Charlie Kirk was talking about a range of controversial political and social issues typical of his conservative activism. At the time of his shooting on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University, he was engaging with an audience mostly composed of young conservatives. One key moment before the shooting involved a question about the number of transgender Americans who had committed mass shootings over the past decade, to which Kirk responded "Too many." He was known for strong views supporting gun rights, including that some gun deaths are "worth it" to preserve the Second Amendment. He frequently expressed anti-transgender sentiments, skepticism about COVID-19 narratives, promoted conspiracy theories such as the "great replacement," and was critical of civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. He also advocated for conservative Christian values, opposed the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights, and was outspoken on immigration and race-related topics. His discourse often mixed provocative remarks aimed at rallying conservative youth while courting controversy on broader cultural issues.
