Charlie Kirk was an American far-right political activist, author, conspiracy theorist, and media personality. He co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, a conservative student organization, and served as its executive director. Kirk was a prominent voice in the populist MAGA movement and a key ally of former President Donald Trump until his death in a shooting incident in 2025. Kirk's beliefs included strong advocacy for conservative and Christian nationalist values. He rejected the separation of church and state, viewing the United States as fundamentally a Christian nation and promoting the "Seven Mountains Mandate," which calls for evangelical Christians to dominate seven key areas of society: government, media, education, business, family, religion, and entertainment. He believed in the superiority of Western civilization, linking it to Christian values. He was a staunch supporter of gun rights, believing that some gun deaths were an acceptable cost for preserving Second Amendment rights. On social issues, Kirk opposed abortion even in exceptional cases, promoted traditional gender roles, and was critical of LGBTQ rights. He also spread misinformation on topics like COVID-19 and climate change, and he endorsed conspiracy theories such as the Great Replacement and false claims of electoral fraud in 2020. Kirk's shift toward Christian nationalism developed notably in the 2020s, having earlier supported a more secular viewpoint. He promoted mobilizing conservative Christians politically, considering activism central to their faith. In summary, Charlie Kirk was a leading conservative activist known for championing Christian nationalism, conservative social policies, gun rights, and populist MAGA ideology.
