A bronze statue of Charlie Kirk outside Turning Point USA’s Phoenix headquarters was vandalized with red paint early Sunday, roughly three days after it was unveiled, according to the group’s chief operating officer.
Tyler Bowyer, TPUSA’s COO, posted photos and video on X showing red paint sprayed across the face of the eight-foot sculpture and a frowning expression scrawled on its torso. In the same post, he wrote, “I hope you are awake.”
Phoenix police told The Daily Wire they received reports of the vandalism around 8 a.m. Sunday. Officers taped off the area, and an investigation is underway. No suspects had been identified as of Sunday afternoon, according to the outlet.
A statue unveiled days earlier
The bronze likeness, sculpted by artist Quintin McCann, was unveiled Thursday, September 10, on the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University. It depicts the TPUSA founder in the act of tossing baseball caps into a crowd, wearing his signature “FREEDOM” T-shirt and a cross necklace.
Since the unveiling, the site had become a makeshift memorial, with flowers, flags and handwritten tributes accumulating around the statue’s base. Bowyer’s posts indicated that a memorial poster bearing Kirk’s photo was also defaced, with a red X marked over his face.
According to Bowyer, a phrase on one tribute — “May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior” — was altered. He said “Jesus” was crossed out and replaced with “Satan.”
Bowyer also tagged Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, in a separate post, suggesting her office would either remain silent on the vandalism or issue a statement condemning it. The Daily Wire reported that the governor’s office did not immediately respond.
Condemnation from a Republican lawmaker
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) condemned the vandalism in a post on X, calling it “truly abhorrent.” He went on to say that “the left is intolerant and militant” and that “evil exists and must be confronted continuously.”
The incident echoes a separate act of vandalism at the same location in September 2025, when a man was arrested after trampling a makeshift memorial to Kirk in the days following his death.
Turning Point USA has been led by Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, who serves as CEO and board chair, since his killing.
The investigation into Sunday’s vandalism remains open, and Phoenix police have not announced any arrests or named any persons of interest. The Daily Wire reported that no suspects had been identified by Sunday afternoon.
As of Sunday, it was not clear whether the paint could be removed from the bronze without damaging the sculpture, or whether the memorial items surrounding it would be replaced. Neither TPUSA nor the artist, McCann, had issued a public statement about the condition of the work.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/charlie-kirk-statue-defaced-with-red-paint-after-unveiling