American journalist Megyn Kelly breaks down on air announcing Charlie Kirk’s death: ‘He would have been President’

President Trump later confirmed Kirk’s death, describing him as “great, and even legendary,” and praised his influence among young Americans.

Kelly said she once believed Kirk had the potential to become the president of the United States of America someday. Speaking to Sky News host Paul Murray, she said, “I always thought that by the time I’m nearing 80, Charlie would either be president or have already completed two terms in the White House.”

Watch the video:

Raw emotion from Megyn Kelly and Glenn Beck on Charlie Kirk. pic.twitter.com/zfkt78tzjx

— Ellie A (@EllieGAnders) September 10, 2025

The video of Kelly and Beck’s reaction went viral and netizens reacted to it in the comments. A user wrote, “I feel I’ve just been punched in the chest by a heavyweight boxer.” Another user wrote, “It must be very hard especially for Glenn. Charlie was like a protégé of him.”

A third person wrote, “Charlie’s death has hit me on a level I didn’t think possible. I’m devastated.”

Who was Charlie Kirk?

Kirk grew up in an affluent suburb of Chicago. His fascination with politics began long before most of his peers were paying attention. In 2012, while still a high school senior, he penned an article for Breitbart News accusing school textbooks of bias, a move that earned him an appearance on Fox Business. Even then, he had a reputation for sparking debates over everything from national politics to something as trivial as cafeteria prices.

Guided by Tea Party strategist Bill Montgomery, Kirk left college midway to dedicate himself fully to political activism. That same year, he launched Turning Point USA, a student-led conservative organisation that quickly attracted major backers such as Foster Friess and Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus.

Barely out of his teens, Kirk had become one of the most recognisable figures of the youth conservative movement. By 2019, he debuted “The Charlie Kirk Show,” which went on to become one of Apple’s most-watched programmes. On X, Kirk’s account has a massive 5.2 million followers, and on TikTok, a staggering 73 million.