Charlie Kirk never really cared for the word empathy. Honestly, he didn't just dislike it; he basically thought the concept was a trap.
Back in October 2022, during an episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, the Turning Point USA founder went on a bit of a tear about it. He called empathy a "made-up, new age term" that does a "lot of damage." This wasn't some off-the-cuff remark he regretted later. It was a core part of how he viewed the world—and how he thought the "left" used emotions to manipulate voters.
If you've seen the clips circulating on X (formerly Twitter) or TikTok, you know the vibe. Kirk wasn't arguing that people should be cruel. He was arguing that the way we talk about "feeling what others feel" is a recipe for political disaster.
What the Charlie Kirk empathy quote actually said
Let’s look at the specific phrasing because context matters here. Kirk was talking about Bill Clinton. You remember the famous "I feel your pain" line from the 90s? Kirk saw that as the moment politics shifted from objective truth to what he called "narcissistic" emotional mirroring.
"I can't stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that—it does a lot of damage. But, it is very effective when it comes to politics... I prefer sympathy."
He wasn't just being a contrarian for the sake of it. He believed empathy forces a person to "become" the other person, which he argued was literally impossible. To Kirk, claiming you can truly feel someone else's unique internal struggle is a lie. Worse, he thought it led to bad policy because it prioritizes feelings over facts.
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The difference between sympathy and empathy (according to Kirk)
Kirk made a sharp distinction. For him, sympathy was the superior virtue. He defined it as acknowledging someone else is suffering and wanting to help them.
- Sympathy: "I'm sorry you're hurting. How can I help?"
- Empathy: "I feel exactly what you feel."
He thought the latter was "destructive." Why? Because if you have to feel the pain of everyone in the world to be a "good person," you'll eventually go insane or just become a "grievance machine."
Why this quote blew up in late 2025
The reason you’re likely searching for this now is because of the massive news cycle following Kirk’s death in September 2025. When he was shot at Utah Valley University, the internet did what the internet does. It got ugly.
People on the left started digging up this specific empathy quote charlie kirk once used to justify why they didn't feel bad for him. The logic was: "He said empathy is a made-up term, so why should we have any for him?"
It sparked a huge debate among academics and religious leaders. Andrew Sargent and other commentators pointed out that people were taking the quote out of context. Kirk wasn't saying "don't care about people." He was saying "don't let emotions override your principles."
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But in the heat of a polarized 2026 political landscape, those nuances got buried.
The "Toxic Empathy" connection
Kirk wasn't alone in this. He often hosted guests like Allie Beth Stuckey, author of Toxic Empathy. They argued that "empathy" is often used as a weapon to silence conservative views.
Think about it this way. If a politician says, "We need to secure the border," and the response is, "You have no empathy for the families," the debate is no longer about border policy. It's about who is a "better" person. Kirk hated that. He saw it as a way to bypass rational argument.
A few other "callous" quotes people bring up
To understand the empathy comment, you have to look at his other stances that people found similarly cold:
- On Gun Deaths: He once said some gun deaths are a "prudent deal" to maintain the Second Amendment.
- On MLK: He called Martin Luther King Jr. "awful" and criticized the Civil Rights Act.
- On Diversity: He famously questioned the qualifications of Black pilots, sparking a massive backlash.
For Kirk, these weren't "hateful" takes. They were "logical" takes. He believed that if you strip away the "new age" empathy, you're left with hard truths that most people are too scared to say.
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Was he right or just being an "edgelord"?
It depends on who you ask. Psychologists like Maxine Iannuccilli have argued that empathy is actually the "glue" of society. They point out that even toddlers show empathy. It's not a "new age" invention; it's a biological reality.
However, Kirk’s supporters would say he was right about the political use of the word. They’d argue that empathy has been "weaponized" to mean "agree with my lifestyle or you're a monster."
There's a middle ground here that most people miss. You can recognize that empathy is a real human emotion while also admitting that it’s a terrible way to run a government. Governments need to be fair and objective, not "emotional."
What we can learn from the controversy
The whole drama around the empathy quote charlie kirk gave us is a mirror for where we are as a country. We’ve reached a point where we can’t even agree on what "caring" looks like.
If you’re trying to navigate these conversations, here are some actionable ways to handle the "empathy vs. sympathy" debate:
- Define your terms early. If you're arguing with someone, ask them what they mean by "empathy." Are they talking about being nice, or are they talking about total emotional identification?
- Separate the person from the policy. You can have immense sympathy for someone’s situation while still disagreeing with the solution they want.
- Watch out for "Selective Empathy." This is a term that popped up after Kirk’s death. It’s when we only feel for people on "our side." If you only have empathy for your friends and none for your "enemies," you’re just proving Kirk’s point that the word is often used as a political tool.
The reality is that Charlie Kirk’s legacy will always be tied to these "hard" takes. Whether you saw him as a truth-teller or a man who lacked basic compassion, his critique of empathy forced a lot of people to think about why they value that emotion so much in the first place.
If you want to dig deeper into the actual transcript of that 2022 episode, you can still find it on Rumble. Just be prepared for a long listen—Kirk was never one for brevity.