Charlie Kirk

For the article about his death, see Assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Charlie Kirk
Kirk in 2025
Born
Charles James Kirk

(1993-10-14)October 14, 1993
Arlington Heights, Illinois, U.S.
DiedSeptember 10, 2025(2025-09-10) (aged 31)
Orem, Utah, U.S.
Cause of deathAssassination by gunshot
Occupations
Years active2012–2025
OrganizationsTurning Point USA
Turning Point Action
Political partyRepublican
Movement
Spouse
​
(m. 2021)​
Children2
YouTube information
Years active2018–2025
Genre
  • Broadcast journalism
Subscribers3.43 million
Total views1 billion
Last updated: May 29, 2025
Signature

Charles James Kirk (October 14, 1993 – September 10, 2025) was an American right-wing and conservative political activist, author and media personality.[1] He co-founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA) with Bill Montgomery in 2012.[2][3] He was known for hosting the radio show The Charlie Kirk Show, going on debate tours in colleges and universities across the United States and for being a supporter of President Donald Trump.

Kirk was shot and killed in September 2025 while speaking at Utah Valley University at the age of 31.[4][5]

Early life

Charles James Kirk was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs of Arlington Heights and Prospect Heights, Illinois.[6] In high school, Kirk took part in politics, supporting Mark Kirk (no relation) and his U.S. Senate campaign, as well as campaigning against a price increase in his school's cafeteria.[7] He went to Harper College before dropping out to be a political activist full-time.[8]

Political activism

In 2012, Kirk founded TPUSA, a conservative student organization, after dropping out of college at the age of 18.[9] It quickly grew with backing from donors like Foster Friess.[10] As TPUSA's CEO, Kirk expanded the organization's influence while raising millions in donations.

In 2019, Kirk founded Turning Point Action, a political advocacy arm, and later formed Turning Point Faith, aimed at mobilizing religious communities on conservative issues. Kirk hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, a conservative talk radio program.[11][12]

He was known as a supporter of President Donald Trump. Kirk supported conservative and pro-Trump causes and COVID-19 misinformation. He spoke out against critical race theory and denied that climate change is real.[13][14]

Kirk was appointed by President Donald Trump to a commission promoting "patriotic education" in 2020.[15]

After Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, Kirk supported false and disproven claims of fraud in the election.[16][17] On November 5, 2020, Kirk was the leader of a Stop the Steal protest at the Maricopa Tabulation Centre in Phoenix.[18] After Trump supporters attacked the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, Kirk said the violent acts were not an insurrection and did not represent Trump supporters.[19]

Kirk also went on many tours in colleges and universities across the United States. In 2024, Kirk visited around 25 college campuses for the "You're Being Brainwashed" tour, trying to get Gen-Z voters to vote for the Republican Party.[20] The tour has been praised as having a "critical role" in helping Donald Trump's election.[21] After the 2024 presidential election, Kirk helped then President-elect Trump in choosing leadership positions for his administration, including cabinet positions.[22]

Assassination

Main article: Assassination of Charlie Kirk

On September 10, 2025, Kirk was shot in the neck while on stage at his "American Comeback tour" at Utah Valley University.[23][24][25] Kirk's wife and two young children were at the event.[26] He was then hospitalized in Orem, Utah under critical condition and was presumed dead shortly afterwards at the age of 31.[27][28] President Donald Trump confirmed his death on Truth Social.[27]

Personal life

Kirk was an evangelical Christian.[29] In May 2021, Kirk married Erika Frantzve, a podcaster and businesswoman.[30][31] They had two children, a daughter and a son.

Honours and achievements

Kirk was included on the 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Law & Policy.[32]

He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities (D.Hum.) from Liberty University in 2019.[33]

A day after Kirk's death, President Donald Trump announced that Kirk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[34]

References

  1. ↑ "Conservative activist Charlie Kirk dies after being shot at Utah college event". AP News. 2025-09-10. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  2. ↑ Nelson, Rebecca (March 25, 2015). "The 21-Year-Old Becoming a Major Player in Conservative Politics". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  3. ↑ Peterson, Anne (May 2019). "Charlie Kirk And Candace Owens' Campus Tour Is All About The Owns". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  4. ↑ Henderson, Cameron; Stringer, Connor; Crilly, Rob; Sigsworth, Tim (September 10, 2025). "Charlie Kirk shot at university event". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  5. ↑ Turnbull, Tiffanie (11 September 2025). "Charlie Kirk: What we know about fatal shooting of conservative US activist". BBC News. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  6. ↑ Keilman, John (October 22, 2018). "Before Trump and Kanye became fans, Charlie Kirk battled 'Marxist' high school teachers in Chicago's suburbs". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  7. ↑ Lester, Kerry (April 29, 2013). "Perfect storm launches 19-year-old Wheeling native into political punditry". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, IL. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  8. ↑ Peterson, Anne (May 2019). "Charlie Kirk And Candace Owens' Campus Tour Is All About The Owns". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  9. ↑ "A Profile of Charlie Kirk". The Dartmouth Review. November 1, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  10. ↑ "This Boy Wonder Is Building the Conservative MoveOn.org in a Lemont Garage". Crain's Chicago Business. Bloomberg. May 7, 2015.
  11. ↑ Robins-Early, Nick (November 2, 2020). "The Christian Radio Network Working To Reelect Trump". HuffPost. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  12. ↑ Salem Media Group (September 1, 2020). "SRN Adds The Charlie Kirk Show to Weekday Lineup". Business Wire (Press release). Caramillo, CA. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  13. ↑ Fichera, Angelo (March 31, 2020). "Flawed Comparison on Coronavirus, H1N1 Emergency Timelines". FactCheck.org. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  14. ↑ Qiu, Linda; Bouchard, Mikayla (March 5, 2020). "Tracking Trump's Claims on the Threat From Coronavirus". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  15. ↑ Solender, Andrew. "Trump Gives Conservative Youth Activist Charlie Kirk 'Patriotic Education' Post During Last-Minute Hiring Blitz". Forbes. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  16. ↑ Budryk, Zack (December 15, 2020). "Geraldo Rivera, Charlie Kirk clash over voter fraud: 'That is so dishonest'". TheHill. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  17. ↑ Collman, Ashley (December 15, 2020). "Fox News star Geraldo Rivera called out die-hard Trump fan Charlie Kirk for continuing to push voter-fraud theories after the Electoral College confirmed Biden's victory". Business Insider. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  18. ↑ Armiak, David (November 6, 2020). "Operatives tied to Council for National Policy Organizing Protests Alleging Voter Fraud". exposedbycmd.org. The Center for Media and Democracy. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ Halon, Yael (January 10, 2021). "Kirk: Despite what the media claims, Trump supporters are 'repulsed' by Capitol riots". Fox News. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  20. ↑ Miller, Joshua Rhett (November 8, 2024). "Charlie Kirk took conservatism to college campuses ahead of Trump's big win". Newsweek. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  21. ↑ Aitken, Peter (November 17, 2024). "Trump Is Picking the 'Avenger Squad' for Cabinet, Charlie Kirk Says". Newsweek. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  22. ↑ Baio, Ariana (November 12, 2024). "Trump is taking Charlie Kirk's advice on who will serve in his administration". The Independent. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Charlie Kirk shot during event at Utah university". The Guardian. 2025-09-10. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  24. ↑ "Police confirm shots fired at conservative activist Charlie Kirk's event in Utah". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  25. ↑ "Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk shot at Utah Valley University event". Reuters. September 10, 2025. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  26. ↑ "Kirk's family was in attendance, senator says". BBC. September 10, 2025.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and Trump ally, dies after shooting at Utah campus event". CNN. September 10, 2025. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Live Updates: Charlie Kirk, Right-Wing Activist, Fatally Shot in Utah". The New York Times. September 10, 2025. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  29. ↑ Crump, James (October 19, 2020). "Charlie Kirk's Twitter account locked for spreading misinformation about mail-in votes". The Independent. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Who Is Charlie Kirk Married To? Inside Conservative Activist's Wedding Details and Wife". HollywoodMask. July 27, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  31. ↑ Munoz, Marisol. "Erika Frantzve: more than just a pretty face". AZFoothills.com. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  32. ↑ "30 Under 30 2018: Law & Policy". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  33. ↑ "Vice President Mike Pence challenges 2019 grads to 'go forth for Liberty'". Liberty News. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  34. ↑ Hutzler, Alexandra (September 11, 2025). "Trump announces he will posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom". ABC News. Retrieved September 11, 2025.

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