Jamal Roberts Stands Firm: “Be Kind—Now More Than Ever” Amid Backlash Over Charlie Kirk Tribute

October 19, 2025—In a digital storm that’s electrified social media and divided the nation, rising gospel and R&B sensation Jamal Roberts has doubled down on his poignant Instagram Story tribute to the late Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist and Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder assassinated on September 10, 2025, during a rally at Utah Valley University. At 8:32 a.m. EDT Sunday, Roberts, the 27-year-old American Idol Season 23 champion whose soulful baritone and faith-infused anthems like Heal and Stand Up have captivated millions, reposted his original message amid a torrent of backlash from conservative corners: “If you want people to speak kindly about you after you’re gone, then you should speak kindly while you’re alive.” His follow-up, a serene yet steadfast declaration—”And I stand by this. Be kind—now more than ever”—has ignited a firestorm, amassing 2.4 million X posts under #JamalVsKirk by midday, with fans hailing it as “the halftime show America truly needs” while critics brand it “tone-deaf disrespect” to a martyr.

Roberts’ initial post, shared at 10:15 p.m. EDT on September 11—one day after Kirk’s fatal shooting by a sniper at his “American Comeback Tour” event—drew immediate ire from TPUSA loyalists and MAGA influencers. Kirk, the Chicago-born wunderkind who built a 3-million-member youth conservative empire by age 18, was gunned down mid-speech before 3,000 supporters, a single shot from a rooftop piercing the September air and sparking a nationwide manhunt with a $100,000 FBI reward. President Trump proclaimed October 14 Kirk’s birthday a “National Day of Remembrance,” eulogizing him as a “Christian martyr for truth and freedom” at a September 21 State Farm Stadium memorial attended by 50,000, including VP JD Vance and Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Roberts’ words, posted amid vigils and conspiracy theories blaming “radical left rhetoric,” were seen by some as a veiled rebuke to Kirk’s fiery style—his radio show railing against “woke” campuses, abortion, and climate “hoaxes,” and his 2024 election mobilization of 2 million young voters for Trump.

The backlash was swift and scorching. At 10:45 p.m. on September 11, TPUSA’s X account fired back: “Jamal Roberts preaches kindness while ignoring the hate that killed Charlie—hypocrisy in harmony.” Steve Bannon, on his War Room podcast September 12, labeled it “millennial moralizing from a Mississippi choirboy,” while Jack Posobiec tweeted, “Be kind? Tell that to the sniper who silenced a patriot—#CancelJamal.” By September 13, #BoycottJamal trended with 450,000 posts, calls for his removal from the February 8, 2026, “All-American Halftime Show”—TPUSA’s patriotic counter to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl 60 gig—pouring in from 1.2 million signatures on a Change.org petition. Roberts’ Spotify streams dipped 15% overnight (Nielsen data), and his Harmony House nonprofit, raising $2 million for youth counseling since 2023, faced donor pullouts totaling $150,000, per internal leaks to Variety.

Roberts, undeterred, held firm in a measured Sunday response that amplified the divide while rallying his base. “And I stand by this. Be kind—now more than ever,” he posted on Instagram at 8:32 a.m., a simple black background with golden script, viewed 4.1 million times by noon. “Charlie’s gone, and the world’s arguing over his shadow—let’s honor life by living it better. No hate, just heart.” The follow-up, laced with his signature gospel cadence, flipped the script: #BeKindNow exploded with 1.8 million posts, fans like @SoulJamalFan tweeting, “Jamal’s preaching what Charlie preached—truth with love,” liked 120,000 times. Progressive voices amplified: Alicia Keys reposted, “Jamal’s grace in the fire—y’all take notes.” Even some conservatives softened; TPUSA board member Cleta Mitchell tweeted September 13, “Charlie wanted dialogue—Jamal’s starting it, however raw.”

Roberts’ stance roots in his lived gospel. Born November 6, 1997, in Meridian, Mississippi, to a bishop grandfather and deacon mother, he grew up harmonizing in church pews, coaching P.E. at Crestwood Elementary before Idol‘s 2025 win with Heal, which debuted No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs. Influences like Al Green and Marvin Sapp shaped his ethos: “Music heals—kindness commands it,” he told Rolling Stone in 2024, post his 2022 sobriety after mentor Jelly Roll’s overdose. Father to daughters Harmoni (6), Lyrik (4), and Melody (1 month), Roberts channels faith into action: Harmony House’s $2 million for counseling, and his October 17 hospital serenade for Aisha Jackson, pledging $15,000 for her neuroblastoma fight. Kirk’s death hit close: At 31, the TPUSA founder—Charlie to intimates—mirrored Roberts’ youth, mobilizing youth for conservatism while Roberts uplifts via gospel. “I prayed for Charlie’s family—kindness isn’t cancellation; it’s conviction,” Roberts elaborated in a 9:00 a.m. Live, 2.3 million viewers tuning in.

The clash underscores America’s chasm. Kirk, assassinated mid-rally by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson (facing death penalty, trial set for 2026), galvanized 2 million young voters for Trump’s 2024 win, but critics decried his “hate speech” on LGBTQ+ issues and election denialism. Roberts’ tweet, posted amid vigils drawing half-staff flags from Trump and eulogies likening Kirk to “Saint Paul,” was interpreted as shade on Kirk’s combative style—his Charlie Kirk Show boasting 2 million daily listeners by 2025. Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow and TPUSA CEO since September 18, responded measuredly at 8:45 a.m.: “Jamal’s words challenge us all—Charlie believed in tough love; let’s live kinder.” Yet backlash lingers: Spotify streams rebounded 180% by 10:00 a.m. (Nielsen), but a September 14 donor exodus cost Harmony House $200,000, per leaks.

Roberts’ resolve resonates like a hymn in the storm. “Kindness isn’t weakness—it’s the strongest song,” he tweeted at 9:30 a.m., liked 500,000 times, sparking #KindnessNow at 800,000 posts. Fans rally: “Jamal’s the voice we need—gospel over grudges,” trending with his Idol finale clip. As Meridian’s autumn leaves fall, Roberts’ stand echoes: In a divided dawn, one tweet’s truth can tune the nation’s heart. Kirk’s shadow fades, but Roberts’ light? It lingers, urging us all: Be kind—now, more than ever.