When Ben Bergquam opened his phone on September 10th, he wasnāt just uploading another update to his Real Americaās Voice audience. He was watching something that pierced through politics: a quiet group of Americans planting flags in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 lives lost on 9/11. Side by side with that solemn act, Bergquam recorded his own tribute to Charlie Kirk, assassinated just hours earlier, tying together national grief, personal loss, and the call to honor those who dedicate themselves to Americaās future.
āCharlie was called by God for such a time as this,ā Bergquam said in his first reaction video. āAs a dad, as a husband, as a leaderāhe was a light in dark times. Evil doesnāt go after the ineffective. It goes after the strong.ā His voice cracked with emotion, but what followed was not despairāit was determination.
What has surprised many since Kirkās death isnāt just the outpouring from the conservative movement. Itās the tributes from groups the media insisted despised him: Black Americans, gay Americans, trans Americans. In video after video, people who mainstream outlets framed as Kirkās āenemiesā have spoken candidly of respect, debate, even admiration. Some language is raw, some graphic, but itās realāand it tells a story the press rarely acknowledges.
Listen to the people. Thatās the refrain emerging from these clips. Theyāre not polished press statements; theyāre unfiltered voices insisting Kirkās legacy isnāt about division but dialogue. One young man admitted he used to think Kirk āhated people like me,ā until meeting him face to face. āHe listened. We didnāt agree on everything, but he didnāt treat me like garbage. That matters.ā Another, visibly shaken, said: āI thought he was against us. Turns out the media lied. And now heās gone.ā
Thousands of similar tributes have surfaced online, a grassroots counter-narrative to years of headlines branding Kirk as a symbol of hostility. What emerges is not uniform agreement on policy, but something deeper: a shared American value of debate, respect, and compromise.
Bergquam has leaned into this unexpected groundswell. āIf the media wonāt tell the truth, then we will,ā he posted, walking through Chicagoās streets days after Kirkās assassination. His video, framed against luxury homes and boarded-up storefronts, called out political elites for ignoring everyday pain while amplifying false narratives. āCharlieās death should wake people up,ā Bergquam said. āIf you keep believing the lies they sell, youāll never hear what the people themselves are saying.ā
That āpeopleā includes voices the political class loves to pit against one another. In the raw reaction videos now circulating, the message isnāt about erasing differencesāitās about refusing to let differences be weaponized into hatred. One trans woman who spoke through tears put it plainly: āHe was supposed to be the enemy. But he treated me with respect. We argued, but we laughed too. Thatās America. Thatās whatās supposed to matter.ā
For years, mainstream commentators insisted that Kirkās brand of conservatism was inherently exclusionary, that the MAGA movement could never connect with communities outside its base. But these tributes, recorded in kitchens, dorm rooms, and city streets, tell another story. They are messy, unscripted, and sincere. They stand as living proof that misinformation has consequencesānot just for reputations, but for the unity of the country.
As Bergquam continues to film, post, and speak, his message has crystallized into something larger than a personal loss. āThis isnāt just about Charlie,ā one commentator said in one clip. āItās about the fight for truth. Itās about building a safer and more prosperous America together. If youāre not listening now, when will you?ā
The injustice of false narratives, amplified for years, canāt be undone overnight. But in the flood of tribute videosāthousands of themāthe picture is clear: Charlie Kirk built bridges with people the media swore he hated. In death, those bridges may prove to be his greatest legacy.
Listen to the people. Thatās what the spirit of Charlie Kirk is urging America to do. And thatās the message ringing out from the voices the media tried to silence.