Charlie Kirk, the right-wing political activist who was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, built a large political movement in a relatively short time.
Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a nonprofit organization focused on spreading conservative values, such as limited government, to young people. The organization has visited numerous college campuses.
Kirk, a close ally of President Trump, played a strong role in garnering support for Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. Utah Valley University was the first stop of The American Comeback Tour. The tour planned to stop at 15 universities.
Kirk held “Prove Me Wrong” debates on TPUSA tours in which he encouraged students to challenge his political views. Debates would often last several minutes and were posted on social media. Kirk was shot while debating under a “Prove Me Wrong” tent.
Turning Point has a chapter at Utah Valley University. The American Comeback Tour stop in Utah was promoted on social media channels before the event.
Not everyone at Utah Valley University was welcoming to Kirk and his tour. A petition on Change.org titled “Prevent Charlie Kirk from speaking at Utah Valley University” has 944 signatures.
The petition, created anonymously, mentions Utah Valley University’s tagline "a place for you," and then asks “How then, can the university claim to represent inclusion and diversity by allowing an influencer like Charlie Kirk to have a platform?” Another petition on the website titled “Stop Charlie Kirk From Spreading Hate on Utah Campuses” has 340 signatures.
Kirk’s political activism began in high school, when he volunteered on the campaign of the Republican U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, with whom he has no relation, said Patch.
CNN said Kirk attended Harper College and, inspired by Tea Party member and eventual TPUSA co-founder Bill Montgomery, dropped out of school to pursue his personal political passions.
His ambitions blossomed into starting TPUSA at 18 years old, hosting the nationally ranked podcast and radio show The Charlie Kirk Show and growing to be a steady supporter of President Donald Trump.
At the 2016 Republican convention, Kirk gained national attention for declaring that "Big Government sucks" and calling the GOP "the party of youth and diversity," according to USA Today.
By the start of the Trump administration in 2017, Kirk was a regular speaker at GOP events, and a prominent face in right-wing media.
The AP News said Kirk was born and raised near Chicago, Illinois. Kirk was a member of the Boy Scouts of America and earned the rank of Eagle Scout, said Chicago Tribune.