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Charlie Kirk A Voice For Young Conservatives Dies At Age 31 Npr

Bonisiwe Shabane
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charlie kirk a voice for young conservatives dies at age 31 npr

Charlie Kirk stands in the Oval Office on May 28. The Turning Point USA founder played a pivotal role in rallying support for President Trump among young voters in last year's election. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption Charlie Kirk was barely old enough to vote when, at the age of 18, he launched Turning Point USA. The goal: build an organization for young conservatives that would represent for them what groups like MoveOn.org meant for progressives. "This was in the midst of the Obama presidency in the suburbs of Chicago where Obama was very well liked," Kirk recalled on his podcast last year.

"In my local high school, progressive, left-wing Marxist ideas were widespread, and I looked around and I was unimpressed by the conservative organizations that were out there." More than a decade later, Kirk not only met that goal, but he became perhaps the most influential voice in young conservatism, playing a crucial role in national politics, including President Trump's 2024 victory. He died on Wednesday at the age of 31, after being shot while hosting an event in Orem, Utah. His death was announced by Trump, who praised Kirk's political impact. Updated September 10, 2025 at 20:50 PM ET Charlie Kirk was barely old enough to vote when, at the age of 18, he launched Turning Point USA.

The goal: build an organization for young conservatives that would represent for them what groups like MoveOn.org meant for progressives. "This was in the midst of the Obama presidency in the suburbs of Chicago where Obama was very well liked," Kirk recalled on his podcast last year. "In my local high school, progressive, left-wing Marxist ideas were widespread, and I looked around and I was unimpressed by the conservative organizations that were out there." More than a decade later, Kirk not only met that goal, but he became perhaps the most influential voice in young conservatism, playing a crucial role in national politics, including President Trump's 2024 victory. He died on Wednesday at the age of 31, after being shot while hosting an event in Orem, Utah. His death was announced by Trump, who praised Kirk's political impact.

Updated on: September 12, 2025 / 11:45 AM EDT / CBS News Washington — Charlie Kirk, a right-wing political activist and influential voice for young conservatives in the digital age, died Wednesday after he was shot in the neck at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was 31. Kirk, a father of two, was shot as he was speaking to students at an event for Turning Point USA, an organization for young conservatives he co-founded in 2012. "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," President Trump wrote. "No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.

He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us." According to video shared on social media, an audience member asked Kirk about mass shootings in the U.S. before Kirk was hit in the neck and slumped in his chair. Two eyewitnesses told CBS News a large volume of blood poured from his neck. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Charlie Kirk, the influential conservative activist who co-founded Turning Point USA when he was 18 and went on to become a leading voice in President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, died Wednesday after he was...

Kirk, a popular podcast host and married father of two young children, was 31. “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump announced on Truth Social. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” Trump added.

Trump had called him “a great guy, from top to bottom” in an earlier post immediately after the shooting at Utah Valley University in Orem. Sep 10, 2025, 3:12 PM | Updated: Sep 11, 2025, 12:07 pm Charlie Kirk, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday during one of his trademark public appearances at a... He was 31. Kirk died doing what made him a potent political force — rallying the right on a college campus, this time Utah Valley University. The event was kicking off a planned series of Kirk college appearances from Colorado to Virginia dubbed “The American Comeback Tour.”

His assassination was one of an escalating number of attacks on political figures, from the assassination of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota to last summer’s shooting of Trump, that have... Trump announced Kirk’s death on his social media site, Truth Social. Charles James Kirk (October 14, 1993 – September 10, 2025) was an American right-wing political activist, entrepreneur, and media personality. He co-founded the conservative student organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in 2012 and served as its executive director until his assassination in 2025. He published a range of books and hosted the podcast The Charlie Kirk Show. A key ally of Donald Trump, he was one of the most prominent voices of the MAGA movement within the Republican Party.

Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs of Arlington Heights and Prospect Heights, Kirk became politically active in high school. He dropped out of college after one semester to focus on building Turning Point USA, which grew to encompass several affiliate groups, including Turning Point Action and Turning Point Faith. He espoused a variety of conservative stances, including opposition to abortion, gun control, DEI programs, and LGBTQ rights. Over time, he became aligned with the Christian right and began advocating for Christian nationalism. His more controversial positions included his criticism of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as his promotion of COVID-19 misinformation, false claims of electoral fraud in 2020,... On September 10, 2025, Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a TPUSA public debate event on the Utah Valley University campus.

His death garnered international attention and led to the condemnation of political violence by prominent domestic and international figures, as well as partisan dispute and recriminations. Kirk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Trump the following month. Charles James Kirk was born on October 14, 1993, in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois,[1] and raised in nearby Prospect Heights.[2] His father Robert W. Kirk is an architect who was involved in the construction of Trump Tower.[3][4] His mother Kathryn (née Smith)[5] is a former trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange who subsequently worked as a mental health... Kirk described his parents as moderate Republicans.[2] They were active in conservative circles and his father was a major donor to the Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign.[1] Raised in the Presbyterian Church, Kirk was... Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept.

10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP) Tess Crowley/AP/The Deseret News hide caption Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist and an ally of President Trump, died after a shooting at an outdoor speaking event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, according to Kirk's organization Turning Point USA and... On Wednesday evening, FBI director Kash Patel said on X that a person of interest was released after being interviewed by law enforcement. Another person, who was detained at the event and videos of him circulated online, also did not match the shooter's description, authorities said. "Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency," Patel said.

In a video message posted on Truth Social, Trump said he was "filled with grief and anger" over Kirk's killing. The president also commended Kirk's work with young Americans, calling him a "martyr for truth and freedom." Welcome to Politomix -- the political news wire where left, right and center mix. Politomix aggregates the day's political news on the web and your mobile device. Politomix Home Trending Sites iOS App Search About 2025 GlassWave

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Charlie Kirk Stands In The Oval Office On May 28.

Charlie Kirk stands in the Oval Office on May 28. The Turning Point USA founder played a pivotal role in rallying support for President Trump among young voters in last year's election. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption Charlie Kirk was barely old enough to vote when, at the age of 18, he launched Turning Point USA. The goal: build an organization for young conservatives that would represent...

"In My Local High School, Progressive, Left-wing Marxist Ideas Were

"In my local high school, progressive, left-wing Marxist ideas were widespread, and I looked around and I was unimpressed by the conservative organizations that were out there." More than a decade later, Kirk not only met that goal, but he became perhaps the most influential voice in young conservatism, playing a crucial role in national politics, including President Trump's 2024 victory. He died ...

The Goal: Build An Organization For Young Conservatives That Would

The goal: build an organization for young conservatives that would represent for them what groups like MoveOn.org meant for progressives. "This was in the midst of the Obama presidency in the suburbs of Chicago where Obama was very well liked," Kirk recalled on his podcast last year. "In my local high school, progressive, left-wing Marxist ideas were widespread, and I looked around and I was unimp...

Updated On: September 12, 2025 / 11:45 AM EDT /

Updated on: September 12, 2025 / 11:45 AM EDT / CBS News Washington — Charlie Kirk, a right-wing political activist and influential voice for young conservatives in the digital age, died Wednesday after he was shot in the neck at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was 31. Kirk, a father of two, was shot as he was speaking to students at an event for Turning Point USA, an organization for you...

He Was Loved And Admired By ALL, Especially Me, And

He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us." According to video shared on social media, an audience member asked Kirk about mass shootings in the U.S. before Kirk was hit in the neck and slumped in his chair. Two eyewitnesses told CBS News a large volume of blood poured from his neck. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Char...