Who Was Charlie Kirk? Trump Ally & Turning Point USA Leader Killed At Utah Event
Charlie Kirk was an American conservative activist, commentator, and media personality, best known as the founder of Turning Point USA and as one of the most visible young figures in right-wing politics.
Until his death at the age of 31, Charlie Kirk played a central role in shaping conservative youth activism, building one of the largest campus networks in the country, and positioning himself as a close ally of former President Donald Trump.
His sudden death on September 10, 2025, after being fatally shot during a public event in Utah, shocked political leaders and sparked a new wave of national debate over free speech, partisanship, and political violence in America.
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Charlie Kirk was born on October 14, 1993, in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and grew up in Prospect Heights. His father worked as an architect while his mother was a counsellor.
He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, eventually earning the rank of Eagle Scout, and displayed early interest in public issues as a high school student at Wheeling High School.
He first gained conservative attention when, as a teenager, he wrote an essay for Breitbart News alleging liberal bias in school textbooks. This led to an appearance on Fox Business, where he spoke about the influence of progressive ideology in education.
Kirk briefly enrolled at Harper College but left to pursue political activism full-time after meeting Tea Party activist Bill Montgomery, who became his mentor.
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In 2012, at just 18, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, an organisation designed to challenge what he described as left-wing dominance on college campuses. With significant financial backing from Republican donors, including Foster Friess, TPUSA rapidly expanded into a national movement.
The group established thousands of campus chapters, organised events, and became best known for controversial initiatives such as the “Professor Watchlist,” which publicly named instructors accused of liberal indoctrination.
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By the 2020s, Turning Point USA had become a central hub for conservative youth engagement and was raising tens of millions of dollars annually.
Kirk’s influence extended well beyond the student movement. He founded Turning Point Action as a political arm to mobilise young voters during elections and Turning Point Faith to unite evangelical churches with conservative activism.
He also co-launched the Falkirk Centre for Faith and Liberty at Liberty University in partnership with Jerry Falwell Jr. His podcast and radio program, The Charlie Kirk Show, became one of the most popular conservative talk platforms in the country, consistently ranking in the top ten on Apple Podcasts and drawing a large audience of younger listeners.
A vocal supporter of Donald Trump, Kirk addressed the Republican National Convention, frequently campaigned for the former president, and played an instrumental role in Students for Trump during the 2020 election cycle.
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He championed Trump’s America First agenda and was later appointed to the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors. His close relationship with Trump and his children, particularly Donald Trump Jr., helped cement his position as one of the most influential younger voices in the Republican Party.
Despite his rise, Kirk was also one of the most polarising figures in American politics. He was criticised for spreading misinformation, including false claims about COVID-19 and the 2020 election, and was linked to efforts that brought protesters to Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021.
His sharp opposition to critical race theory, abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, and diversity programs garnered heavy criticism from progressives and academics.
He also faced backlash for his attacks on Martin Luther King Jr. and his controversial suggestion that parts of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 should be reconsidered. His frequent promotion of the “Great Replacement” theory further deepened criticism of his political messaging.
Kirk was also a prolific author, publishing multiple books that blended conservative thought with youth-oriented messaging. His titles included Time for a Turning Point (2016), Campus Battlefield (2018), The MAGA Doctrine (2020), The College Scam (2022), and Right Wing Revolution (2024).
Alongside his media appearances on Fox News, Newsmax, and online platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, these works helped extend his influence far beyond student audiences and cemented his role as a cultural combatant in the conservative movement.
In his personal life, Kirk married Erika Frantzve, a businesswoman and former Miss Arizona USA, in 2021. The couple had two children, a daughter born in 2022 and a son in 2024.
Though he had not been deeply religious in his youth, Kirk embraced evangelical Christianity in his late twenties and became one of the most prominent advocates for Christian nationalism, openly promoting the view that America should be governed by biblical principles.
On September 10, 2025, Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University as part of his “American Comeback Tour” when a gunman opened fire, striking him in the neck. Video from the scene showed him collapsing as the audience scattered in panic.
He was rushed to Timpanogos Regional Hospital but died of his injuries later that day. He was 31 years old. The FBI initially detained a suspect but released the individual after questioning, and the shooter remained at large.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox condemned the attack and pledged justice, while President Trump ordered flags nationwide lowered to half-staff until September 14, calling Kirk “a martyr for truth and freedom.”
