Country Singer Admits He's Struggling With His Christian Faith After Charlie Kirk's Death: 'I'm Angry'

Country singer Brantley Gilbert is struggling with faith and forgiveness following Charlie Kirk's assassination.

In a new interview, he opened up about his anger as he tries to reconcile his Christian beliefs with the tragedy, noting that avoiding politics has become difficult as he witnesses leaders incite violence.

During his "Tattoos Tour 2025" in Maryland, Brantley Gilbert led a "deafening" moment of silence for Charlie Kirk, emphasizing unity beyond political divides.

Despite being a man of faith, Gilbert is grappling with his beliefs and the concept of forgiveness in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination.

During a chat with Fox News Digital, Gilbert opened up about the "anger" he feels after what he described as Kirk's "senseless" death, and why extending grace feels especially challenging right now.

"I'll be honest, I'm trying to try to be a little careful," Gilbert said. "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. My wife is a lot more steadfast in her faith and shows a lot more grace than me. I'm an angry man, I'm still angry."

He added, "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. I've always been one to try to keep my platform geared towards supporting active duty members, veterans, and kids. We really try to keep our messages positive."

Gilbert explained that he's deliberately tried to steer clear of politics, given the country's growing divisions, but said staying neutral is becoming increasingly difficult.

"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.

He admitted: "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. I'll be honest, I'm angry. I think a lot of us are angry. A lot of us are fed up."

Reflecting on the consequences of Kirk's death, Gilbert hinted at the impact it might have on the country, calling the late activist a "figure" who was working to make America a better place.

The singer said, "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."

He continued, "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-sses me off," Gilbert concluded.

Last week, during his "The Tattoos Tour 2025," Gilbert led the audience in a moment of silence to honor Kirk at his Maryland show.

Reflecting on the experience, he told the publication, "How powerful was silence. But how powerful is the freedom of speech?"

He emphasized that the tribute transcended politics and personal backgrounds. "I don't care if you're left, right, Black, white, who you wanna be today or tomorrow, whatever the f-ck. You never celebrate an act of cowardice like that."

Describing the response from the crowd, Gilbert said the silence was "deafening."

"It was incredibly powerful for several thousand people, you know, to just go completely silent for anything," Gilbert said. "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."

Amid the country's ongoing divisions, Gilbert shared that he is 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," he admitted.

He continued, "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."

Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two children. A memorial honoring Kirk will take place on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.

According to a program from Turning Point USA, President Trump, Vice President Vance, and other administration officials are scheduled to speak at the service.

The program notes: "Though our hearts are heavy, we do not grieve as those without hope. Charlie's legacy endures in his family, in Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action, and in the millions he inspired to live with conviction."