September 22, 2025 • 24 mins
Turning Point USA was barely a blip on the national political radar with a group of Creighton students wanted to start a chapter (and were met with opposition).
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Scott vorgiez tragedy struck now coming up on it would
be two weeks this Wednesday. I immediately thought about some
people I know and some people I'm friends with who
knew Charlie Kirk well. I was blessed to be able
to talk with him a couple of times over the years,
and wish I could have had a relationship with him
(00:21):
like so many did, including my next guest here on
the program. She's one who I don't know her well,
and she probably looked at my text yesterday and said,
how did he get my phone number? But I knew
that she is one who it seemed to me wasn't
(00:43):
especially politically active. And then she met Charlie kirk she
learned about Turning Point USA, ended up working for that organization,
and she was there in the Phoenix area yesterday for
the memorial service. She's an Omaha native currently in Washington,
d C. Malia Shirley joins us here on eleven ten
kfab Malia, thank you very much for taking the time
(01:05):
this morning, especially since you flew all night to leave
Phoenix for DC. You've had what ten minutes of sleep
at this point.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yes, Scott, thanks for having me. I actually have a
unique gift of sleeping on planes very well. So I
was actually I was able to sleep most of the
way here.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
So you will you will have to teach me your ways.
I can't do that middle seat all the way from
America to Italy, not even a little bit of sleep.
Couldn't do it. But let's talk about when you first
became acquainted and at some point met Charlie kirk sure
(01:47):
So I was.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
A freshman on Creighton's campus back in twenty fourteen. Charlie
started Turning Point USA in twenty twelve, so very early
on in the of the organization, only a couple of
years after he started it. And I had a friend
approached me on Creighton's campus. We had a couple of
(02:09):
classes together, a political science class particularly, and he had
just said, you know, some of the things you've shared
in class, I think we might agree on a lot.
And he was from the Chicago area, where Charlie was from.
He knew Charlie well, and he said, I have a
buddy who is trying to get some groups started on
(02:29):
college campuses around the country. It's called Turning Point USA,
and I think you'd really like it, would you want
to start a chapter with me. So I talked with
him a little bit more about it, and went to
my first event that Charlie was at. Met Charlie and
he was unlike anyone I had ever met before, and
(02:50):
he though he was so young at the time, he
was still such a leader.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
He was me, let me, let me, let me pause,
let me pause you here for a moment, because I
want people to understand when Turning Point USA, when this
idea here, this notion from Charlie Kirk was getting underway,
it wasn't him who was doing all of the footwork.
It was people like Malia and that young woman at
(03:15):
the University of Nebraska Lincoln who put out a card
table there and got yelled, shouted down, threatened by some
students and some faculty members. At dear old Nebraska you
and at your school, Creighton, there was a student who
submitted an application to start a Turning Point USA chapter
at Creighton. And that was I believe initially, and I'm
(03:38):
not exactly sure what happened after that, but at some
point Creyton said, no, we're denying this application. So it
was even when it was just a glimmer in the
political spectrum. There were some people who already saw like,
we don't like where this is going. We don't like
the idea that these students might be questioning what's going
(03:59):
on on, whether on college campuses or in this country,
and we're starting right now to shut it down. Is
my assessment correct? Because you were there one of those
foot soldiers.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, absolutely so. Back in twenty fourteen, we initially tried
to start that chapter on Creighton's campus and they said no,
of course, and they really fought us tooth and nail
the whole way. It took me until my senior year,
even though we tried to put it up my freshman year,
(04:29):
took until my senior year on campus to get it
finally officially approved by the administration, of course, with the
help of Hal Daub and many other political leaders locally
as well. And yes, the situation in Lincoln that was
in twenty seventeen, and so you know, for three years
on the ground trying to build something up and then
(04:52):
pushing back against us. We did everything we could to
operate in an unofficial capacity, and they didn't really like that.
But you know, that's what Charlie taught us to be
tenacious and bold and not take no for an answer.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Yeah, that's how all of this movement started. When Malia,
did you first then, as you were starting to describe
before I rudely interrupted you, when did you first meet
Charlie kirk So?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I first met him in twenty fourteen, just at one
of his events, when you know, these events were only
a couple hundred people in a conference room, but really
got to know him once all of the things in
Nebraska kind of exacerbated and went underway at Lincoln with
Katie Mullen, who was a good friend of mine at
(05:39):
the time and well still a good friend, but going
through all of that and just working with her to
really shed light on what was going on in our universities.
Charlie was completely invested in helping us in whatever way
he could, and you know, personally went very much out
of his way to do whatever he could to further
(06:02):
the mission of Turning Point and to help us make
a difference on campuses.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Talking here with Malia Shirley among those who were trying
to start a Turning Point USA chapter at Creighton, this
was can you believe it's been over ten years since
this happened? And during that last decade, Malia to have
seen this movement grow. What was it that you felt
was moving this movement from a couple hundred people if that,
(06:29):
in a conference center into these giant campus events.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I think, you know, I think Charlie of course played
a huge role in that. The way that he led
by example, the way that he poured into all of
us as students in such an infancy phase, really building
us up, giving us the tools that we needed to
go out and recruit more people. He was so dedicated
(06:59):
and he always you know, had a saving He wore
a bracelet that said be better, work harder. It's like
there were never any excuses he put in the work.
He would, you know, travel more than he was ever home,
doing whatever he could, whether they were speeches or fundraising
money or you know, even recruiting other people to go
(07:22):
on to campuses. I know, when I was a senior,
we finally got approved on campus and we were able
to bring Ben Shapiro and this kind of even before
Charlie was doing a lot of his campus debates, and
so Ben Shapiro was the one at the time kind
of you know, going back and forth and questioning answers
with students on campuses, and I remember Creighton very much
(07:44):
did not want us to do the event, but again
credit to hell Dob, he made a call to the
president of the university and they finally agreed and we
were able to bring in over two thousand people.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I remember and to have seen the movie get bigger
and bigger and bigger. Unfortunately, as you get more popular,
as you get more attention, you get more demonized, as
Charlie Kirk certainly was. When did you get a sense that, oh,
we we must be upsetting some people here because they're
(08:19):
trying to shut us down on each campus and they're
going after Charlie Kirk personally.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Of course, you know, I saw it firsthand on Lincoln's campus.
Creighton was never particularly friendly, but they didn't have quite
the vitriol that we saw and really from the administration
at Lincoln. But I saw it firsthand towards Charlie personally.
I was at an event in Boulder, Colorado, one of
(08:48):
his campus clash tours with Candae Owens, and we were
actually tabling before the event that night, and Charlie, you know,
likes to spark debate. This was back in the Kavanaugh
confirmation hearing days and Charlie had just said, you know,
his kind of prompt was, Kavanaugh is not guilty. Proved
(09:12):
me wrong. And you know, the the way that people
spoke to him and demonized him and painted him as
an evil rape apologist and all these different things. It
was really then where I started to think, you know,
this is not just a difference of opinion.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Certainly not. And because you're associated with the brand now,
I'm sure you've had people and maybe you've lost friends
from people saying, oh, well, you're you're this apologist, or
you're a racist, or you're a misogynist, which is an
interesting thing to call a strong woman like you. So
how did you deal with all that personally?
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Personally, I mean credit to my parents. They just raised
me to be very strong and convicted in my beliefs
and to not really not care what people who don't
know me say. Of course they take heart and what
those closest to me, my inner circle, what their feedback
(10:21):
always is. But I don't really take to heart what
strangers on the internet who don't know me say. And
the people that I did lose, I like to call
it addition through subtraction, I have gained far more meaningful
friendships and relationships and gotten far more opportunities through my
(10:43):
involvement with Turning Point and the building of my relationships
with Charlie and so many people that I met through him,
that I wouldn't change that for anything.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
We, I think, need to move up to the part
of the story that happened almost too weeks ago, which you,
I'm sure on some level, Malia, have to be bitter
about you don't sound bitter? Why not?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
If I don't sound better, that's that's good to hear,
because I have been very angry and very resentful, Matt,
and I think honestly, yesterday we helped being surrounded by
you know, even in the stadium with overflow, probably close
(11:34):
to one hundred thousand people who most of whom probably
didn't even know Charlie or ever even meet him, but
were so inspired by him and his message. And I
actually I have on my screen savor here a quote
that Charlie had tweeted out, and it says, to be
(11:55):
a Christian means to forgive it inexcusable, because God has
forgiven the inexcusable in you. And you know, I don't
pretend to be some holier than now person. I'm a sinner,
I'm saved by God's grace. I can only hope to
try and live up to be a great Christian. And
you know, Charlie absolutely led by example. And to watch
(12:18):
Erica Kirk stand on that stage yesterday and forgive Charlie's assassin,
that has probably been the most moving and meaningful thing
I've ever experienced, because in only eleven days after to
be able to forgive your husband's killer, the person that
loved you a widow, left your children fatherless. I know
(12:41):
that that kind of strength only comes from God, and
I can only hope to have the faith and the
conviction that Erica does.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
I love that quote and that sentiment. We have just
a couple more minutes here with Malia Shirley. Then I'll
let you take a much needed nap here today, Malia,
but I want you to kind of take us around
what the memorial scene was like there, not just in
but also around getting into the stadium, especially since you're
(13:12):
carrying this juxtaposition of anger and also forgiveness on your heart,
and I imagine maybe you had to wade through some
people who were holding some protest signs or people who
were looking to start a fight there yesterday? Was that
part of what that scene looked like in the Phoenix
area yesterday.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Honestly, for the first time at a Charlie Kirk event,
I didn't see a single protester. I don't know if
there were any there. If they were, there was maybe
a handful. It was It was nothing, nothing like his
standard political events. Everybody there that I ran into our
(13:55):
eye experience was there for Charlie. Was there to honor
his memory and remember his legacy and to figure out
how they could get involved to push the movement and
the mission forward. It was of course we were all
mourning the loss, and we were all sad, but at
(14:16):
the same time it also felt very joyous and just
to be able to celebrate his life in the legacy
and all of his life's work that he's built up
to see it all come to a culmination like that
in a stadium at absolute max capacity. It was incredible.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
What was it like just you know, in the hotels
for people who were getting there early, or you know,
going out to eat in the area around State Farm
Stadium there in Glendale, and then afterwards as everyone was
filing out and maybe finding little places corners to go
and talk kind of the pre and post memorial service.
(15:00):
Seen what was that like yesterday?
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Really it was just everyone. Everyone was there for a
common purpose, and everyone was there building community and networking
with each other, you know, people from all across the country.
We saw videos of planes full of people. You know,
raise your hand if you're coming to Phoenix for the
Charlie Kirk memorial, and almost the whole plane goes up.
(15:24):
And just to see people make those connections and knowing
you know, not everyone has been as outspoken as maybe
I have been, but feeling courageous and building that community
to then encourage you and to relate to you and
(15:45):
give you the will to go out and push forward
and be boled and speak loudly. I think that's going
to carry so many people, even people who didn't attend.
People were coming up in the airport to me. I
had a couple of over posters I was bringing back
to DC with me and they asked me, you know,
did you go to the memorial? How was it? I
(16:05):
watched the live stream that was beautiful, Like I want
to get involved? How do I do that? And you know,
I just tell everybody go to Turning Point, USA, dot
com and sign up. There's coalitions, there's chapters for high
school college students, there's ways for adults to get involved,
like there is a place for everybody, and there's nothing
that Charlie would want more than for people to just
(16:25):
get involved and of course make sure you're registered to vote.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
All of these seeds, all these blooms are because of
the work that people like you cultivated over a decade ago. Malia,
when as you've said on your social media that you know,
you knew Charlie before everyone else knew Charlie. And you're
definitely one of these these foot soldiers who have been
(16:50):
there for the last decade plus and we'll be pushing
the movement for the next decade plus. I know it's
a very tough time. I'm so glad you were there
yesterday and come away with these feelings of hopefulness of
optimism for the future. Maliah Shirley, thank you so much
for sharing these thoughts with us here this morning.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Absolutely thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Scott absolutely here on news radio eleven ten kfab that
is one of the people that President Trump and others
talked about as all these young people, millions of them
over the last ten plus years have been pushing this
movement forward. That's one of them. Omaha native Malia Shirley
right here, Scott Bordes News Radio eleven ten, Ky fab Well,
(17:37):
I started off the program saying that, and this was
an hour and a half ago. I said, are coming
up here thoughts on funerals in football, And we've been
spending most of the last hour and a half on
that which I saw at the memorial service for Charlie
Kirky yesterday. We just talked over the last half an
hour with someone who was there, not just at the
(17:59):
service Inale yesterday, but they're at the beginning of turning
Point USA. Fascinating conversation and if you just joined us,
going what did I miss? It will be posted later
this morning on the Vintage Vorheas podcast link on the
Scott Vorheats page at kfab dot com. I noted that
(18:21):
it's impossible for me to put myself in the position
of Charlie Kirk's widow, Erica Kirk, and be able to,
with her children by her side, forgive their father's murderer.
But that's exactly what she did, and I thought the
reason why I'm not in a position to do it
is because I'm not where she is, with what she's
been through over the last week and a half, almost
(18:43):
two weeks, nor have I been a wash in the
And it's so easy to mock them, right, the thoughts
and prayers of millions upon millions of people who don't
know them. Why did she exhibit this calm? How is
she able to exhibit such grace and character? Thoughts and
prayers easy to mock, harder to envelop yourself in. She's
(19:07):
an incredibly strong person. And when I talked to Malia
a moment ago and said, you've been there for the
last decade plus of this movement, I'm curious what the
next decade plus looks like. She'll be there at the helm,
raising two little kids, adorable little kids. So you know,
(19:30):
I don't know. I don't know whether people are moved personally,
moved by what's happened, trying to find some level of
patience and forgiveness based on some of the unforgivable things
that they've seen here, or whether it's your friends on
social media or the actual assassination of this man. But
(19:53):
I think some people in this country have been genuinely
moved for good. Definitely for the better, hopefully in a
more permanent sense, both uses of the phrase for good.
And we even had Elon Musk and President Trump sitting
together for a while at this service yesterday, shaking hands,
(20:17):
talking to each other. We brought these guys together. It
was just a few weeks ago. These guys were I mean,
Elon Musk suggested that President Trump was covering up for
himself in Epstein's Buddies. That's talk about the you know,
someone says that about you and then you see them someplace.
What's most likely to happen probably not sitting down, having
(20:40):
a handshake in a conversation and remembering why you guys
got on the same page in the first place. Now,
is it possible to see friends, co workers, family members,
your kids, teacher, a late night host on ABC? Is
it possible to see these guys again who said some
things that you find so personally disgusting and extend a
(21:02):
hand to them? I hope. So this is this is
why we wave the flag, not so we can all
agree with each other all the time. I mean, I
saw I saw something pretty interesting over the weekend. We
had a little party on our block. It was organized
(21:25):
by women because they're the ones who said it's going
to start at four thirty on Saturday afternoon. The men
immediately said, there's a football game that will only be
about half over at that point. And they said, well,
the game will have like the game on on like
some of the TVs. You can sit in someone's driveway
in the hot sun and watch it. And we're like,
(21:46):
or I can sit inside in my recliner and watch
it and then come out afterwards. And they said, but
the food will be ready at four thirty, and we
all said four thirty, bring me a plate. Well, no,
is that lunch? Is that dinner? At four thirty? Like, well,
everyone's got to come out. The food is ready. Why
(22:08):
why can't we do the party after the game?
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Are all of your friends eighty?
Speaker 1 (22:13):
I don't know. So we did that and it actually
ended up not only being a great time, but there
was there was one neighbor who it was noted she
did an RSVP and I said, she's not coming. We've
done a few of these over the years. She's never come.
And even i've I've seen her look out her window
(22:36):
and go, yeah, they're out there doing it. She won't
come out. And their politics certainly are involved. She and
a neighbor for a while there. I think I mentioned
this on the radio a few years ago. They suddenly
had a battle of who is going to have the
bigger and more opposing sign, And there was some of
that going on, and there were some exchanges there across
(22:58):
the yard between these two neighbors. I stayed completely out
of it. I talked to each of them individually, tried
to say, let's understand the other's perspective. We all live together.
I don't want everyone to be all angry at each other.
I don't know that any of that helped. But we
(23:20):
had this event on Saturday night, and guess who came
out of her house. The neighbor who never comes to
these things was the other neighbor there. Yes, And they
stayed respectfully on opposite ends of the gathering, which I noted.
And the neighbor who came out is on the different
end of the political spectrum than I am. But there
(23:43):
was one point where she came out and she talked
to a few people, and then she was sitting there
by herself, and I made a point to go over
and sit next to her and annoy the crap out
of her, you know, because that's what you do. And
I said, I'm so glad you're here. Did you get food?
It's been sitting here for hours. So I don't know.
(24:05):
I don't know how much what happened with Charlie Kirk
and the exhibition of faith and forgiveness, what that has done.
Maybe some people have seen their response to some of
their social media posts that were pretty ugly and looked
at it and said, I don't want to be that
(24:26):
person who posts that ugly thing. And I think a
lot of people have deleted that stuff. Take that as
a step in the right direction, and let's keep stepping.
Let's keep stepping. Scott Boys Mornings nine to eleven on
news Radio eleven ten KFAB
Scott vorgiez tragedy struck now coming up on it would
be two weeks this Wednesday. I immediately thought about some
people I know and some people I'm friends with who
knew Charlie Kirk well. I was blessed to be able
to talk with him a couple of times over the years,
and wish I could have had a relationship with him
(00:21):
like so many did, including my next guest here on
the program. She's one who I don't know her well,
and she probably looked at my text yesterday and said,
how did he get my phone number? But I knew
that she is one who it seemed to me wasn't
(00:43):
especially politically active. And then she met Charlie kirk she
learned about Turning Point USA, ended up working for that organization,
and she was there in the Phoenix area yesterday for
the memorial service. She's an Omaha native currently in Washington,
d C. Malia Shirley joins us here on eleven ten
kfab Malia, thank you very much for taking the time
(01:05):
this morning, especially since you flew all night to leave
Phoenix for DC. You've had what ten minutes of sleep
at this point.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yes, Scott, thanks for having me. I actually have a
unique gift of sleeping on planes very well. So I
was actually I was able to sleep most of the
way here.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
So you will you will have to teach me your ways.
I can't do that middle seat all the way from
America to Italy, not even a little bit of sleep.
Couldn't do it. But let's talk about when you first
became acquainted and at some point met Charlie kirk sure
(01:47):
So I was.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
A freshman on Creighton's campus back in twenty fourteen. Charlie
started Turning Point USA in twenty twelve, so very early
on in the of the organization, only a couple of
years after he started it. And I had a friend
approached me on Creighton's campus. We had a couple of
(02:09):
classes together, a political science class particularly, and he had
just said, you know, some of the things you've shared
in class, I think we might agree on a lot.
And he was from the Chicago area, where Charlie was from.
He knew Charlie well, and he said, I have a
buddy who is trying to get some groups started on
(02:29):
college campuses around the country. It's called Turning Point USA,
and I think you'd really like it, would you want
to start a chapter with me. So I talked with
him a little bit more about it, and went to
my first event that Charlie was at. Met Charlie and
he was unlike anyone I had ever met before, and
(02:50):
he though he was so young at the time, he
was still such a leader.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
He was me, let me, let me, let me pause,
let me pause you here for a moment, because I
want people to understand when Turning Point USA, when this
idea here, this notion from Charlie Kirk was getting underway,
it wasn't him who was doing all of the footwork.
It was people like Malia and that young woman at
(03:15):
the University of Nebraska Lincoln who put out a card
table there and got yelled, shouted down, threatened by some
students and some faculty members. At dear old Nebraska you
and at your school, Creighton, there was a student who
submitted an application to start a Turning Point USA chapter
at Creighton. And that was I believe initially, and I'm
(03:38):
not exactly sure what happened after that, but at some
point Creyton said, no, we're denying this application. So it
was even when it was just a glimmer in the
political spectrum. There were some people who already saw like,
we don't like where this is going. We don't like
the idea that these students might be questioning what's going
(03:59):
on on, whether on college campuses or in this country,
and we're starting right now to shut it down. Is
my assessment correct? Because you were there one of those
foot soldiers.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, absolutely so. Back in twenty fourteen, we initially tried
to start that chapter on Creighton's campus and they said no,
of course, and they really fought us tooth and nail
the whole way. It took me until my senior year,
even though we tried to put it up my freshman year,
(04:29):
took until my senior year on campus to get it
finally officially approved by the administration, of course, with the
help of Hal Daub and many other political leaders locally
as well. And yes, the situation in Lincoln that was
in twenty seventeen, and so you know, for three years
on the ground trying to build something up and then
(04:52):
pushing back against us. We did everything we could to
operate in an unofficial capacity, and they didn't really like that.
But you know, that's what Charlie taught us to be
tenacious and bold and not take no for an answer.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Yeah, that's how all of this movement started. When Malia,
did you first then, as you were starting to describe
before I rudely interrupted you, when did you first meet
Charlie kirk So?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I first met him in twenty fourteen, just at one
of his events, when you know, these events were only
a couple hundred people in a conference room, but really
got to know him once all of the things in
Nebraska kind of exacerbated and went underway at Lincoln with
Katie Mullen, who was a good friend of mine at
(05:39):
the time and well still a good friend, but going
through all of that and just working with her to
really shed light on what was going on in our universities.
Charlie was completely invested in helping us in whatever way
he could, and you know, personally went very much out
of his way to do whatever he could to further
(06:02):
the mission of Turning Point and to help us make
a difference on campuses.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Talking here with Malia Shirley among those who were trying
to start a Turning Point USA chapter at Creighton, this
was can you believe it's been over ten years since
this happened? And during that last decade, Malia to have
seen this movement grow. What was it that you felt
was moving this movement from a couple hundred people if that,
(06:29):
in a conference center into these giant campus events.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I think, you know, I think Charlie of course played
a huge role in that. The way that he led
by example, the way that he poured into all of
us as students in such an infancy phase, really building
us up, giving us the tools that we needed to
go out and recruit more people. He was so dedicated
(06:59):
and he always you know, had a saving He wore
a bracelet that said be better, work harder. It's like
there were never any excuses he put in the work.
He would, you know, travel more than he was ever home,
doing whatever he could, whether they were speeches or fundraising
money or you know, even recruiting other people to go
(07:22):
on to campuses. I know, when I was a senior,
we finally got approved on campus and we were able
to bring Ben Shapiro and this kind of even before
Charlie was doing a lot of his campus debates, and
so Ben Shapiro was the one at the time kind
of you know, going back and forth and questioning answers
with students on campuses, and I remember Creighton very much
(07:44):
did not want us to do the event, but again
credit to hell Dob, he made a call to the
president of the university and they finally agreed and we
were able to bring in over two thousand people.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I remember and to have seen the movie get bigger
and bigger and bigger. Unfortunately, as you get more popular,
as you get more attention, you get more demonized, as
Charlie Kirk certainly was. When did you get a sense that, oh,
we we must be upsetting some people here because they're
(08:19):
trying to shut us down on each campus and they're
going after Charlie Kirk personally.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Of course, you know, I saw it firsthand on Lincoln's campus.
Creighton was never particularly friendly, but they didn't have quite
the vitriol that we saw and really from the administration
at Lincoln. But I saw it firsthand towards Charlie personally.
I was at an event in Boulder, Colorado, one of
(08:48):
his campus clash tours with Candae Owens, and we were
actually tabling before the event that night, and Charlie, you know,
likes to spark debate. This was back in the Kavanaugh
confirmation hearing days and Charlie had just said, you know,
his kind of prompt was, Kavanaugh is not guilty. Proved
(09:12):
me wrong. And you know, the the way that people
spoke to him and demonized him and painted him as
an evil rape apologist and all these different things. It
was really then where I started to think, you know,
this is not just a difference of opinion.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Certainly not. And because you're associated with the brand now,
I'm sure you've had people and maybe you've lost friends
from people saying, oh, well, you're you're this apologist, or
you're a racist, or you're a misogynist, which is an
interesting thing to call a strong woman like you. So
how did you deal with all that personally?
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Personally, I mean credit to my parents. They just raised
me to be very strong and convicted in my beliefs
and to not really not care what people who don't
know me say. Of course they take heart and what
those closest to me, my inner circle, what their feedback
(10:21):
always is. But I don't really take to heart what
strangers on the internet who don't know me say. And
the people that I did lose, I like to call
it addition through subtraction, I have gained far more meaningful
friendships and relationships and gotten far more opportunities through my
(10:43):
involvement with Turning Point and the building of my relationships
with Charlie and so many people that I met through him,
that I wouldn't change that for anything.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
We, I think, need to move up to the part
of the story that happened almost too weeks ago, which you,
I'm sure on some level, Malia, have to be bitter
about you don't sound bitter? Why not?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
If I don't sound better, that's that's good to hear,
because I have been very angry and very resentful, Matt,
and I think honestly, yesterday we helped being surrounded by
you know, even in the stadium with overflow, probably close
(11:34):
to one hundred thousand people who most of whom probably
didn't even know Charlie or ever even meet him, but
were so inspired by him and his message. And I
actually I have on my screen savor here a quote
that Charlie had tweeted out, and it says, to be
(11:55):
a Christian means to forgive it inexcusable, because God has
forgiven the inexcusable in you. And you know, I don't
pretend to be some holier than now person. I'm a sinner,
I'm saved by God's grace. I can only hope to
try and live up to be a great Christian. And
you know, Charlie absolutely led by example. And to watch
(12:18):
Erica Kirk stand on that stage yesterday and forgive Charlie's assassin,
that has probably been the most moving and meaningful thing
I've ever experienced, because in only eleven days after to
be able to forgive your husband's killer, the person that
loved you a widow, left your children fatherless. I know
(12:41):
that that kind of strength only comes from God, and
I can only hope to have the faith and the
conviction that Erica does.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
I love that quote and that sentiment. We have just
a couple more minutes here with Malia Shirley. Then I'll
let you take a much needed nap here today, Malia,
but I want you to kind of take us around
what the memorial scene was like there, not just in
but also around getting into the stadium, especially since you're
(13:12):
carrying this juxtaposition of anger and also forgiveness on your heart,
and I imagine maybe you had to wade through some
people who were holding some protest signs or people who
were looking to start a fight there yesterday? Was that
part of what that scene looked like in the Phoenix
area yesterday.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Honestly, for the first time at a Charlie Kirk event,
I didn't see a single protester. I don't know if
there were any there. If they were, there was maybe
a handful. It was It was nothing, nothing like his
standard political events. Everybody there that I ran into our
(13:55):
eye experience was there for Charlie. Was there to honor
his memory and remember his legacy and to figure out
how they could get involved to push the movement and
the mission forward. It was of course we were all
mourning the loss, and we were all sad, but at
(14:16):
the same time it also felt very joyous and just
to be able to celebrate his life in the legacy
and all of his life's work that he's built up
to see it all come to a culmination like that
in a stadium at absolute max capacity. It was incredible.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
What was it like just you know, in the hotels
for people who were getting there early, or you know,
going out to eat in the area around State Farm
Stadium there in Glendale, and then afterwards as everyone was
filing out and maybe finding little places corners to go
and talk kind of the pre and post memorial service.
(15:00):
Seen what was that like yesterday?
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Really it was just everyone. Everyone was there for a
common purpose, and everyone was there building community and networking
with each other, you know, people from all across the country.
We saw videos of planes full of people. You know,
raise your hand if you're coming to Phoenix for the
Charlie Kirk memorial, and almost the whole plane goes up.
(15:24):
And just to see people make those connections and knowing
you know, not everyone has been as outspoken as maybe
I have been, but feeling courageous and building that community
to then encourage you and to relate to you and
(15:45):
give you the will to go out and push forward
and be boled and speak loudly. I think that's going
to carry so many people, even people who didn't attend.
People were coming up in the airport to me. I
had a couple of over posters I was bringing back
to DC with me and they asked me, you know,
did you go to the memorial? How was it? I
(16:05):
watched the live stream that was beautiful, Like I want
to get involved? How do I do that? And you know,
I just tell everybody go to Turning Point, USA, dot
com and sign up. There's coalitions, there's chapters for high
school college students, there's ways for adults to get involved,
like there is a place for everybody, and there's nothing
that Charlie would want more than for people to just
(16:25):
get involved and of course make sure you're registered to vote.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
All of these seeds, all these blooms are because of
the work that people like you cultivated over a decade ago. Malia,
when as you've said on your social media that you know,
you knew Charlie before everyone else knew Charlie. And you're
definitely one of these these foot soldiers who have been
(16:50):
there for the last decade plus and we'll be pushing
the movement for the next decade plus. I know it's
a very tough time. I'm so glad you were there
yesterday and come away with these feelings of hopefulness of
optimism for the future. Maliah Shirley, thank you so much
for sharing these thoughts with us here this morning.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Absolutely thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Scott absolutely here on news radio eleven ten kfab that
is one of the people that President Trump and others
talked about as all these young people, millions of them
over the last ten plus years have been pushing this
movement forward. That's one of them. Omaha native Malia Shirley
right here, Scott Bordes News Radio eleven ten, Ky fab Well,
(17:37):
I started off the program saying that, and this was
an hour and a half ago. I said, are coming
up here thoughts on funerals in football, And we've been
spending most of the last hour and a half on
that which I saw at the memorial service for Charlie
Kirky yesterday. We just talked over the last half an
hour with someone who was there, not just at the
(17:59):
service Inale yesterday, but they're at the beginning of turning
Point USA. Fascinating conversation and if you just joined us,
going what did I miss? It will be posted later
this morning on the Vintage Vorheas podcast link on the
Scott Vorheats page at kfab dot com. I noted that
(18:21):
it's impossible for me to put myself in the position
of Charlie Kirk's widow, Erica Kirk, and be able to,
with her children by her side, forgive their father's murderer.
But that's exactly what she did, and I thought the
reason why I'm not in a position to do it
is because I'm not where she is, with what she's
been through over the last week and a half, almost
(18:43):
two weeks, nor have I been a wash in the
And it's so easy to mock them, right, the thoughts
and prayers of millions upon millions of people who don't
know them. Why did she exhibit this calm? How is
she able to exhibit such grace and character? Thoughts and
prayers easy to mock, harder to envelop yourself in. She's
(19:07):
an incredibly strong person. And when I talked to Malia
a moment ago and said, you've been there for the
last decade plus of this movement, I'm curious what the
next decade plus looks like. She'll be there at the helm,
raising two little kids, adorable little kids. So you know,
(19:30):
I don't know. I don't know whether people are moved personally,
moved by what's happened, trying to find some level of
patience and forgiveness based on some of the unforgivable things
that they've seen here, or whether it's your friends on
social media or the actual assassination of this man. But
(19:53):
I think some people in this country have been genuinely
moved for good. Definitely for the better, hopefully in a
more permanent sense, both uses of the phrase for good.
And we even had Elon Musk and President Trump sitting
together for a while at this service yesterday, shaking hands,
(20:17):
talking to each other. We brought these guys together. It
was just a few weeks ago. These guys were I mean,
Elon Musk suggested that President Trump was covering up for
himself in Epstein's Buddies. That's talk about the you know,
someone says that about you and then you see them someplace.
What's most likely to happen probably not sitting down, having
(20:40):
a handshake in a conversation and remembering why you guys
got on the same page in the first place. Now,
is it possible to see friends, co workers, family members,
your kids, teacher, a late night host on ABC? Is
it possible to see these guys again who said some
things that you find so personally disgusting and extend a
(21:02):
hand to them? I hope. So this is this is
why we wave the flag, not so we can all
agree with each other all the time. I mean, I
saw I saw something pretty interesting over the weekend. We
had a little party on our block. It was organized
(21:25):
by women because they're the ones who said it's going
to start at four thirty on Saturday afternoon. The men
immediately said, there's a football game that will only be
about half over at that point. And they said, well,
the game will have like the game on on like
some of the TVs. You can sit in someone's driveway
in the hot sun and watch it. And we're like,
(21:46):
or I can sit inside in my recliner and watch
it and then come out afterwards. And they said, but
the food will be ready at four thirty, and we
all said four thirty, bring me a plate. Well, no,
is that lunch? Is that dinner? At four thirty? Like, well,
everyone's got to come out. The food is ready. Why
(22:08):
why can't we do the party after the game?
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Are all of your friends eighty?
Speaker 1 (22:13):
I don't know. So we did that and it actually
ended up not only being a great time, but there
was there was one neighbor who it was noted she
did an RSVP and I said, she's not coming. We've
done a few of these over the years. She's never come.
And even i've I've seen her look out her window
(22:36):
and go, yeah, they're out there doing it. She won't
come out. And their politics certainly are involved. She and
a neighbor for a while there. I think I mentioned
this on the radio a few years ago. They suddenly
had a battle of who is going to have the
bigger and more opposing sign, And there was some of
that going on, and there were some exchanges there across
(22:58):
the yard between these two neighbors. I stayed completely out
of it. I talked to each of them individually, tried
to say, let's understand the other's perspective. We all live together.
I don't want everyone to be all angry at each other.
I don't know that any of that helped. But we
(23:20):
had this event on Saturday night, and guess who came
out of her house. The neighbor who never comes to
these things was the other neighbor there. Yes, And they
stayed respectfully on opposite ends of the gathering, which I noted.
And the neighbor who came out is on the different
end of the political spectrum than I am. But there
(23:43):
was one point where she came out and she talked
to a few people, and then she was sitting there
by herself, and I made a point to go over
and sit next to her and annoy the crap out
of her, you know, because that's what you do. And
I said, I'm so glad you're here. Did you get food?
It's been sitting here for hours. So I don't know.
(24:05):
I don't know how much what happened with Charlie Kirk
and the exhibition of faith and forgiveness, what that has done.
Maybe some people have seen their response to some of
their social media posts that were pretty ugly and looked
at it and said, I don't want to be that
(24:26):
person who posts that ugly thing. And I think a
lot of people have deleted that stuff. Take that as
a step in the right direction, and let's keep stepping.
Let's keep stepping. Scott Boys Mornings nine to eleven on
news Radio eleven ten KFAB
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