Right-Wing Activist Charlie Kirk Dead at 31

Charlie Kirk, the salient right-wing activistic and podcast host, was fatally changeable portion speaking astatine Utah Valley University connected Wednesday. He was 31.

Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Kirk went connected to go 1 of the astir polarizing figures of his generation. In 2012, erstwhile Kirk was conscionable 18, helium cofounded the influential blimpish younker organizing radical Turning Point USA. Kirk specialized successful integer and grassroots organizing, harnessing societal media to scope young voters. He yet became a cardinal state and advisor to President Donald Trump.

Trump announced Kirk’s passing on Truth Social Wednesday afternoon. “The Great, and adjacent Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No 1 understood oregon had the Heart of the Youth successful the United States of America amended than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, particularly me, and now, helium is nary longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies spell retired to his beauteous woman Erika, and family. Charlie, we emotion you!”

Kirk was killed astatine an lawsuit TPUSA was hosting astatine UVU arsenic portion of his organization’s “American Comeback Tour,” a nationwide field circuit aimed astatine “equipping students with the tools to propulsion backmost against leftwing indoctrination successful academia,” according to a February press release announcing the series. There are over 800 TPUSA chapters astatine schools crossed the country.

Kirk’s Turning Point played an instrumental relation successful the right’s efforts to predominate the integer governmental sphere. Over the past fewer years, the enactment has scouted and developed right-wing talent, providing societal media creators with platforms and backing to dispersed blimpish ideology crossed the internet. Kirk was known arsenic a almighty fundraiser, helping TPUSA rise much than $85 cardinal successful 2024 alone, according to taxation records.

Some of the right’s astir fashionable creators, from Benny Johnson to Jack Posobiec, person had stints arsenic Turning Point contributors, often helming unrecorded shows and podcasts similar Culture Apothecary by Alex Clark. Kirk besides hosted his ain regular existent events podcast called “The Charlie Kirk Show,” which regularly topped download charts.

“For truthful galore blimpish influencers and contented creators, Charlie Kirk represented the blueprint. When I was conscionable 12 years aged and Charlie was hardly 18, helium was the archetypal idiosyncratic to scope retired to maine successful this movement,” CJ Pearson, a salient GOP creator, tells WIRED. “His bequest volition endure due to the fact that of the concerted effort helium made to incubate the adjacent procreation of blimpish leaders.”

Kirk championed galore right-wing causes and was often condemned by critics for his incendiary rhetoric. He was a fixture connected assemblage campuses crossed the country, giving speeches imploring young radical to clasp Trump and conservatism writ large, and decrying the popularity of what helium described arsenic sex ideology and Marxism. He echoed akin ideas successful his books, including the 2020 champion seller The MAGA Doctrine. He often argued that the United States is simply a fundamentally Christian country, borrowing from Christian nationalist rhetoric and characterizing the right’s absorption of progressive authorities arsenic a spiritual battle.

His power grew adjacent larger successful 2020, erstwhile Kirk repeatedly dispersed misinformation astir Covid-19. He fiercely opposed nationalist wellness measures to halt the dispersed of the virus, specified arsenic disguise mandates and schoolhouse closures, and mocked the World Health Organization. Kirk besides led a “Stop the Steal” rally successful Arizona soon aft Trump mislaid the 2020 election, spreading conspiracy theories astir President Joe Biden’s win.

“Charlie Kirk is present a martyr,” Johnson said successful an X post connected Wednesday. “The satellite volition alteration everlastingly now, a motion of however ascendant and almighty Charlie’s enactment was.”

On Truth Social, Trump called for flags to beryllium lowered to fractional mast until Sunday evening to grant Kirk.

Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet did not respond to aggregate requests for comment. Turning Point Action main operating serviceman Tyler Bowyer did not respond to a abstracted petition from WIRED.