College Dropout To Trump Ally: A Look At Slain American Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk’s Life

Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist, was shot dead on Sept. 10, while addressing an audience at Utah Valley University in Utah. Following his death, US President Donald Trump announced Kirk would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously. 

The US President’s move to honour the 31-year-old slain activist is a reflection of how crucial Kirk was in Trump’s orbit. Though Kirk never held office, he became one of the most influential voices in right-wing political circles in the United States. 

Founder of Turning Point USA, Kirk rose from being an unknown activist from the suburbs of Chicago to the standard bearer of Trump's MAGA movement.

Kirk, known for his controversial views on gun laws and abortion, played a key role in Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. He helped shape messaging, connect with donors, and organise grassroots support. Trump often met with Kirk at Mar-a-Lago to discuss strategy. He also had deep ties with the Trump family and was a trusted advisor.

But years before his rise to national prominence, he just focused on conservative activism across college campuses. Born in 1993 in a suburb of Chicago, Kirk was always politically outspoken. At just 18, he wrote an essay for Breitbart News accusing American schools of spreading “propaganda” and “indoctrination.” The piece caught the attention of Bill Montgomery, a retired businessman and Tea Party activist who was decades older than Kirk. He took the young conservative political figure under his wing.

In 2012, during Barack Obama's presidency, Kirk dropped out of college and co-founded Turning Point USA along with Montgomery. From college campuses, the group quickly expanded. It also gained popularity from Kirk’s growing social media presence. TPUSA used online platforms to deliver a youth-focused brand of conservatism. By 2016, Kirk’s rising influence earned him a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention at just 22 years old.

At the time, Kirk was quoted as saying by Wired magazine that he "was not the world's biggest Donald Trump fan.” But after 2016, he quickly became one of Trump’s most loyal supporters.

By 31, he had built a $95 million political empire and was heard by millions of online followers. He had also secured a direct line to President Trump, who has acknowledged that Kirk played a key role in his 2024 victory.

Before he was shot dead on Wednesday, Kirk was doing what he was known for best: his campus debates. Sitting under a white tent at Utah Valley University with the slogan “Prove Me Wrong,” he was taking questions from the crowd. It was here that he was shot in the neck, leading to his untimely death. A 22-year-old named Tyler Robinson is under investigation for the killing.