The new Kanye West documentary In Whose Name? features a surprising cameo from the late Charlie Kirk.
In one scene of the movie, which was filmed over the course of six years, West, now 48, sits down with Kirk and conservative commentator Candace Owens for a strategy session.
“I have to show an example of a non-perfect Black celeb that still wins,” West tells the duo. “Because if you’re a celebrity and you’re Black and you’re perfect, you’re the housekeeper.”
Owens, 36, seemingly agrees with the rapper, telling him he would be a “glorified slave” in such a scenario, while Kirk says West would be “the help.”
“Culture will always be upstream from politics,” Owens tells the Grammy winner. “Whoever can control culture can control politics. … You wearing a MAGA hat? It broke the internet.”
The meeting between West, Kirk and Owens took place in 2018, the same year that West made headlines after visiting the White House during President Donald Trump’s first administration. During the trip, West famously wore one of Trump’s red “Make America Great Again” baseball caps.
“They tried to scare me to not wear this hat,” West told Trump, now 79, at the time. “This hat, it gives me power in a way. You made a Superman cape for me.”
At the time of Owens and Kirk’s meeting with West, Owens was serving as the communications director for Kirk’s nonprofit organization, Turning Point USA. Kirk cofounded the group, which advocates for conservative viewpoints on college campuses, in 2012 when he was 18.
Kirk was shot and killed on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Two days later, authorities arrested his suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, who turned himself in at the behest of his parents. He was subsequently charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.
He has not yet entered a plea. Utah prosecutors announced they will seek the death penalty.
Following Charlie’s death, his widow, Erika Kirk (née Frantzve), was named CEO and chair of the board of Turning Point.
“In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon wrote that mankind is to be tested by God. Today we are facing such a test, yet we also know that God has prepared us with everything we need to overcome this ordeal,” read a statement from the organization’s board on Thursday, September 18. “It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie’s side. Charlie prepared us all for a moment like this one.”
The statement continued, “He worked tirelessly to ensure Turning Point USA was built to survive even the greatest test. And now, it is our great pride to announce Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board for Turning Point USA.”
The couple, who tied the knot in 2021, shared a daughter, 3, and a son, 19 months.