Charlie Kirk Who Helped Build Support For Trump Among Young People

“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” President Donald Trump wrote of him. Charlie Kirk sits on a bench on the George Washington University campus in Washington in April 2018. | André Chung for POLITICO Charlie Kirk, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday during one of his trademark public appearances... 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.

His shooting is 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: “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump wrote. Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Ali Swenson, Associated Press Ali Swenson, Associated Press 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.

WATCH: Prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk killed at event in Utah 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.” Kirk energized young voters, and persuaded GOP leaders to buy into his vision. Donald Trump won the 2024 election -- and the popular vote -- last November by turning out Republican voters and building a more diverse coalition than other Republican presidential candidates in years past. He also improved his performance with younger voters, a demographic Democrats have long dominated.

That was thanks in large part to outreach on social media platforms and in communities targeted with the help of prominent personalities like Charlie Kirk. "We crushed the youth vote, even Democrats acknowledge it," Kirk said at an appearance this year at the Cambridge Union in the United Kingdom. "Both young men and young women moved to the right dramatically." John Della Volpe, director of polling at Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics, who has studied young voters, said Kirk's organization's biggest success came with getting Trump and other GOP leaders to buy into... Charlie Kirk, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster and ally of President Donald Trump, has been shot and killed Charlie Kirk, Who Helped Build Support for Trump Among Young People, Dies After Campus Shooting

FILE - President Donald Trump shakes hands with moderator Charlie Kirk, during a Generation Next White House forum at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, March 22,... (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) 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.”

Through his group Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk amassed a large online following and influence with young people. He used that influence to help with Trump's successful return to the presidency. This week was supposed to mark the beginning of Charlie Kirk's latest national college tour. The influencer, activist and Trump ally made Utah Valley University his first stop Wednesday, where he took questions from a crowd, including this one. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years? CHARLIE KIRK: Counting or not counting gang violence?

That question about mass shooters was the final one that Kirk took before he was shot. Authorities confirmed his death a short time later. Charlie Kirk was a significant figure in the conservative movement, far more than a social media influencer. He built an organization on hundreds of college campuses. And he held many events on campus, like the one yesterday. He invited students to challenge his political views in what he called Prove Me Wrong debates.

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... Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk speaks Sept. 4, 2024, at a Turning Point event in Mesa, Ariz. President Donald Trump shakes hands with moderator Charlie Kirk during a Generation Next White House forum March 22, 2018, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington.

Charlie Kirk, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday during a public appearance at a college... He was 31. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Those with experience protecting high-profile officials and dignitaries say more could have been done to prevent the shooting. OREM, Utah: Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, was shot and killed Wednesday at a Utah college event... "This is a dark day for our state.

It's a tragic day for our nation," said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. "I want to be very clear this is a political assassination." No one was in custody late Wednesday, though authorities were searching for a new person of interest, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss the... Authorities had earlier provided evolving information on the status of the manhunt, with FBI Director Kash Patel initially saying on social media that a "subject" had been taken into custody, only to later say... Authorities did not immediately identify the person who had been in custody, a motive or any criminal charge.

But the circumstances of the shooting drew renewed attention to an escalating threat of political violence in the United States that in the last several years has cut across the ideological spectrum. The assassination drew bipartisan condemnation, but a national reckoning over ways to prevent political grievances from manifesting as deadly violence seemed elusive. US President Donald Trump and many of his top officials have just joined tens of thousands of people gathered at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, for a memorial service commemorating Charlie Kirk, the... Here are some of the highlights from the event: We're pausing our live coverage shortly, but you can watch the biggest moments from Kirk's memorial service here, or read more on the story here. President Trump and Erika Kirk presented a united front at Charlie Kirk’s memorial

The memorial featured emotional addresses, drawing tears from some of Kirk's supporters Right-wing youth activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, a major ally of President Donald Trump, was shot dead Wednesday in an apparent assassination that sparked fears of more political violence in an increasingly febrile United... FRANCE 24's Wassim Cornet reports from Los Angeles. Charlie Kirk, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday during a public appearance at a college... He was 31. Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk speaks Sept.

4, 2024, at a Turning Point event in Mesa, Ariz. President Donald Trump shakes hands with moderator Charlie Kirk during a Generation Next White House forum March 22, 2018, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington. Charlie Kirk hands out hats Wednesday before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem.

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