Anna Paulina Luna
ArizonaCharlie KirkFloridaPoliticsRepublicans

Rep. Luna Credits Charlie Kirk With Launching Her Entire Political Career at Memorial Event

RNN Staff

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna delivered a powerful and emotional tribute to Charlie Kirk on Sunday, telling thousands gathered at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, that the late Turning Point USA founder was the reason she ever entered politics in the first place.

“There would be no Congresswoman Luna without Charlie Kirk,” the Florida Republican said from the memorial stage, as a solemn crowd of conservatives and young activists looked on.

Luna recalled how a single phone call from Kirk changed the entire trajectory of her life.

“I still remember the phone call that changed my life,” she said. “‘Hey, Anna, it’s Charlie. I’d like to offer you a job as Texas National Hispanic Outreach Director.’” At the time, Luna had been preparing to go to medical school, but Kirk’s belief in her — and in the mission — pulled her onto a new path. “These were the sparks that lit the path for me… to join TPUSA, where I could help Charlie battle the socialist indoctrination on college campuses.”

Luna praised Kirk’s “unshakable resolve to awaken America’s youth” and said she witnessed firsthand his evolution from a 20-something activist hosting conferences with a few hundred attendees, to what she described as “one of the most powerful men in the world.”

She placed Kirk in the company of America’s most transformational figures, comparing his boldness and vision to that of George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy — leaders who inspired movements far beyond their lifetimes. “His name will stand etched in history,” she said.

Looking out across a sea of young conservatives, Luna told the crowd that Kirk’s legacy was “ablaze in every single one of you.”

She ended her remarks with a challenge.

“So I ask you — will you live boldly as Charlie did? Will you rise to the challenge as Charlie did? Will you speak truth without fear, as Charlie did? And will you pray with unwavering faith, as Charlie did?”

Luna has been one of Kirk’s most vocal defenders in the wake of his Sept. 10 assassination, calling on social media platforms to remove graphic videos of his killing to protect his family. “He has a family, young children, and no one should be forced to relive this tragedy online,” she said days after the attack.

Her speech at the memorial was one of several from Republican lawmakers who credit Kirk with not only shaping a generation of conservative leaders, but launching their very careers.

Watch her full remarks below:

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