Country singer Gavin Adcock said those who tried to silence conservative activist Charlie Kirk had instead “awoken millions” as he paid tribute to Kirk during a string of weekend shows.
Adcock, who spoke Monday on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, said he honored Kirk at multiple performances after the Turning Point USA founder was shot and killed last week while speaking on a college campus in Orem, Utah. At his concerts, Adcock hoisted an American flag and cited his faith while fans chanted Kirk’s name.
"For all the people or the hateful people out there, the groups that thought that would quiet Charlie Kirk, you've just awoken millions of other people that are not scared to die," Adcock said on the program. He said he had not met Kirk but had watched videos of the activist's debates on social media and admired his outspokenness. "If you live in the life of the Lord and believe in Jesus, you shouldn't be scared to leave this world, and Charlie Kirk was a great example of that," he added.
Adcock, known for the single "Four Leaf Clover," told audiences his fan base overlaps with Kirk's supporters and that honoring Kirk at concerts gave him strength amid a busy performance schedule. He said the tributes were not limited to a single show but continued across the weekend as concertgoers chanted, "Charlie Kirk."
The singer said he displayed Psalm 97:10 at his shows in honor of Kirk and the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The verse reads in part, "You who love the Lord hate evil. He protects the lives of the godly and rescues them from the power of the wicked." Adcock also told viewers he does not plan to curb his own outspokenness, saying, "I'm just living my life, playing my shows and being a good person. If I get targeted and go down, there'll be people [who] raise up louder. [I'm] just proud to be an American, proud to be a believer of Jesus."
Kirk, founder of the conservative activist group Turning Point USA and a prominent campus organizer, was killed during a speaking engagement last week in Orem, prompting tributes from political and youth leaders and renewed discussion about political violence on campuses. Utah leaders urged unity in the aftermath, and national media and commentators across the political spectrum reflected on Kirk's influence on campus conservatism.
Adcock's comments follow a spate of public reactions from entertainers and activists who have weighed in on the shooting. He performed at Country Thunder Wisconsin in Twin Lakes this summer and appeared in interviews and at concerts this past weekend as he acknowledged the assassination weighed heavily on him while he fulfilled scheduled appearances.
The singer framed his tributes in religious terms and tied them to broader themes of conviction and courage, saying that speaking openly about beliefs is a central part of his identity as an artist. He described himself as among the more outspoken figures in country music and said he would continue to voice his views despite concerns about safety.
Fox News reported Adcock's remarks and excerpts of his weekend statements. The investigation into Kirk's killing continues, and public officials and campus leaders have emphasized calls for calm and unity while legal authorities pursue the case.
