Goebel Farms, which is just north of Evansville, Indiana, planted this year’s corn maze as a portrait of Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.
Owner Jeremy Goebel designed the layout on a computer, loaded it into a GPS-guided tractor, and cut Kirk’s face into the field, with “RIP CK” and the date of his death at the bottom.
The farm announced the design on social media just before the anniversary of his death and posted flyover photos on its website.
An Evansville farm is facing backlash over a corn maze memorial dedicated to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025. For more information on the maze and the controversy it has caused, visit https://t.co/vbu071eMKO. pic.twitter.com/Nrj7jGZnDz
— FOX59 News (@FOX59) September 3, 2026
In a statement, Goebel said he chose Kirk because he treated disagreement as a reason to talk, not to shut people up or shoot them.
“We chose to honor Charlie Kirk because he believed that disagreement should lead to conversation, not violence,” the farm’s website explains. “He spent much of his life bringing political debate into public spaces, inviting people who opposed his views to challenge him and encouraging young people to examine important questions for themselves.”
“Although not everyone agreed with his beliefs or methods, he understood that when people stop talking, division deepens and others become easier to dehumanize. He was killed while participating in the kind of open exchange he championed, and we honor the principle that disagreement must never be answered with violence.”
The farm has used celebrity faces before, including Carrie Fisher, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle.
None of those drew a coordinated pile-on.
This year, however, the backlash was immediate.
Within hours, the Facebook post had about 1,000 reactions and more than 200 shares, split almost evenly between likes and laughing emojis.
Dozens of one-star Google reviews were posted.
Earlier today, Goebel Farms in Southern Indiana announced that their fall corn maze would honor the late Charlie Kirk.
Now, leftists have taken to the internet, leaving negative comments and reviews. Google has even taken their profile down because it’s gotten so bad. If you’re… https://t.co/D1QRP0k8Ri pic.twitter.com/VkhBMufeYY
— Robert Kruse (@robert_kruse15) September 2, 2026
Goebel Farms said it reported the reviews to Google as policy violations and answered that it is a family business, “not a political organization.”
A follow-up statement said the maze is not an endorsement of every sentence Kirk ever uttered, that he was polarizing, and that people are free to reject his views.
The post read in full:
We want to provide some additional context about our decision to feature Charlie Kirk in this year’s corn maze.
Our intention was not to suggest that everyone should share Charlie’s beliefs or agree with every statement he made. We recognize that he was a polarizing public figure and that many people strongly disagreed with his views and methods.
Charlie was killed while publicly expressing and debating his convictions. In a country founded on the principles of free speech, no person should lose his or her life for participating in political discussion. People are free to challenge ideas, criticize them and reject them—but violence must never become the response to speech.
That is central to the meaning behind our maze. Even when our disagreements are serious, we must continue talking and listening to one another. When conversation stops, division deepens and it becomes easier to view people as enemies rather than neighbors.
We are aware of several quotations being shared in response to our decision. As with remarks by any public figure, selected excerpts do not always convey the surrounding discussion, intended meaning or later clarification. We encourage people to examine complete sources and context. At the same time, our tribute does not require anyone to defend or agree with everything Charlie said.
The links to Turning Point USA in our original post were included to provide information about the organization most closely associated with Charlie. They should not be interpreted as a blanket endorsement of every position held by Charlie, the organization or its members.
Goebel Farms is a family business, not a political organization. We welcome people with a wide range of political, religious and personal beliefs. We understand that some may disagree with our choice, and we respect their right to do so. We also recognize that using Charlie’s image carries meaning beyond the message we intended, and we are listening to the community’s response.
Our hope remains simple: that Americans can speak openly, disagree honestly and challenge one another’s ideas without hatred or violence—and that our community can continue treating its members with dignity and respect.
A year after a 31-year-old father of two was murdered on a campus stage, a Midwestern farm put his face in a cornfield, and leftists tried to review-bomb the pumpkin stand.
Supporters have since shown up in person and online.
Tyler Robinson, 23, is accused of the killing and is headed to trial on aggravated murder and related counts after a Utah judge found enough evidence to proceed.
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