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Profile: The Provocateur Who Became Right's 'Youth Whisperer'

The Guardian

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September 12, 2025

Anyone who wants to understand the rise of Donald Trump among young voters has to understand Charlie Kirk, dubbed a "youth whisperer" of the right.

- David Smith

Kirk was only 31 but, as a natural showman with a flair for patriotism, populism and Christian nationalism, was rich in the political currency of the era.

In 2012 he co-founded Turning Point USA to drive conservative, anti-woke viewpoints among young people, turning himself into the go-to spokesman on TV networks and at conferences for young rightwingers. The activist, author and radio host used his huge audiences on Instagram and YouTube to build support for anti-immigration policies and confrontational Christianity.

His career had also been marked by the promotion of misinformation, divisive rhetoric and conspiracy theories, including 2020 election-fraud claims and falsehoods around Covid.

Kirk expressed openly bigoted views and was an unabashed homophobe and Islamophobe. As recently as Tuesday he tweeted: "Islam is the sword the left is using to slit the throat of America."

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