Ben Carson overcome with emotion when told in live interview of Charlie Kirk’s death

Speaking to a legacy as “an incredible force for good,” Dr. Ben Carson’s live reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination called for a return to a key aspect of America’s foundation to avoid a “very dangerous downward spiral.”

Before being remembered as an outspoken conservative, or even a devoted husband and father, Turning Point USA’s founder’s unabashed Christian faith stood prominently at the forefront of how he lived his life. As such, when Carson heard the news that his friend Kirk had been assassinated, the vice chairman of President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission was quick to orient his focus on God’s role in America’s prosperity.

Having joined “The Joe Pags Show” during the 4 pm Eastern hour on Wednesday, as prayers spread across the nation and the world for Kirk, his wife Erika, and their two children, Carson needed a moment to compose himself as reports broke that the injury to the 31-year-old had proven fatal.

When asked by host Joe Pagliarulo if he wanted to stop the interview, the famed neurosurgeon held back tears as he began, “No, it’s … He was such a — an incredible force for good and in helping people to be able to look at the big picture. And, not to be distracted, you know there’s a million different distractions that keep you from thinking about what’s really important and what we can do as a nation.”

The moment Dr. Ben Carson heard about Charlie Kirk’s assassination — live on my show.

Full interview link in BIO.#CharlieKirk #DrBenCarson pic.twitter.com/W9QpJKQXFJ

— Joe Pags Pagliarulo (@JoeTalkShow) September 12, 2025

Carson reminded that “… a Judeo-Christian foundation, it teaches you to love your neighbor — not hate your neighbor, not cancel your neighbor, not assassinate your neighbor.”

“We really need to get back to those basic fundamentals that helped to make us into a great country. We went from nothing as a nation to the pinnacle of the world in record time. That was not a coincidence. That was because of the things that we believe, including our faith in God and our faith and love for each other,” he said.

“If we can’t get back to that, this is a beginning of a very dangerous downward spiral,” added the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development who, when pressed on whether there was a means to stop the dangerous rhetoric from the left believed to have been behind the assassination as well as the attempts on Trump’s life, made note of his “tremendous faith in God.”

“Every coin in our pocket, every bill in our wallet says, ‘In God We Trust.’ Let’s not just make those useless words,” said Carson. “Let’s live by that. Doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t stand our ground. Doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t fight for what’s right. But it does mean that we’re not the instigators and that we ask God to give us wisdom. How do we handle this situation going forward so that it’s not exacerbated into a civil war? And that potential really does exist.”

Later, he went on to share a picture on X of himself praying with Kirk under the message, “Rest in peace, Charlie. It was a privilege to call you a friend and to witness your unwavering faith and love for our country. As Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.’ (John 11:25) Your steadfast faith and patriotism will inspire Americans for generations to come. Candy and I send our heartfelt love and prayers to Erika and the children.”

Rest in peace, Charlie. It was a privilege to call you a friend and to witness your unwavering faith and love for our country. As Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.’ (John 11:25) Your steadfast faith and… pic.twitter.com/V719DLgbZh

— Ben & Candy Carson (@RealBenCarson) September 10, 2025

Carson’s American Cornerstone Institute also released a statement reinforcing that Kirk “was a devoted follower of Christ, a dedicated father and husband, and a tireless patriot who gave everything he had to preserve the principles that make America great,” and whose “unwavering commitment to faith, family, and freedom inspired millions.”

“Charlie’s legacy will endure through the lives he touched and the movement he built,” added the statement. “May we honor him by carrying forward the mission he so faithfully championed.”

pic.twitter.com/5EWtUNjMkN

— American Cornerstone Institute (@ACI1776) September 10, 2025

Staff Writer

Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.

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