31
Age at Death
18
Founded TPUSA
500K–750K
Daily Podcast Downloads
Sept 10, 2025
Date of Assassination
The Assassination
- September 10, 2025: Shot during Q&A at Utah Valley University event.
- Single gunshot from ~200 yards, likely from a roof; fatal neck wound.
- Event faced opposition; 1,000-signature petition to bar Kirk.
- FBI arrested lone suspect; political assassination; death penalty sought.
Kirk died amid the incendiary debates that defined his career.
Early Life
- Born October 14, 1993, in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
- Eagle Scout; volunteered for Mark Kirk’s 2010 Senate campaign.
- Age 17: Breitbart essay on liberal textbook bias; Fox Business appearance.
- Rejected by West Point; dropped out of Harper College for activism.
Turning Point USA
- Founded TPUSA in 2012 at 18; grew to thousands of campus chapters.
- Launched Turning Point Action (2019), Faith (2021), Academy.
- “The Charlie Kirk Show” podcast: 500K–750K daily downloads.
- Trump ally: RNC speech (2016); Air Force Academy Board (2025).
Controversies
- COVID-19: Pushed “China virus,” hydroxychloroquine; denied climate change.
- 2020 Election: Promoted voter fraud claims; organized Jan 6 rally buses.
- Race/Religion: Criticized MLK, Civil Rights Act; pushed “Great Replacement.”
- Christian Nationalism: Advocated ending church-state separation.
Shift to hard-line nationalism fueled political divides.
Legacy
- Death deepened U.S. divides; TPUSA endures as conservative pipeline.
- Trump, conservatives mourned; some escalated rhetoric (“THIS IS WAR”).
- Bipartisan condemnation; compared to attacks on Pelosi, Trump.
- Likely martyr figure to galvanize conservative base.