Charlie Kirk’s Words

Plus: One-on-One With Matthew McConaughey

View in browser | Update preferences SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS CLAIRE HOWORTH, DEPUTY EDITOR A meme has been making the rounds on social media this week: an illustration of the busts of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Jesus Christ, and Charlie Kirk, with a tagline emblazoned below: "ALL BECAUSE OF WORDS." Yet many in the pundit and political classes have elided Kirk's words even as they've eulogized the Turning Point USA founder in the wake of his killing last week. For Vanity Fair, Ta-Nehisi Coates examines "Kirk's helpful compendium of words" in the context of American history, asking the reader, "If you would look away from the words of Charlie Kirk, from what else would you look away?" Elsewhere today, we remember Robert Redford, report on Luigi Mangione's latest court hearing, and debut our October cover stars. More tomorrow… Charlie Kirk, Redeemed by the Media BY TA-NEHISI COATES "It is not just, for instance, that Kirk held disagreeable views—that he was pro-life, that he believed in public executions, or that he rejected the separation of church and state," Ta-Nehisi Coates writes. "It's that Kirk reveled in open bigotry." By ignoring the rhetoric and actions of the Turning Point USA founder, Coates argues, pundits and politicians are sanitizing Charlie Kirk's legacy. READ MORE Read All About It IN MEMORIAM Robert Redford's Legacy BY JULIE MILLER The all-American actor, Oscar winner, director, and Sundance Film Festival founder died Tuesday at 89. READ MORE ROYALS King Charles Readies for President Trump's State Visit BY KATIE NICHOLL While King Charles will remain politically neutral, there are "a number of issues" he is eager to discuss with Trump, a source tells VF. READ MORE IN CONVERSATION Getting Personal With Matthew McConaughey BY KEZIAH WEIR VF chats with the actor about religion in Hollywood, poetry (his own), and whether he's still thinking of running for governor. READ MORE On the Cover Sibling Revelry BY SAVANNAH WALSH Dakota and Elle Fanning have always written their own story. They've worked with many of cinema's great living auteurs (Tarantino, Spielberg, and Coppola—both Francis Ford and Sofia). They've received Emmy nominations for splashy streaming projects. Now 31 and 27, the Fannings have been famous nearly all their lives. So why aren't they more…. "Fucked up?" says Elle, finishing the question. "Even though we were young in this business, I don't feel like I missed out on anything. People want us to feel like we missed out. They love that narrative." For VF's October cover story, Savannah Walsh chats with the Hollywood sisters about growing up in the spotlight, finding love, and making their first movie together. READ MORE But Wait, There's More Inside Luigi Mangione's Court Hearing In a blow to prosecutors, two state charges against the 27-year-old defendant and international symbol were dismissed. Charlie Kirk's Favorite Influencers Have a Shared Message Christian conservatives believe Kirk's death is a sign that the "devil has overplayed his hand"—and that it will jump-start a religious revival. MORE FROM VANITY FAIR POLITICS BUSINESS HOLLYWOOD STYLE ROYALS CELEBRITY This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2025. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.