Harris Faulkner, a titan of conservative media, has opened her heart about a chillingly prescient chat with the late Charlie Kirk, leaving viewers stunned by the depth of their bond, as the Daily Mail reports.
In a raw and revealing interview on Fox News, Faulkner, the esteemed host of The Faulkner Focus and co-host of Outnumbered, reflected on her last interaction with Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was tragically assassinated last month at the University of Utah’s campus in Orem.
Faulkner, now 60, has cemented her place as a trusted voice, recently ranking fourth on the Daily Mail’s inaugural Power List for news anchors and political pundits, the only woman and Fox News presenter in the top five. Her corner office at News Corporation’s headquarters in New York boasts six Emmy statues and a plaque from the Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized, proclaiming her a Woman of Excellence.
From a military family, Faulkner moved across bases from Atlanta to Stuttgart, Germany, shaped by the discipline and faith instilled by her father, Bobby, a lieutenant colonel and Army aviator who served in Vietnam. His passing on Christmas Day in 2020 was a profound loss, but his wisdom still guides her.
Married for 27 years to Tony Berlin, a former reporter turned media relations CEO, Faulkner balances her high-octane career with motherhood to two daughters, Bella, now in college, and Danika, still in high school. Her daily grind starts at 5 a.m., fueled by Christian hip-hop and a relentless drive to connect with viewers from her New Jersey home to the studio at 1211 6th Avenue.
By 6:45 a.m., she’s en route to News Corporation, diving into editorial calls, hair and makeup by 9 a.m., and filming back-to-back shows with a focus on engaging her audience through social media live-streams.
The heart of her recent sit-down, however, was her reflection on Kirk, whom she interviewed just nine weeks before his assassination with a single shot to the neck while speaking at a university campus. Faulkner noted a unique intensity in him during that final talk, a blend of fierce determination and radiant hope that stood out from prior encounters.
“I interviewed Charlie almost exactly nine weeks before his assassination on July 16, and I saw something in him that I had not seen before, in all the times that I met him and talked with him,” Faulkner shared. “With Charlie there was a fierceness and hopefulness and a bright light.”
Faulkner’s shock upon learning of his death was palpable -- she initially doubted the reality of the videos circulating online, only to realize the grim truth through multiple angles of the horrific moment. Her connection to Kirk ran deep, with a home near Scottsdale, Arizona, close to Turning Point USA’s base and the Kirk family.
Faulkner has stayed in touch with Kirk’s widow, Erika, and plans to visit Turning Point USA to pray, seeking solace in shared faith without the need for formal events. “I want to go to Turning Point USA and just kneel and pray,” she said. “I will reach out to Erika, I will say you know, I'm here, and I'm part of the Arizona family.”
This gesture speaks to Faulkner’s grounding in faith, a thread woven through her life from childhood relocations to her father’s enduring lessons about divine purpose. Her father’s perspective, forged in an era of deep national division, taught her to focus on America’s potential rather than its flaws—a lesson starkly relevant today.
Faulkner’s career has never shied from tough conversations, like her 2020 interview with President Donald Trump, where she pressed him on race and social justice after George Floyd’s death. Her approach isn’t just to report but to dig beneath the surface, challenging the easy narratives peddled by mainstream outlets with their often one-sided takes.
Her ranking on the Power List, based on viewer trust and likability, underscores why she resonates. While others like Anderson Cooper and Jon Stewart topped the list, Faulkner’s spot as the sole woman in the top five is a quiet rebuke to those who’d rather see conservative voices sidelined.
Kirk’s assassination has only steeled her resolve to fight for truth and light in a culture that too often embraces division over dialogue. She refuses to quit, drawing from her father’s advice to never sit idle in fear, a principle that feels like a direct challenge to the chaos of today’s social battles.
Faulkner’s story, from military brat to media powerhouse, is one of perseverance, faith, and an unwavering commitment to her audience. Her final words on Kirk remind us that even in tragedy, there’s a call to choose hope over despair.
