk's death. The network plans to present interviews and remembrances from those who worked with or were influenced by him as part of the hour-long special.
The airing adds a media tribute to a series of responses unfolding in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, as campus and political leaders address the event and its implications for student safety and political discourse on college campuses.