Who was Charlie Kirk, youth leader and Trump ally who was shot dead?

Kirk had built a massive following through his podcast, media presence, and campus activism, shaping America's conservative movement at a young age

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and supporter of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday (local time) while he was taking questions on gun violence.

 

Confirming his death, Trump said, “The great, and even legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the heart of the youth in the USA better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by all, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”

 

In a Truth social post, Trump also announced the lowering of all American flags throughout the US to half-mast until Sunday at 6 pm to honour Kirk.

 

Who was Charlie Kirk?

Kirk, the founder and president of ‘Turning Point USA’, was deeply involved in America’s cultural and ideological battles, offering a consistent, unapologetic perspective rooted in his conservative and freedom-oriented ideology. He enjoyed a strong following across the country and was a supporter of President Donald Trump. With a social media following exceeding 14 million followers, Kirk reached over 150 million individuals monthly.

 

He was the host of ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’ podcast and the daily radio show on the Salem Radio Network. The Charlie Kirk Show was popular among the citizens, often ranking among the top-10 news shows on Apple podcast news charts. In 2023, the show surpassed 130 million downloads.

Conservative youth icon

Kirk had also appeared on Fox News, FOX Business News, and CNBC over a thousand times at a young age. He was also a columnist at Newsweek. Kirk’s name appeared in the Forbes ‘30 under 30’ list, and Axios has listed Charlie as one of the “top 10 most engaged” Twitter handles in the world. He was the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention. 

 

He had authored three books, including the Amazon and New York Times bestseller The MAGA Doctrine: The Only Ideas that Will Win the Future from Broadside Books. The other two titles are: Campus Battlefield and The College Scam: How America’s Universities Are Bankrupting and Brainwashing Away The Future Of America’s Youth.

In 2020, Charlie chaired Students for Trump, which activated thousands of new college voters.

Kirk’s family videos go viral

Shortly after his death, Kirk’s family pictures started going viral on social media, with many supporters posting emotional pictures and videos of him with his family. In some of the pictures, Kirk was embracing his family, while in one of the videos, his daughter was seen running into his arms with joy. 

 

Kirk is survived by his wife Erika Frantzve, a real estate agent based in New York City, and two children — a son and a daughter.

Comments on gun debates resurface

Minutes before his death, Kirk was taking questions on gun violence. According to the Associated Press, Kirk was answering the question, “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” when a single shot rang out, aimed at his neck.

 

Following this, Kirk’s past comments on gun violence started resurfacing online. In 2023, commenting on the Nashville Covenant School shooting that claimed the lives of six people, Kirk said gun deaths are an inevitable consequence of safeguarding constitutional rights. He argued that in an armed society, some level of violence will always persist. To reduce such incidents, Kirk advocated for stronger families and the deployment of armed guards at schools.

What is Turning Point USA?

Turning Point USA is a national student movement dedicated to identifying, organising, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government. As one of America’s fastest-growing conservative youth activist organisations, the platform has a presence on over 3,500 high school and college campuses, over 250,000 student members, and over 450 full and part-time staff across the country.