Charlie Kirk, the conservative influencer who became the voice of Maga youth

BBC:

When the right-wing American activist and influencer Charlie Kirk was shot dead aged 31, he was speaking at the kind of university event that helped propel him to social media stardom.

Kirk was just 18 when he co-founded Turning Point USA, a student organisation focused on spreading conservative ideas on college campuses. As he was killed with a single bullet, he was speaking under a sign that read: ‘Prove me wrong’.

At these events, Kirk became known for his combative style, inviting students to step up to the microphone and challenge his right-wing Christian worldview in front of a baying audience.

Clips of these exchanges built him a huge following – more than 5m followers on X and 7m on TikTok – that helped him mobilise the youth vote for President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly praised Kirk for inspiring a generation of young conservative activists.

“He’s got this army of young people,” Trump told the Turning Point Action Conference last year. “These are young patriots. We thank you, Charlie.”

After Kirk’s death on 10 September, Trump said he had once told him he could become president one day.