Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk was a conservative political activist, author and media personality and the founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA. Kirk was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and became interested in politics while in high school after listening to conservative talk radio and writing about economic issues. He briefly attended Harper College before leaving school to focus on political activism full time.

Kirk cofounded Turning Point USA in 2012, growing the organization into a major conservative campus movement with chapters at colleges and high schools across the United States. He later expanded the brand with Turning Point Action and hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, a radio show in which he discussed politics, culture and current events. He became a close ally of Donald Trump and frequently appeared at conservative conferences, rallies and college speaking events. He also authored multiple books, including Campus Battlefield (2018), The MAGA Doctrine (2020) and The College Scam (2022). In 2025, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

He married Erika Kirk (née Frantzve) in 2021 after meeting through conservative speaking and political circles. The couple welcomed a daughter in 2022 and a son in 2024.

Kirk died on September 10, 2025 at age 31 after he was shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Utah.