Charlie Kirk, 31, Assassinated During Utah Speech
Charlie Kirk, founder and president of the conservative youth association Turning Point USA, was tragically shot and killed at age 31 while speaking at Utah Valley University. He leaves behind his wife erika and two young children. Known for bringing a conservative voice to campuses and engaging respectfully with opponents, Kirk was also a devout Christian and popular media personality, hosting a widely listened-to podcast and speaking at Republican National Conventions. His death comes amid ongoing concerns about political violence; Kirk had recently warned about an “assassination culture” on the political left. In honor of Kirk, President Donald Trump ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-mast. Authorities continue to search for his assassin.
Charlie Kirk died Wednesday afternoon after he was shot in the neck by an assassin while speaking to a large group of students at Utah Valley University. He was 31 years old and leaves behind his wife Erika and two young children, a son and daughter.
Charlie Kirk appeared on Fox and Friends with his family just weeks before he was shot in Utah. Prayers are continuing to pour in for the Turning Point USA co-founder. pic.twitter.com/DuHDjaHP22
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 10, 2025
The founder and president of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization, Kirk brought a conservative voice to college campuses and high schools. A devout Christian, Kirk often spoke of his faith while interacting with students. He is well known for taking challenging questions from people who disagreed with his positions, patiently listening to them, and answering them with honesty.
At the time of Kirk’s death, authorities were still searching for his killer. Just five months before he was killed, Kirk had warned about “assassination culture” on the left.
“The left is being whipped into a violent frenzy. Any setback, whether losing an election or losing a court case, justifies a maximally violent response,” he wrote. “This is the natural outgrowth of left-wing protest culture tolerating violence and mayhem for years on end.”
Kirk’s death comes a little over a year after a would-be assassin shot President Donald Trump at a campaign rally, wounding Trump and two attendees and killing another.
He was the host of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” one of the most popular podcasts in the nation, and a sought-after media speaker. Four years after appearing as the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention, he was the opening speaker at the 2020 RNC, according to the Turning Point USA website. He wrote several books including The MAGA Doctrine: The Only Ideas that Will Win the Future; Campus Battlefield: How Conservatives Can Win the Battle on Campus and Why It Matters, and, yet to be released, Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life.
President Trump ordered all flags in the nation lowered to half-mast in Kirk’s honor.
In honor of Charlie Kirk, President Trump is ordering all American flags throughout the U.S. to be lowered to Half Mast. pic.twitter.com/FOYHIZU2FD
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 10, 2025
Beth Brelje is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.
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