Though a man of God, Brantley Gilbert is struggling with faith and forgiveness following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the country star opened up about the “anger” he feels following Kirk’s “senseless” murder and explained why he’s finding it difficult to show grace during these trying times.
“I’ll be honest, I’m trying to try to be a little careful. My wife sent me back to church and stuff, and I can say Charlie was an encouraging figure in this chapter of my life, and I’m trying to get back into that,” Gilbert said. “My wife is a lot more steadfast in her faith and shows a lot more grace than me. I’m angry man, I’m still angry.”
“I know my belief in Christianity encourages me to show love and show that to my brothers and sisters, and I’m having a hard time with that right now,” he continued. “I’ve always been one to try to keep my platform geared towards supporting active duty members, veterans, kids. We really try to keep our messages positive.”
CHARLIE KIRK, TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER, DEAD AT 31 AFTER UTAH CAMPUS SHOOTING
Gilbert said he’s made a “conscious effort” to stay away from politics due to the country’s divisiveness, but it’s becoming harder and harder.
“It’s becoming unavoidable for me to see some of the differences and seeing leaders call out for violence. And then, when it happens, stand back and go, ‘We don’t support that, we don’t stand behind that.’ You called for it,” he said.
“I was supposed to pray for those who we’re making comments like that, people whose hearts are in that place, and I’m just not there yet,” he continued. “I’ll be honest, I’m angry. I think a lot of us are angry. A lot of us are fed up.”
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“If you want to call it a mental health problem or whatever your views are on that to not condemn murdering an innocent man, you know, it’s like these people just disregarded the fact that two kids woke up without a dad. A wife woke up without a husband and our country woke up without a figure that was literally dedicating his life to the betterment of it.”
“It’s senseless. I don’t understand it, and it p—es me off,” he said.
Last week, Gilbert — who’s currently on “The Tattoos Tour 2025” — led the crowd in a moment of silence in honor of Kirk during his show in Maryland on Friday.
“How powerful was silence,” he said. “But how powerful is the freedom of speech.”
“I don’t care if you’re left, right, Black, white, who you wanna be today or tomorrow, whatever the f—,” Gilbert continued, “You never celebrate an act of cowardice like that.”
Gilbert told Fox News Digital that the silence was “deafening.”
“It was incredibly powerful for several thousand people, you know, to just go completely silent for anything. It’s a lot to ask for silence out of a crowd like that … the silence was deafening. It was an incredible moment, it was overwhelming. It was an emotional moment.”
WATCH: COUNTRY STAR BRANTLEY GILBERT SAYS CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH HAS HIM WRESTLING WITH FAITH AND FORGIVENESS
Kirk, 31, was assassinated at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Sept. 10. He was pronounced dead later that day.
The political activist had traveled around the country to college campuses, where he had conducted question-and-answer sessions with students and discussed key political issues.
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Authorities identified the murder suspect as Tyler Robinson, 22, who had been living with a 22-year-old roommate who is transitioning from male to female.
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other prominent political figures are slated to speak Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, during an event honoring Charlie Kirk.
The website fightforcharlie.com also lists other speakers, including Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr., White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office Sergio Gor.
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Despite the ongoing divisiveness within the country, Gilbert told Fox News Digital he’s praying for unity.
“I mean, I think that’s the hope, right? And again, with the platform I have, I try my best to be positive and hopeful and encouraging. I’d be lying if I felt that right now.”
“It seems like we’re going the other way. You know, and honestly, man, the only way I see this getting right, the only way I see us putting our country back together is giving it back to God.”
“I believe in God and believe in the Bible, and we’re, we’re doing a lot of things in the other direction and that’s, that’s concerning for me.”
