Who Was Charlie Kirk? 'Conservative And Close Supporter' Of US President, Whom Trump Calls 'Great And Legendary'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Charlie Kirk, who began his career as a teenage conservative activist on college campuses and went on to become a prominent podcaster, cultural commentator, and close supporter of US President Donald Trump , was shot and killed on Wednesday during a public event at a Utah college.

He was 31 years old.

Who was Charlie Kirk?

Kirk was a leading voice of the combative, populist brand of conservatism that has come to define the Republican Party in the Trump era. A vocal Christian conservative known for his controversial remarks on issues such as gender, race, and politics, he founded Turning Point USA in 2012, as reported by AP.

The group focused on mobilising young conservatives and was known for taking its message to liberal-leaning college campuses, places where many in the GOP had previously been reluctant to engage.

Kirk died while doing what had made him a powerful figure in conservative politics - energising right-leaning audiences on college campuses. His final appearance took place at Utah Valley University, the first stop on a planned national speaking series called“The American Comeback Tour,” which was set to visit campuses from Colorado to Virginia.

Also Read: Charlie Kirk dead: Trump's ally killed in 'political assassination', suspect released - What we know so far

His death adds to a growing list of violent attacks targeting political figures, including the recent assassination of a Democratic state legislator and her husband in Minnesota, as well as last summer's attempted assassination of Donald Trump, events that have further unsettled the nation's political climate.

Trump announced Kirk's death on his social media platform, Truth Social.

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. 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!” said Trump.

At the center of the right-of-center universe

An early supporter of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential bid, Kirk transformed Turning Point from one of many well-funded conservative organisations into a central force within the right-wing political landscape.

The group's political arm played a key role in mobilising voters for Trump's 2024 campaign, focusing on reaching disengaged conservatives who typically sit out elections. Trump went on to win Arizona-Turning Point's home base-by five points, reversing his narrow loss there in 2020.

Turning Point is also known for its high-energy events, often featuring strobe lights and pyrotechnics. The organisation claims a student membership of over 250,000 nationwide.

Trump on Wednesday praised Kirk, who began as an unofficial adviser during Trump's 2016 campaign and has since become a confidant.“He was a very, very good friend of mine, and he was a tremendous person,” Trump told the New York Post.

Also Read: Charlie Kirk once said gun deaths are 'worth it' to protect America's 2nd Amendment | Old video resurface

Kirk showed off an apocalyptic style in his popular podcast, radio show and on the campaign trail. During an appearance with Trump in Georgia last fall, he said Democrats“stand for everything God hates.” Kirk called the Trump vs. Kamala Harris choice“a spiritual battle.”

“This is a Christian state. I'd like to see it stay that way,” Kirk told the 10,000 or so Georgians, who at one point joined Kirk in a deafening chant of“Christ is King! Christ is King!”

Influencing new generation of conservatives

Kirk was a regular presence on college campuses. Last year, for the social media program“Surrounded,” he faced off against 20 liberal college students to defend his viewpoints, including that abortion is murder and should be illegal.

The author of several books, including one on the Second Amendment, Kirk was a staunch supporter of gun rights.

“I think it's worth having a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights,” Kirk said during a Turning Point event in Salt Lake City in 2023, adding that gun deaths can be reduced but will never go away.

Admirers stressed that, for all of Kirk's confrontational rhetoric, he relished debate and the free exchange of ideas.“His entire project was built on reaching across the divide and using speech, not violence, to address and resolve the issues!” William Wolfe, executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, posted on X.

Kirk was married to podcaster Erika Frantzve. They have two young children.

Zeal for challenging liberals

Turning Point was founded in 2012 in suburban Chicago by then-18-year-old Charlie Kirk and Tea Party activist William Montgomery, with a mission to promote low taxes and limited government on college campuses. The organisation struggled in its early years.

However, Kirk's confrontational approach toward liberal academia eventually caught the attention of major conservative donors.

Although initially hesitant, Turning Point threw its full support behind Donald Trump after he secured the Republican nomination in 2016. During the general election, Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr.

Kirk soon became a regular fixture on cable news, embracing culture war issues and delivering unwavering praise for Trump. Both Trump and his son returned the admiration, frequently appearing as headliners at Turning Point's conferences.

Also Read: Trump marks Butler assassination attempt anniversary: US President's inner circle says 'he believes he's spared by God'

Kirk announced that he was organising buses to travel to Washington to support Trump on January 6, 2021, and later invoked the Fifth Amendment rather than answering questions from the January 6 subcommittee.

Also in 2021, as he stepped up criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement on college campuses, Kirk called George Floyd, the Black man whose 2020 murder at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked protests that roiled Trump's last full year in office, a“scumbag.”

“Just don't totally mess up this state,” Kirk said at the event in Mankato, Minnesota. "It was built by wonderful Scandinavians, and it seems as if it's being destroyed now, rather intentionally.”

As money poured in, Kirk bought a $4.75 million Spanish-style estate on a gated Arizona country club. Turning Point steered millions of dollars to contractors owned by Kirk and his associates, and some Republicans were skeptical when it announced it would spearhead an attempt to turn out infrequent voters during Trump's 2024 campaign.

But as younger voters shifted right in 2024 and Trump ran up a five-point margin of victory in Arizona, Kirk and his allies claimed vindication of his view of a sharp-elbowed, culture-war-oriented conservatism.

Advocate of a new Christian conservatism

Kirk's evangelical Christian faith was deeply woven into his political ideology. He rejected the notion of a strict separation between church and state, frequently asserting that religious values should shape public life.

He often cited the Seven Mountain Mandate - a belief that Christians are called to take leadership in seven key spheres of society: politics, religion, media, business, family, education, and the arts and entertainment.

In the foreword to a book written by a pastor and Turning Point staffer to be published next week, Kirk wrote: "In today's America, the Christian faithful are faced with a terrifying and broad array of dangers and threats. We are menaced not by new false gods, but by the return of demons from long ago.”

Also Read: Trump announces new guidance to protect prayer in public schools: 'To have a great nation, you have to have religion'

Kirk argued for a new conservatism that advocated for freedom of speech, challenging Big Tech and the media, and centring working-class Americans beyond the nation's capital.

“We have to ask ourselves a question as a conservative movement: Are we going to revert back to the party of the status quo ruling class?” he said in his speech opening the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2020.

“Or are we going to learn from what I call the MAGA doctrine? The MAGA doctrine, which is a doctrine of American renewal, revival, one that America is the greatest country in the history of the world.”

(With inputs from AP)

Key Takeaways

• Charlie Kirk was instrumental in mobilizing conservative youth through Turning Point USA.
• His confrontational style and evangelical beliefs shaped his political ideology.
• Kirk's death highlights the increasing violence against political figures in the current climate.

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