As I’m sure everyone has heard the news today already, Charlie Kirk has died. I will spare the details, but it was a violent death involving a gunshot wound. I just want to take a moment to highlight what kind of person he was. Don’t worry, all the links to sources will be be provided at the bottom of the article.
Born in 1993, he dropped out of Harper College, to pursue Conservative Activism. He is one of the founders of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and remained as CEO of TPUSA since the foundation of the organization in 2012 to his death in 2025. He was 18 years of age when he co-founded TPUSA. TPUSA would also span out creating additional affiliation groups including Turning Point Action, an organization for targeting democrats and converting them to conservatives. As well as Turning Point Faith for targeting evangelicals.
TPUSA is a nonprofit organization for advocating conservative politics on education grounds, including high school, college and university campuses. It hosts several annual conferences which Charlie Kirk would usually have a Q&A or debate sessions. It is one of the fastest growing nonprofit organizations in USA, that is primarily funded by conservative donors and foundations including republican party politicians.
In 2016, TPUSA launched a website called Professor Watchlist which is effectively a database of professors and teachers who “discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom”. That’s who Charlie Kirk was. Someone who indirectly created a hit list targeting educators, which created a trend of threatening beahviour and communication including rape and death threats. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
TPUSA isn’t exclusive to USA either. A sister organization, Turning Point UK, which Turning Point USA is affilitated with, has a website called Education Watch.
In 2021, TPUSA started a School Board Watchlist, which is a site that publishes the names and photos of school board members who have adopted or supported mask mandates (following recommend covid-19 procedures) as well as anti-racist currica. Another indirect hit list for simply challenging historical prejudices. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk is well known for promoting conspiracies and other falsehoods. In 2015, at the Liberty Forum of Silicon Valley, he had stated he applied to the United States Military Academy and was not accepted. He claimed that a far less qualifed candidate of a different gender whose test scores he claimed he knew. When pressed upon this detail, he later changed his mind and said he was being sarcastic. Then in 2018, he said he was just repeating something he was told. In 2019, he claimed he never said anything of the sort, referring back to the 2015 speech. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
In 2018, Charlie Kirk falsely claimed that Justice Department statics showed increase in human trafficking arrests from 1952 in the year 2016, to 6087 in the first half of 2018. These numbers originated from a conspiracy site 8chan, and never came from Justice Department statistics, and after this was pointed out Charlie Kirk removed his social media post of the claim, and followed up with no explanation. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
In December 2018, Charlie Kirk claimed that French yellow vests protesters changed “We want Trump.”. The Yellow vests protest was a protest in France regarding of rising fuel prices, rising cost of living, and economic inequality, witha disporportionate burden of taxation falling on the working and middle class in France. It had nothing to do with Trump, though Trump even repeated Charle Kirk’s false claims. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk repeatedly spread false information regarding COVID 19, who Charlie referred to as the “China Virus”. He supported Donald Trump’s funding withdrawl of the World Health Organization (WHO), alleging that WHO covered up information about the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk claimed that hydroxycloroquine had proved to be 100% effective in treating COVID-19. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk claimed that Gretchen Whitmer threatened doctors who tried to use hydroxycloroquine as COVID-19 treatment medication. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk described social distancing, the public heath measure as a “Democratic plot against Christianity” and made unfounded assertion that authorities in Wuhan, China were burning COVID patients. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
In 2020, Charlie Kirk says he refuses to abide by mask requirements, stating that sciene around masks is very questionable. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
In 2021, Charle Kirk promoted misleading claims about the efficiancy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Immediately after Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, Charlie Kirk promoted false claims of election fraud and was the leader of the Stop the Steal protest. He was labeled as a “big name” social influencer in Rudy Giuliani’s communication plan to overturn the 2020 election.
On January 5, 2021, the day before the January 6 Capital attack and riot, Charlie Kirk wrote that Turning Point organizations were sending more than 80 buses of patriots to D.C. to fight for the president (with the actual number being 7 buses with about 350 students). In the lead-up of January 6 Capital Attack, Charlie Kirk said he was getting 500 emails a inute calling for a civil war. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
After January 6, Charlie Kirk claimed that the acts at the capitol were not an insurrection and did not represent Trump Supporters. Additionally he also deleted his social media post regarding sending 80 busus to the Capitol. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Appearing before the United States House Select Comittee regarding the January 6 attack, Charlie Kirk pleaded the 5th amendment, a right to protect yourself from self-incrimination. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk consistently denied climate change, and claims that humans have no significant impact on the global climate. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk opposes legal abortion argueing that abortion is murder, including opposing exceptions such as rape. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk is a gun owner and guns rights advocate. After the Parkland shooting, he spoke for the NRA in Parkland:
“You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won’t have a single gun death. That is nonsense. It’s drivel. But I… think it’s worth to have 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. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.”
Charlie Kirk
That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk advocated parents to never let their daughters receive prescriptions for birth control medication under any circumstances. He claimed that the medication mades women angry and bitter. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk voiced opposition to bipartisian proposal to expand on anti-BDS laws, that is anti Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions law. The point of the law is to prevent retaliation against those who participate in boycotts. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk blamed DEI programs for national aviation issues in January 2024, including saying “If I see a Black pilot, I’m goign to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified.'”. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk opposes gay marriage. Citing Leviticus 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them”, effectingly calling for the death of our gay or LGBTQ members of society. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk, who previously supported the separation of church and state, as of 2018, to partnering with California pastor Rob McCoy to mobilise Christians to vote republican in 2021 (for the 2024 election). In 2024, Kirk stated “”One of the reasons we’re living through a constitutional crisis is that we no longer have a Christian nation, but we have a Christian form of government, and they’re incompatible. You cannot have liberty if you do not have a Christian population”, advocating for the end of the separation of Church and State. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Charlie Kirk charactersizes the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a border dispute and spreads false information regarding Ukraine firing mortar shells against Russian separatist enclave in Ukraine, which is russian propaganda. That’s who Charlie Kirk was.
Lastly a word on his death. It is tragic. It should never have happen. We all must call out on violence of any kind, whenever they occur. Violence, especially political violence does not help any side and only serves to escalate the political instability. As a left-leaning Canadian, I obviously do not agree with much of Charlie Kirk’s views. That does not mean he should suffer a horrific death. He was only 32 years old.
Charlie Kirk was an ally of Trump, but he also voiced opposition to Trump. He was a life-long conservative who probably felt that he had no other choice. Which is ironically how I feel about Canadian politics between Conservative and Liberal party. Stuck in choosing the “Lesser of two evils”, as many may put it.
In a political landscape that the USA is currently in, I fear his death is going to divide USA even more. Blame is going to be pushed onto both sides, which is going to create amnosity among voters. This in turn I feel is going to push the states more into fascism. The USA’s political landscape is on fire, and whoever the shooter is, just dumped a gallon of gasoline on top of it. I can only hope a path of unity is found somehow.
At the time of writing, we do not know who the shooter was, or what their motives are so it is unfair to speculate on that matter.
Sources:
– https://www.npr.org/sections/back-to-school-live-updates/2021/09/30/1041870027/school-boards-federal-help-threats-violence
– https://web.archive.org/web/20190401074336/https://www.politico.eu/article/charlie-kirk-donald-trump-man-on-campus-turning-point-usa/
– https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/a-conservative-nonprofit-that-seeks-to-transform-college-campuses-faces-allegations-of-racial-bias-and-illegal-campaign-activity
– https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/charlie-kirk-shouts-fake-news-at-a-town-hall-questioner-for-asking-about-something-he-actually-said/
– https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/09/18/how-conspiracy-theories-spread-internets-darkest-corners/
– https://web.archive.org/web/20210506174037/https://contemptor.com/2018/09/12/charlie-kirk-qanon-deleted-tweet/
– https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/12/18/trump-gives-conservative-youth-activist-charlie-kirk-patriotic-education-post-during-last-minute-hiring-blitz/
– https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/19/us/politics/charlie-kirk-conservatives-coronavirus.html
– https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/12/young-conservatives-blowout-conference-florida
– https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/07/29/vaccine-mandates-charlie-kirk-tpusa/
– https://thehill.com/homenews/media/530239-geraldo-rivera-charlie-kirk-clash-over-voter-fraud-that-is-so-dishonest
– https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2020/11/06/operatives-tied-to-council-for-national-policy-organizing-protests-alleging-voter-fraud/
– https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/january-6-clearinghouse-strategic-communications-plan-giuliani-presidential-legal-defense-team-bernard-kerik-documents.pdf
– https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/2020-election-misinformation-distortions
– https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/columns/2021/01/11/cerabino-vp-pence-missed-chance-florida-honest-his-role-vote/6626927002/
– https://www.newsweek.com/charlie-kirk-insurrection-buses-washington-tweet-1560727
– https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2022/12/22/kelli-ward-and-charlie-kirk-had-little-to-say-in-capitol-riot-probe/69749643007/
– https://science.feedback.org/review/in-viral-turning-point-usa-video-candace-owens-and-charlie-kirk-falsely-claim-there-is-no-evidence-of-global-warming-and-scientists-dont-know-the-cause/
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV29R1M25n8
– https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/charlie-kirk-gun-deaths-quote/
– https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/charlie-kirk-pro-trump-activist-says-birth-control-screws-up-female-brains-women-above-are-not-date-able-article-108986508
– https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/5/us-bill-to-ban-israel-boycotts-faces-right-wing-backlash-over-free-speech
– https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/12/us/politics/trump-black-voters.html
– https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/charlie-kirk-turning-point-donald-trump-christian-nationalism-rcna156565
– https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2024/09/charlie-kirk-challenges-students-to-prove-me-wrong-in-provocative-uw-madison-visit
– https://religionnews.com/2024/11/01/charlie-kirks-tpusa-opens-a-new-front-in-spiritual-warfare-on-christian-campuses/
– https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/charlie-kirk-turning-point-donald-trump-christian-nationalism-rcna156565
– https://religionnews.com/2024/11/01/charlie-kirks-tpusa-opens-a-new-front-in-spiritual-warfare-on-christian-campuses/
– https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/technology/russia-american-far-right-ukraine.html
