Apologist and author Frank Turek has kept a level-headed, faith-driven approach to grappling with the unthinkable. Turek, a close ally of the late conservative and Christian commentator Charlie Kirk, was on site at Utah Valley University when Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10, 2025. When asked how he made sense of all that transpired before his eyes, Turek was candid. "I made sense of it by knowing that what happened was evil," he said. "And the only way I know that that was evil was because I know what is good — and the only reason I know what was good is because there's a standard of good outside myself, and that's God's nature." Turek continued, "As soon as we see something evil, we know it's evil."
While some might look at Kirk's death or other horrific events and doubt God, Turek pushed back on such a response, explaining why the Lord's goodness always abounds. "An evil event like this doesn't disprove God," he said. "It may prove there's a devil out there, but it doesn't disprove God, because you wouldn't even know what evil was unless there was a standard of good, and you wouldn't know what good was unless God existed. So it's actually an argument for God, not an argument against God." Turek, who considered Kirk close enough to be a son, didn't just cope with the tragedy of loss and murder; he was also the subject of now-debunked, bizarre conspiracy theories. Immedately after Kirk's death, the internet was set ablaze with the claim that a man on video — later to be revealed as Turek — was sending the shooter hand signals.
As it turns out, Turek was simply supporting and watching Kirk and wasn't sending hand signals of any kind. The strange theory that became viral left Turek bewildered. "I was just adjusting [my] hat," he said, lamenting the bizarre response online. "It makes no sense at all." Since Kirk's death, prominent figures have asked questions and made statements that have stirred debate, made waves, and caused consternation. Among these individuals is commentator Candace Owens, who has been anything but quiet about Kirk's death.
"I know she was a good friend of Charlie years ago," he said. "Charlie would never speak ill of anybody, privately, unless he spoke to that person first and tried to correct them. So Charlie never said anything bad about Candace or anything, but I just find this idea that she's making all these suggestions without evidence very painful for people." Turek continued, "It's OK to suggest, 'Well, maybe this, maybe that,' but as soon as you start launching accusations, 'TPUSA betrayed ... Charlie. ... 'I had a dream that that Charlie told me this,' that's not evidence." He said those hurling accusations and claims without evidence are "causing dissension among the brothers," which is "something the Lord hates."
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