Amy Coney Barrett urges students to follow Erika Kirk’s example of strength

WASHINGTON, DC: At the Federalist Society’s Antonin Scalia Memorial Dinner on Thursday, November 6, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivered remarks highlighting a crucial moral lesson. She praised Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk for her remarkable composure and forgiveness following the tragic death of her husband, Charlie Kirk.

Barrett used Erika’s example to call on attendees and the broader public to adopt resilience and restraint in the face of hostility.

Amy Coney Barrett highlights Erika Kirk’s strength and forgiveness

During the Memorial Dinner, Barrett praised Erika for demonstrating strength with grace, encouraging students to “take the high road like Erika Kirk and show grace and strength in the face of hatred." The event came after the fatal shooting of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10 during his "American Comeback Tour" at Utah Valley University.

Barrett noted that Erika forgave her husband’s accused murderer, Tyler Robinson, describing the act as "deeply moving." She said, “Fighting poison with poison doesn’t work, [and] leads to more poison.”

She added, “When you fight fire with fire in a poisonous way, it just fans the flames and they get out of control.” Barrett urged attendees to respond to anger and backlash not with retaliation or silence, but with composure and firmness, keeping Erika Kirk’s example in mind.

Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh address challenges facing conservatives

Barrett delivered the remarks alongside Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, where both addressed challenges faced by conservative figures in the judiciary and on college campuses. Barrett emphasized that hostility, which contributed to Charlie Kirk’s murder, “still exists on campuses and elsewhere,” cautioning against intimidation or silence as a strategy.

“I think that when you see the poison, the anger, the backlash that led to Charlie Kirk's murder, you meet it with strength and grace, not cowering or saying, 'I'm going to be silent.' I think you still say what you're going to say," she said.

Charlie Kirk spoke at a campaign rally with Senator JD Vance in Glendale, Arizona on July 31, 2024 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Federalist Society presidents and other young conservatives expressed concerns about their safety and a possible chilling effect on hosting controversial speakers or events. Kavanaugh recounted his experience facing a 2022 violent attack and encouraged young conservatives to “be not afraid” to stand by their principles, resist peer pressure, and speak out even when criticized.