Who was Charlie Kirk? The activist who turned campus politics into national influence

Photo: Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona – December 20, 2022. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr. CC BY-SA 2.0. Article by Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin. The Conversation – updated: September 11, 2025.

The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, has drawn widespread condemnation and renewed attention to the climate of political violence in the United States. To many, Kirk was not just another partisan commentator. He was one of the most visible leaders of the young conservative movement. Kirk helped shape Republican politics on college campuses, in media and within President Donald Trump’s coalition. […]

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