Charlie Kirk’s title was the founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, an organization he established to engage young people in political discourse and activism. He played a significant role in the conservative movement, particularly during the 2016 and 2020 Republican National Conventions. On Sept 10, 2025 Charlie Kirk was murdered during a debate event at Utah Valley University. He was later pronounced dead that same day. While many are mourning, I can’t help but find myself wondering why? While influential Charlie was known historically as a fascist organizer. His entire career was built on anti-immigration, homophobia, transphobia, and racism. He used his resources, rhetoric and social media influence to not only brainwash and indoctrinate people across the united states, but divide us.
Its July 2017 Charlie Kirk took to Instagram, and twitter (now known as X) to ban transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military, Charlie praised the move as “common sense,” arguing the military should focus on “winning wars, not social engineering”. Following this he created the “Professor Watchlist” which was not only a sub organization and initiative but was backed with a website used to dox and report college professors who taught or educated students on things that he deemed were “leftist” propaganda. This in itself is controversial for many reasons; Charlie himself uses his free speech to indoctrinate millions of people whether it be online, at schools, in public forums and he does so with his ultra conservative racist rhetoric; but when accredited academic leaders teach their students the importance of both sides its suddenly deemed fascism in the classroom. He used this organization to not only spam call, dox, intimidate, and ultimately destroy these people’s career for simply opposing his political views. Perhaps most troubling for an organization that holds up conservatives as the real victims of discrimination in America, Turning Point USA is also alleged to have fostered an atmosphere that is hostile to minorities. Screenshots leaked online showed that Crystal Clanton, who served until last summer as the group’s national field director, sent a text message to another Turning Point employee saying, “I HATE BLACK PEOPLE. Like fuck them all . . . I hate blacks. End of story.”. Their entire original campaign was to target people of color in academic roles that opposed conservative views. Ultimately in their first 3 years they reveled in the firing of over 50 people of color at leading colleges. This begs the question did Charlie ever actually want the youth of this country to be well educated? Or did he just want white people teaching in classrooms? This was only the beginning of the racial bias and questionable campaign activity at TPUSA that were part of discussions in 2017. During a speech called “Smashing Socialism” at Colorado State University, February 2017 Kirk said: “White privilege is a myth and a lie. It should be completely destroyed. It is a racist idea.” This transcended across schools, and social media reinforcing already racist ideologies in this country furthering the divide. Which brings me to my next point Allegations of internal racial discrimination in TPUSA workplaces, in 2017 there was a lawsuit from minority workers within the Turning Point USA organization; Former minority members of TPUSA in a New Yorker story said they experienced “widespread discrimination against minorities in the group; the organization was a difficult workplace and rife with tension, some of it racial.” An African-American employee said she was the only person of color when hired and was fired on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Others say they were given simple assistant jobs even though they were accredited researchers and political people. Sadly Charlie did not see the value in them as they were not white. They won the lawsuit.
In August 2018 Kirk took to his online platforms to claim Chicago violence is based on “fatherlessness” During his interview on Fox news Kirk attributed Chicago gun violence in part to “a lack of fathers” / single-parent households, a framing many critics said ignored structural factors and risked stereotyping Black communities. This not only furthered the divide of America but reinforced his racist rhetoric. In an interview late 2018, Kirk defended Turning Point USA’s “Professor Watchlist” as exposing what he sees as radical agenda in campus lecture halls, framing it as free speech and “more speech,” saying they are not trying to stifle speech. Also, when asked about Russia using TPUSA content, he said they can’t control who shares it, but “foreign actors shouldn’t be totally denounced.” Not only was he promoting Russian propaganda while dismantling academics across the country for their beliefs not lining up, but he was chastising and harassing these people for expressing their first amendment right to free speech. It seems Charlie believed only white peoples free speech mattered.
In July of 2020 he spoke in front of a mostly white audience, telling them that “radical leftists want them to feel ashamed,” referencing racial issues and criticizing how race is being discussed. Also repeated claims about Floyd’s criminal record; alleged that the cause of George Floyd’s death was drug overdose rather than homicide (against official determination).( Reported in connection with speaking events by TPUSA and in interviews during the 2020 protests after George Floyd’s murder) These statements were criticized for spreading misinformation about the cause of George Floyd’s death, downplaying systemic racism, and using “shame” language in a way that many saw as blaming white people or deflecting from demands for racial justice. Following this Charlie reenacted the death of George Floyd on his youtube account, where he mocked the death of a beloved Father, brother, cousin, and uncle. Skip to 2021 where he continued to mock George Floyd calling him a “scumbag” during a speech in Minnesota (part of his “Exposing Critical Racism” tour; Speech in Mankato, MN. Reported by Minnesota Reformer.) This was again seen as deeply offensive by many given George Floyd’s role as a symbol in the fight against racial injustice; viewed as dismissive of police violence and the circumstances of Floyd’s death. These anti African American ideologies transcended through speech when he said on his podcast that Democrats want Americans to live in a society with “no cultural identity, sexual anarchy, and no private property.” He blamed black America for the racial injustice white people face due to diversity hires. That same year he continuously repeatedly promoted messaging that immigration and demographic change were existential threats to the U.S. (reporting ties his rhetoric to replacement/nativist themes). (xenophobic/nativist). These racist themes seemed to have no end. This continued on his “Exposing Critical Race Tour” Where he used broad criticisms of how race is taught on college campuses, accusing schools and local governments of teaching about racism in ways he considers “critical race theory” or “racist theories” (which he opposes). In several appearances, Kirk made remarks criticizing “white privilege” conversations and those who he regards as “white oppressor” allies, saying that some view their role as “white allies” with guilt and self-loathing. These white impressionistic ideas swept social media and far right wing forums. These comments were controversial because critics say they minimize systemic inequality, encourage divisiveness, or challenge narratives about race in a way perceived as dismissive of Black people’s experiences.
This racist rhetoric followed him well into 2022; When Kirk Used “China Virus”/border rhetoric in pandemic posts — amplified language tying COVID to China and used the pandemic to argue for stricter immigration/border controls. (racist/xenophobic framing toward Asian/foreign countries). ” during the peak of the Covid-19 Outbreak, he tags Donald Trump and the post gets shared 4million times. Later that day Trump begins saying China Virus. This was only the beginning of the xenophobic tropes, seen as stigmatizing people of Asian descent. This quickly gained traction causing a serious divide and stigma towards the Asian people within the United States. This sparked outrage not only online, and within the communities but rang out on social media causing a serious divide. Later that month Charlie Tweeted criticism of the GOP, referring to “gay corporations that hate America.” (“…lower tax rates for gay corporations that hate America”) He then used his twitter to dox multiple businesses who supported the LGBTQ+ communities. This homophobic fustian dialogue only grew online as he continued to target people individually online, and at political events. At the virtual 2020 RNC, Kirk threatened not to return to the Gaylord Texan Resort over its hanging of a LGBTQ+ Pride flag. (“Shame on them for hanging that flag… Because it shouldn’t be about what people do sexually that causes us to hang a flag somewhere.”) This dialogue seemed to be a common theme that year as he continued to refer to “gay corporations that hate America” in a tweet: “What’s the point of a ‘red wave’ in 2020 all we get is bipartisan gun-grabbing and lower tax rates for gay corporations that hate America?” phrase “gay corporations” was criticized as implying negative connotations for LGBT associated businesses; readers asked what “gay corporations” meant in his usage; He was unable to concisely define what he meant at the time. But he wasn’t alone in this by this time he was speaking on livestream for the RNC; shared stage with others (including Marjorie Taylor Greene). 2020 seemed to be the year Charlie was beginning to be emboldened online and in person.
He consistently used his platform to attack anything that wasn’t ring wing conservative all through 2022. He began his online attack on planned parenthood and anti-abortion law heavily that year. Speaking at the TPUSA Young Women’s Leadership Summit 2022 Kirk claimed that birth control makes women “angry and bitter,” alleging that it aligns with the political leanings of the Democratic Party. These remarks were widely condemned as misogynistic and scientifically unfounded. He continued to say womens chances of having a child after 30 is 50% which is factually wrong for many reasons. Kirk has consistently argued that abortion is morally wrong and should be illegal, aligning with his broader conservative and pro-life stance. Kirk’s radial right wing ideals stated that if his own daughter were to be raped at 10 years old he would have her birth the child. In line with his anti-abortion views, Kirk has also criticized birth control, suggesting that it has negative effects on women’s health and societal norms; While simultaneously chastising women for seeking higher education or not wanting to settle down, these online attacks to individuals who wanted more progressive ideals continued until he died. Due to the help of Charlie Kirks campaign efforts and legislative donations planned parenthood was effectively defunded. In a debate, Kirk argued that abortion is murder and should be illegal, even in cases of rape, including for children as young as 10. He compared abortion to the Holocaust, stating it was worse. These remarks were widely criticized as extreme and insensitive.
In 2023 Charlie Kirk continued his pro-life, racist, xenophobic transgender rhetoric but he added another terrible topic into the mix this time. At a TPUSA Conference parents of children who died in a Denver school shooting asked Charlie if he would lobby for stricter gun laws. Charlie said some gun deaths are “worth it” to preserve the Second Amendment. “I think it’s worth it. I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.”— argued the cost of keeping the Second Amendment includes some gun deaths, a remark widely criticized as callous. (This comment was widely condemned as callous and irresponsible, with critics arguing that it trivialized the loss of life and ignored the need for gun control measures) At that same conference In a controversial statement, Kirk suggested that women’s suffrage was a mistake, questioning the rationale behind granting voting rights to women. This remark was criticized as both sexist and dismissive of women’s contributions to society. The full attack on women at this event transitioned right into the hate of trans people within the United States. He was extremely vocal critiquing transgender rights, particularly opposing gender-affirming care and the inclusion of transgender individuals in sports. He has likened gender-affirming care to Nazi atrocities, a comparison that was widely condemned as offensive and historically inaccurate. The attack on everyone who isn’t a cis white male continued as Public attacks on DEI, Civil Rights Act, and MLK began intensifying — started publicly framing the Civil Rights Act and modern DEI efforts as having negative effects on America (this theme was built into later speeches). Charlie used his social media and TPUSA org to dox and harass people of color in academic spaces but also in every business space. “If I see a Black pilot, I’m gonna be like, ‘boy, I hope he’s qualified.’” — on a podcast/talk: said he’d react with concern seeing a Black pilot because of diversity/hiring policies; the remark sparked broad accusations of racism and stereotyping. (racist / racially stereotypical). He spent the better part of 2023-2025 claiming all people of color in any sort of job position was only a diversity hire and not hired based on merit. ( these claims are unsubstantiated).
Journalist William Turton first reported on Kirk’s comments in a January 2024 article for Wired. According to Turton’s report, Kirk made the statement while speaking at America Fest, a political convention organized by Turning Point USA, in December 2024 “I have a very, very radical view on this, but I can defend it, and I’ve thought about it. We made a huge mistake when we passed the Civil Rights Act in the mid-1960s.” He continued this type of hateful speech online and in person events claiming “African Americans liked being slaves, and they committed less crimes when they were working for us- its a win win’ This evolved into criticizing the civil rights movement and Martin Lutther King personally — at events he described MLK and/or the legacy of the 1960s in ways many found dismissive or hostile; called the Civil Rights Act a “huge mistake” and “anti-white weapon” in some reported remarks. (race / provocative historical revisionism).
This hate wasn’t limited to just people of color though in 2024 (throughout year) — Called for nationwide bans on gender-affirming care for minors and repeatedly labeled transgender identity as a lie/harmful — pushed public policy to ban trans care and used dehumanizing rhetoric about transgender people. (transphobic / policy advocacy). He then lobbied to change laws that would make it hard for trans people to get new passports, or government identifications as their identity didn’t match their birth certificate but this was only the beginning of his war on the LGBTQ+ communities. During this time he continually doxed trans people, creators and even children online for not aligning with his own political views. Kirk called for “Nuremberg-style trials” for doctors providing gender-affirming care, likening them to Nazi war criminals. This comparison was widely condemned as offensive and historically inaccurate.
That was only part of the hate he spewed that year though in March of 2024 Kirk described the “great replacement strategy” as a reality, claiming that undocumented immigrants were being used to replace white rural America. This echoed the widely debunked conspiracy theory and was criticized for promoting xenophobia and racial division. While he did his he simultaneously lobbied for immigrants to have more legal paperwork and stricter immigration/ hiring laws. This quickly transitioned into his affirmative action organization initiative. He suggested that prominent Black figures, such as Michelle Obama and Ketanji Brown Jackson, were “affirmative action picks,” implying they were unqualified. This statement was widely condemned as racist and dismissive of their achievements. Again, attempting to discredit prominent African American people.
The year is now early 2025 and he continues his International appearances with nationalist rhetoric — made inflammatory statements abroad (UK, Japan, South Korea) on immigration, Islam and “national identity” that were reported as provocative and sometimes anti-Muslim or xenophobic. (xenophobic / anti-Muslim / nationalist). These xenophobic, anti-muslim, nationalist ideas continued not only in person but as well as online. He created online outrage within public forums and at protests furthering the cultural divide. This continued while he attacked the immigration laws in the United States, spending much of his time online targeting the latino communities. Since then, there have been significant developments related to ICE. In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14159, titled “Protecting The American People Against Invasion,” which expanded the use of expedited removal and imposed penalties on sanctuary jurisdictions. In September 2025, ICE conducted Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Additionally, a fatal shooting involving ICE agents occurred in Franklin Park, Illinois, during an immigration enforcement operation. He often endorsed and created memes of the Alligator Alcatraz camp, as well as the deportations to the Salvadorian prison- this was seen as wildly insensitive online. He shared Laura Loomers post 4 times on how alligators will have 65million meals that year (the number of latinos in America is 65m) All of these events were not only celebrated but documented online by Charlie Kirk and his TPUSA organization. He continued to call people of color, and immigrants criminals and used his platform to attack the families of victims due to gun violence. (Trayvon Martin, Melissa Hartman, and Paul Pelosi to name a few). The outrage for Charlie and his hateful rhetoric continued to grow not only online but at these political events as well. After his fatal shooting, outlets compiled many of his most inflammatory past quotes — major outlets (Reuters, Guardian, Irish Times, Newsweek, Media Matters, etc.)
It is very well documented that Charlie Kirk was an antagonistic character to the United States, he spent most of his adult life attacking marginalized communities, people of color, people with different political or religious views, denouncing the oppression of people historically, denying factual reality, denying people their constitutional rights, attacking women, and trans people across the globe. Its as though people have whitewashed everything about this man instead of who he really is. Charlie lived a life of hate, of judgement under the guise of religious freedom; Charlie lived just as he died, for the very policies he lobbied for. It begs the question is your opinion and your political stance important for you or for the greater good of the country? If it isn’t are you really as patriotic or religious as you claim to be? I think as a nation we all need to look towards our prominent political figures from both sides let’s not be brainwashed by the online rhetoric, but let us read what they stand for; listen to their words and let them tell us who they truly are.