Who was Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA?
Right-wing talk show host and activist Charlie Kirk founded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA in 2012.
President Donald Trump said right-wing talk show host and activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at an event held at Utah Valley University on September 10th.
In a post about the True Society, Trump confirmed Kirk’s death, saying he praised the late Kirk and said he had a lot to hope for his widow, Erica Franzbe.
The 31-year-old media personality was kicking out his “American comeback tour” on campus. There he was hosting a table “prove it and I am wrong.” More than 6,000 people signed a petition to Utah State on September 30th to ban Kirk from coming to campus for another event, according to Deseret News.
Kirk became a national figure as a conservative influencer and founder of Turning Point USA. This is an organization that promotes conservative politics on high school and university campuses.
In 2024, he spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Kirk’s ongoing tour
The shooting happened when Kirk was about to start a tour of national debate at universities across the country. The tour, dubbed the “American Comeback Tour,” was scheduled to stop by Colorado State University, the University of Minnesota, among other campuses.
Apart from the tour, Kirk was scheduled to discuss progressive influencer Hasan Piker at Dartmouth College on September 25th. In his livestream, Pika responded to the horror shooting, expressing her fears at his followers who could have been targeted as well.
Kirk’s family
Kirk was born in Illinois and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He was involved in politics as a high school student and dropped out of college to pursue political activities.
According to the Republic of Arizona, part of the USA Today Network, Kirk married his wife, former Miss Arizona Franzbe, in 2021. He has a daughter born in 2022 and a son born in 2024.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA Today. Contact him at fernando.cervantes @gannett.com and follow him at x @fern_cerv_.
