Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. paid tribute to Charlie Kirk during his speech at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Thursday, saying the late Founder Turning Point USA was instrumental in connecting him with President Donald Trump.

“I can't stand here without thinking about him,” Kennedy said, referring to Kirk, who was assassinated one year ago at Utah Valley University.

Kennedy recalled meeting Trump at a Turning Point rally in Arizona in August 2024, an encounter that eventually led to Kennedy ending his independent presidential campaign and endorsing Trump.

“At the Turning Point rally in Arizona, I met President Trump, and that moment would never have happened without my friend Charlie Kirk,” Kennedy said.

“Charlie played a critical and indispensable role in bringing me and President Trump together,” he continued. “In fact, it was something that he was trying to do for almost a year, last year in my campaign.”

Kirk had worked to bring Kennedy and Trump together during the 2024 presidential campaign. Kennedy ultimately endorsed Trump at the Arizona event, and the two later developed a political alliance that led to Trump selecting Kennedy to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy's account of Kirk's role echoed remarks he made following Kirk's death in September 2025. ABC News reported at the time that Kennedy said Kirk had brokered the partnership between him and Trump during the 2024 campaign.

Kirk was remembered throughout Thursday's convention, which fell on the first anniversary of his assassination. Republicans held a tribute during the event, with chants of “Charlie” filling the arena before a memorial video was shown.

Kennedy's remarks placed Kirk's role in his political transition at the center of his convention speech, describing the relationship between the three men as an important moment in his move from an independent presidential campaign into Trump's administration.