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Tag: Charlie Kirk

  • Trump ally Charlie Kirk fatally shot in Utah as ‘person of interest’ in custody

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    Charlie Kirk, the powerful rightwing activist, Trump ally and executive director of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), was killed on Wednesday afternoon, shot in the neck while speaking at a university campus event in Utah.

    In video posts circulating on social media, Kirk, 31, can be seen being struck by a bullet while speaking and sitting beneath a tent in the Utah Valley University (UVU) courtyard in Orem, Utah. Kirk was there as part of The American Comeback Tour, which is hosted by the TPUSA chapter at UVU. Video footage also shows students on campus running away from the sound of gunfire.

    In a post on X on Wednesday afternoon, the university said the campus was closed.

    After initial reports that a suspect had been apprehended, this turned out not to be the case shortly afterwards and then, around four hours after the incident, the FBI director, Kash Patel, posted on X that “the subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.”

    At a press conference shortly after, Utah governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, added that law enforcement had “a person of interest” in custody who was being interviewed. The authorities did not reveal a name.

    Utah director the department of public safety, Beau Mason, said at the press conference that there were security camera images of the suspect and that the shooter was dressed in dark clothing and had potentially fired from a roof.

    A spokesperson for Utah Valley University earlier told the New York Times that Kirk was struck by a suspect who had fired from a building about 200 yards away.

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    “The incident is currently being investigated by four agencies: Orem police, UVU police, FBI and Utah department of public safety,” Treanor added.

    In an internal email to staff members that was posted online on Wednesday evening, the Turning Point USA COO, Justin Streiff, said: “It is with a heavy heart that we, the Turning Point USA leadership team, write to notify you that earlier this afternoon Charlie went to his eternal reward with Jesus Christ in Heaven … However, in the meantime, Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action will be closed for business until Monday, the 15th – likely longer.”

    Writing on Truth Social on Wednesday evening, Donald Trump mourned Kirk’s death, saying: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”

    The president echoed similar sentiments to ABC correspondent Jonathan Karl. Trump told Karl: “It’s horrific. It’s one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen. He was a great guy … He was an incredible guy. Nobody like him.”

    Eyewitnesses told the Guardian that Kirk was being questioned about mass shootings when he was shot in the neck.

    Related: ‘A lot of blood’: local reporters describe moment when Charlie Kirk was shot

    A Deseret News reporter, Emma Pitts, who was at the event, said that Kirk was on his second question and that it was “regarding mass shootings”.

    “The person he was debating had asked about if he knew how many mass shootings had involved a transgender shooter to which Kirk responded,” Pitts said. Then, “he asked how many mass shootings had [there] been in the last couple of years” and “before he could even answer, we heard a gunshot and we just saw Charlie Kirk’s neck turn to the side and it appeared that he had been shot in the neck”.

    “There was blood, immediately a lot of blood,” Pitts said. “After the shots were fired, everyone immediately took to the ground … we were just trying to stay hidden.”

    Then, Pitts said, “everyone started running away”.

    Videos circulating on social media showed an attender asking Kirk: “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” In response, Kirk says: “Too many,” as the crowd clapped.

    In a follow-up question, the attender asks: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” Kirk replies: “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Seconds later, Kirk could be seen struck in the neck as he falls back in his chair.

    Eva Terry, another Deseret News reporter who was at the event, said the direction of the shot looked like it “came from the middle to the right side of the audience”.

    Describing the suspect, Terry said that he looked like “an older gentleman, probably in his late 50s to 60s, wearing what looks like a worker’s uniform”.

    In response to Kirk’s death, the Utah governor, Spencer Cox, wrote on X: “I just got off the phone with President Trump. Working with the FBI and Utah law enforcement, we will bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy. Abby and I are heartbroken. We are praying for Charlie’s wife, daughter, and son.”

    The US vice-president, JD Vance, also tweeted, saying: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.”

    Utah senator Mike Lee wrote: “Charlie Kirk was an American patriot … This murder was a cowardly act of violence, an attack on champions of freedom like Charlie, the students who gathered for civil debate, and all Americans who peacefully strive to save our nation. The terrorists will not win. Charlie will. Please join me in praying for his wife Erika and their children. May justice be swift.”

    Shortly before gunfire rang out, Kirk tweeted: “WE. ARE. SO. BACK. Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour.”

    On Wednesday evening, Trump released a statement ordering the the American flag to be flown at half-mast until sunset, 14 September.

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  • Charlie Kirk dead: What we know about Utah shooting

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    Conservative activist Charlie Kirk died Sept. 10 from a gunshot wound sustained at a Utah Valley University event. He was 31.

    FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X in the evening on Sept. 10, saying a suspect was in custody.

    Kirk founded Turning Point USA, a conservative organization focused on young people, and was close to President Donald Trump and his eldest son Donald Trump Jr. His organization says it sponsors student groups on about 1,800 college and high school campuses across the country.

    “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump posted Sept. 10 on Truth Social. “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”

    CNN reported that Turning Point USA announced Kirk’s death in a note to employees.

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    “It’s with a heavy heart that we, the Turning Point USA leadership team, write to notify you that early this afternoon, Charlie went to his eternal reward with Jesus Christ in Heaven,” the note read.

    Kirk was in Orem, Utah, for his “The American Comeback Tour.” At the time of the shooting, he was speaking to a member of the audience for his “Prove Me Wrong” segment, seated under a tent and facing the outdoor crowd. 

    As news coverage unfolded, some witnesses and social media users said Kirk was answering a question about violence by transgender people the moment he was shot. 

    Here’s what happened, based on video circulating of the event:

    Questioner: “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?”

    Kirk: “Too many.”

    (Applause.)

    Questioner: “Five is a lot, right? I’m gonna give you, I’m gonna give you some credit. Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”

    Kirk: “Counting or not counting gang violence?”

    (Gunshot)

    Some people took that information and speculated about the shooter’s gender identity, although no suspect had been apprehended, or even named, in the immediate aftermath.

    PolitiFact covered whether incidents of mass shootings committed by trans people are statistically significant following rhetoric about the shooter in the Aug. 27 Annunciation Catholic School Mass in Minneapolis. 

    Kirk was a top commentator on social media and conservative media, authoring books, publishing a daily podcast and amassing almost 30 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube. His stature garnered profiles in The New York Times Magazine in February and The Deseret News just days before he was killed. 

    PolitiFact fact-checked 17 of Kirk’s comments on the Truth-O-Meter going back to 2019, covering his skepticism of COVID-19 vaccines, climate change, Ivy League universities and election integrity. He talked about home ownership in a 2024 Republican National Convention speech.

    Kirk started Turning Point USA in 2012 when he was 18 years old. Its website describes TPUSA as a “a national student movement dedicated to identifying, organizing, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government.” 

    The nonprofit collected $85 million in revenue in 2024, up from $443,859 a decade prior, according to ProPublica. Kirk also heads a political advocacy nonprofit, Turning Point Action, that brought in over $10 million in 2023. 

    Kirk was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago but relocated to Arizona in 2018. TPUSA is also headquartered in Phoenix.

    We will continue to cover this breaking story. Send ideas for statements to examine to [email protected].

    PolitiFact staffers Maria Ramirez Uribe, Caryn Baird, Loreben Tuquero and Ellen Hine contributed to this report.

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  • A look at Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA’s political involvement in Wisconsin

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    Slain conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s organization Turning Point USA wielded political influence in Wisconsin.

    The group began as a youth-focused group active on college campuses and has since expanded its voter outreach operations, particularly in Wisconsin where Republicans have made gains on college campuses.

    Kirk, who was shot and killed Sept. 10 during a campus event in Utah, has been present in Wisconsin during past campaign seasons in the battleground state. He and Donald Trump Jr. visited Oconomowoc in March to rally for Brad Schimel, a conservative state Supreme Court candidate who lost the race.

    He also delivered remarks at the 2024 Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee and appeared at events for conservatives around the city during the week-long event.

    Kirk visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September 2024 as the first stop on his “You’re Being Brainwashed” tour, according to the Daily Cardinal, a student newspaper at the university.

    About 150 people attended that event, where Kirk debated with students on issues like abortion, gay marriage and affirmative action. No counter-protestors were present, according to the Badger Herald, another newspaper at the university.

    In the 2024 presidential election, Kirk’s group established a broad get-out-the vote operation in Wisconsin, opening an office in Waukesha and training hundreds of “ballot chasers” to boost turnout of conservative but low-propensity voters.

    Later, during the spring 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race, Republicans worried that a “turf war” for influence over party infrastructure and leadership between Turning Point and the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

    More: Top Wisconsin Republicans urge easing of party divisions. ‘You’re not going to win being disunified’

    In the wake of Kirk’s death, Wisconsin political figures on both sides of the political aisle called for prayers and condemned the act of political violence.

    President Donald Trump shared on social media: “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”

    This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A look at Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA’s influence in Wisconsin

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  • Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and Trump ally, dies after shooting at Utah campus event

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    (CNN) — Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was killed Wednesday after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University, President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He was 31.

    As Trump remade the Republican Party, Kirk embodied the party’s newfound populist conservatism in the social media age. Trump has credited Kirk with galvanizing and mobilizing the youth vote for him.

    “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” the president wrote. “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”

    Kirk, himself a college dropout, was influential with college students and young voters — not only in helping to elect Trump to the presidency but also to inspire a new movement of conservative activists. His involvement began in the wake of the tea party movement and grew with Trump’s ascendance.

    Having co-founded Turning Point in 2012 at the age of 18, Kirk was a prominent supporter of Trump who courted young voters and used his network of nonprofits to seek to turn out voters on campuses and churches for Trump in 2024.

    Kirk frequently traveled to college campuses, speaking and taking questions from audience members in exchanges that often led to viral videos. Kirk’s appearance at Utah Valley University on Wednesday was the first of a 14-city fall “American Comeback Tour.”

    Kirk was answering a question at the event when a single pop was heard. Video taken by attendees shows the crowd screaming as Kirk recoiled in his seat and appeared to reach for his neck.

    The scene after Charlie Kirk was shot on Wednesday. Credit: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune / Reuters via CNN Newsource

    Among those in attendance was former US Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican. He said on Fox News he was at the event with his wife, daughter and son-in-law. He said Kirk “came out, he was throwing hats, riling up the crowd,” and then started taking questions before the shot rang out.

    “I was watching Charlie. I can’t say that I saw blood. I can’t say that I saw him get hit, but I did see him fall immediately backwards into his left,” he said.

    The American Comeback Tour had Kirk’s signature “Prove Me Wrong Table,” where he would urge those who disagreed with him to debate an issue.

    Kirk traveled with a private security contingent, a Turning Point USA aide traveling on the tour told CNN, whether he was speaking to large rallies like the one in Orem, Utah, or at smaller events.

    Kirk most recently appeared in the Oval Office in May, attending the swearing-in ceremony of Judge Jeanine Pirro as US attorney for Washington, DC.

    The president and dozens of other Kirk allies – as well as Democrats who had sharp disagreements with him – posted well-wishes and calls for prayer online in the wake of the shooting.

    President Donald Trump shakes hands with moderator Charlie Kirk during a Generation Next White House forum in Washington, DC, on March 22, 2018. Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP via CNN Newsource

    Kirk argued Trump was saving the American dream

    Kirk was known for debating college students about abortion rights, which he opposed; climate change, which he downplayed; and transgender rights, which he rejected. He frequently sought to rally young people around traditional gender roles. He also backed Trump’s mass deportation efforts.

    Kirk spoke at the last three Republican conventions. In 2024, he said that marriage and home ownership were elusive for too many young Americans, and faulted former President Joe Biden.

    “Under Biden, our young people own nothing and they are miserable. Donald Trump refuses to accept this fake, pathetic, mutilated version of the American dream,” he said. “Donald Trump is on a rescue mission to revive your birthright, one your grandparents and those before them gave everything to hand down to you.”

    Kirk was an outspoken advocate for gun rights.

    At an April 2023 Turning Point USA Faith event, he said that “you will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won’t have a single gun death.”

    But, Kirk added, “I think it’s worth it. I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.”

    Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk speaks before Donald Trump arrives at the Turning Point Believers’ Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida, in July 2024. Credit: Alex Brandon / AP via CNN Newsource

    He started in politics as a teenager

    Kirk got his first experience in politics as a student at Wheeling High School in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, when he volunteered for the winning 2010 Senate campaign of Republican former Sen. Mark Kirk.

    He earned national attention in 2012 when, as a high school senior, he wrote in Breitbart News that high school students were being indoctrinated by liberal textbooks. He briefly attended Harper College, but dropped out to become a full-time conservative activist, and went on to argue that college is unnecessary for many people.

    Kirk and retired businessman and conservative activist Bill Montgomery co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012. The two had met when Kirk was 18, at a speaking engagement at Benedictine University that followed his Breitbart piece. The organization was quickly backed by a roster of major Republican donors, including Foster Friess.

    He went on to become a best-selling author and well-known media personality who hosted a daily three-hour show.

    In 2021, Kirk married Erika Frantzve, with whom he shared two young children.

    This story has been updated with additional details.

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    Eric Bradner and CNN

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  • Charlie Kirk Dies at 31 After Being Shot at Campus Appearance

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    Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder who helped mobilize the youth vote for Donald Trump, has died Wednesday after being shot during a college event in Utah, Trump announced on Truth Social. Kirk was 31.

    “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote on Wednesday afternoon. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”

    Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Kirk, confirmed his death to The New York Times.

    Kirk was attacked at about 12:10 p.m. while speaking with Utah Valley University students on his “American Comeback Tour.” A bullet penetrated his neck as he was answering a student’s question about mass shooters. He was immediately rushed to the hospital by his security. Graphic videos of the shooting circulated on social media as Republicans and Democrats shared prayers for Kirk on social media.

    An initial suspect was put in handcuffs but later released, as police continue to look for the shooter. The FBI has launched an investigation alongside local law enforcement agencies.

    Born in the Chicago suburbs, Kirk was a right-wing media personality and the CEO of Turning Point Action, a nonprofit political advocacy group that helped elect Trump to his second term. Connecting religious leaders with local politics, Kirk founded the spinoff organization Turning Point Faith, and he also developed Turning Point Academy with the mission of “reviving virtuous education.”

    Kirk was perhaps best known for his viral “Prove Me Wrong” videos, in which he set up a table on college campuses and welcomed students to debate him on select topics. On his radio program, “The Charlie Kirk Show,” he endorsed conservative cultural viewpoints and often railed against liberal beliefs relating to climate change, critical race theory and gun control.

    Kirk often sparked controversy for his viewpoints. He opposed gay marriage and advocated against mask mandates during the pandemic. Following Trump’s loss in 2020, he propagated disproven claims about election fraud.

    In the lead-up to Trump’s reelection in 2024, Kirk became one of the most recognizable faces in the MAGA movement and one of the key operators in the effort to swing the youth vote red. His prominence in modern political culture is epitomized by a recent parody of his “Prove Me Wrong” concept on “South Park.”

    Kirk’s success in reaching young voters online and promoting conservative beliefs and values at universities was acknowledged by Democrats who wished to replicate Turning Point’s influence on the left. “I’ve got to admire what you’ve been able to do, not to weaponize, but to organize on these college campuses a different point of view,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom told Kirk in the inaugural episode of his podcast earlier this year. The governor, one of the leading Democratic figures in the fight against Trump, denounced the Sept. 10 attack against Kirk as “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible” on social media, adding, “In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.” The nation’s top political figures including JD Vance, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and more also condemned the assassination.

    Kirk is survived by his wife Erika Frantzve and their two children.

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    Ethan Shanfeld

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  • Charlie Kirk shooting – what we know so far

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    Spencer Cox, Utah’s governor, said that he had been “briefed by law enforcement following the violence directed at Charlie Kirk during his visit to Utah Valley University today”. Cox added that “those responsible will be held fully accountable”, and urged “Americans of every political persuasion” to condemn the shooting. He offered his prayers for Kirk, his family and all those affected.

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  • Leaders across the political spectrum denounce Charlie Kirk shooting, political violence

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    WASHINGTON — The Trump administration and the conservative movement were stunned Wednesday by the shooting of Charlie Kirk, a disruptive leader in GOP politics who accomplished what was once thought a pipe dream, expanding Republican ranks among America’s youth.

    Inside the White House, senior officials that had worked closely alongside Kirk throughout much of their careers reacted with shock. It was a moment of political violence reminiscent of the repeated attempts on Donald Trump’s life during the 2024 presidential campaign, one official told The Times.

    “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”

    Kirk, a founder of Turning Point USA, was instrumental in recruiting young Americans on college campuses to GOP voter rolls, making himself an indispensable part of Republican campaigns down ballot across the country. That mission made his shooting on a college campus in Utah all the more poignant to his friends and allies, who reacted with dismay at videos of the shooting circulating online.

    His impact, helping to increase support among 18- to 24-year-old voters for Republican candidates by double-digit margins in just four years, has been credited by Republican operatives as driving the party’s victories last year, allowing the GOP to retake the House, Senate and the presidency.

    Democrats have recognized his prowess, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosting him on his podcast earlier this year in an appeal to young, predominantly male voters lost by the Democrats in recent years.

    “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” Newsom said on X in response to the news.

    As videos of the shooting circulated online, a number of prominent Republicans, including senior members of the Trump administration, reacted to the news by asking the public to pray for the young activist.

    “Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father,” Vice President JD Vance said in a post on X.

    Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said federal agents were at the scene of the shooting in Utah. FBI Director Kash Patel added the FBI will be helping with the investigation.

    Wilner reported from Washington, Ceballos from Tallahassee, Fla.

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    Ana Ceballos, Michael Wilner

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  • On Fox News, Where Charlie Kirk Was a Frequent Presence, Anchors Processed His Death in Real Time

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    Charlie Kirk, the conservative firebrand and founder of Turning Point USA, has died after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University, according to multiple media reports.

    President Donald Trump also announced Kirk’s death, writing on Truth Social, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.” A broad and bipartisan chorus of voices rose to condemn the seeming act of political violence.

    Vice President JD Vance posted a photo of him with Kirk, writing “Dear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour.”

    California Governor Gavin Newsom posted that the attack was “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” moments after news broke. “In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.”

    On Fox News, still the standard bearer for the conservative media landscape from which Kirk rose, there was an added element of proximity. Kirk was a frequent presence on the network’s shows, appearing on Will Cain’s program as recently as Tuesday. Immediately after the channel broke the news of Kirk’s shooting to viewers, contributor Jason Chaffetz, the former Utah congressman, called into the network with an eyewitness account, having been in attendance at Kirk’s America’s Comeback tour which started on Wednesday.

    “I was watching Charlie,” Chaffetz said after catching his breath from running away from the scene to safety. “I can’t say that I saw blood. I can’t say that I saw him get hit, but I did see him fall immediately backwards into his left. And I can just hope and pray that somehow he survives that.”

    When former FBI special agent and Fox News contributor, Nicole Parker, joined the network in the immediate aftermath of the attack, she also turned to prayer first, telling viewers “That is all we have right now. We have the power of prayer.” Parker mentioned an “absolutely horrifying,” video of the shooting that was already circulating on social media, which she urged the audience not to watch, though it will “be key for law enforcement to have all of that video as evidence.”

    She relayed that a witness told her that just prior to the attack, a question was asked by one of the attendees about how many school shootings had been carried out by transgender people in the last decade, “And then the next thing you know, the witness heard a gunshot.”

    A pair of witnesses on the scene in Utah were also caught by Fox reporters with cameras, one who said while she heard the victim was a “pretty big influencer,” she wasn’t sure what happened. “I really don’t want this to happen again,” she continued. The other witness chimed in, adding “I think the focus of this should probably be on, probably supporting some sort of gun control, or something like that, so that things like this can’t happen.” Fox played the clip at least two more times after it first aired.

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    Natalie Korach

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  • MAGA Influencer Charlie Kirk Dies After Being Shot at Utah Event

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    Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old right-wing influencer and founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck in Utah, according to a report from Deseret News and videos posted to social media.

    President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Kirk had died. Kirk’s spokesperson, Andrew Kolvet, confirmed his death to the New York Times. During a press conference Wednesday night the Governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, said a “person of interest” was in custody, but also said “we will find you” about the shooter, giving conflicting statements about whether they’ve actually apprehended the shooter.

    Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when a single shot was fired around 12:10 p.m. local time. Video posted to X captured the shooting, which showed Kirk’s head jolting backward after what sounds like a gunshot.

    Videos of the shooting spread widely

    Videos taken from the scene of the shooting have been posted on X, though several have been deleted for violating the social media platform’s terms of service. Some of the most graphic videos, including one taken relatively close that shows a large amount of blood, are still up as of this writing.

    Kirk established himself as a high-profile figure in the MAGA movement by debating college kids on political issues, which is what he was doing when he was shot. Kirk’s appearance in Utah was the first of what was scheduled to be a 15-city “American Comeback Tour.”

    Kirk’s last words

    Another graphic video posted to X captured the conversation Kirk was having with someone on campus before being shot. Someone in the crowd asked the conservative influencer about trans people and mass shootings. Kirk has argued that mass shooters are disproportionately trans people.

    “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” someone in the crowd asked.

    “Too many,” Kirk replied to cheers from the crowd.

    “The answer is five. Now five is a lot. Let me give you some credit. Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” the person asked.

    “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk responded before being shot.

    The shooter is still large

    Utah Valley University earlier reported that a shooter was in custody, and unverified video purporting to show the gunman went viral on X. But the man who was arrested in the viral video was not the shooter, according to the New York Times.

    Police said during a press conference on Wednesday night that the man they arrested from the viral video remains in custody for obstruction of justice but he wasn’t the shooter.

    A spokesperson for the university initially said the shooter was located at the Losee Center, a building about 200 yards away, according to the New York Times. But it’s unclear if that remains true.

    Kash Patel tweeted at 6:21 p.m. ET that a “subject” was in custody but didn’t provide details. A reporter at the press conference with the governor of Utah asked about the tweet to see if Patel was referring to the man in the viral video and authorities clarified that Patel was referring to a new person.

    But shortly before 8 p.m. ET Patel tweeted that the person they’d detained had been released.

    Trump sends his condolences

    “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at 3:40 p.m. ET.

    “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” Trump continued. The president has ordered all American flags to be flown at half-staff until Sept. 14, according to the New York Times.

    Later Wednesday night, Trump posted a video to Truth Social about the killing.

    “For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals.

    This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”

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    — Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social) September 10, 2025 at 6:14 PM

    “My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.”

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    — Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social) September 10, 2025 at 6:17 PM

    When news of the shooting first broke, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X that agents traveled to the scene of the shooting.

    “We are closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” Patel wrote. “Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”

    Gun rights advocacy

    Kirk has a long history of supporting gun rights, including in 2023 when he argued that anyone aspiring to zero gun deaths in America was arguing for a “utopian society” that could never be achieved.

    “It’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment,” Kirk argued at the time.

    High-profile figures respond

    Billionaire Elon Musk, the owner of X, responded to the videos circulating on social media, writing, “The shot looked real bad, but I sure hope Charlie makes it somehow. The Tesla CEO also wrote “the left is the party of murder.”

    Fellow conservative commentators on X also responded with an outpouring of support for Kirk. “Everyone please stop what you are doing and pray for Charlie Kirk. Please,” Candace Owens wrote on the social media platform.

    White supremacist Nick Fuentes, who once had someone show up to his own house with a gun, wrote on X that it “feels like a nightmare,” describing it as “one of the most horrific things” he’s ever seen.

    “I feel absolutely gutted and devastated. Pray for Charlie Kirk’s soul, his young family and for our country. The violence and hatred has to stop. Our country needs Christ now more than ever,” Fuentes wrote.

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and proponent of stricter gun control laws, posted to X that Americans must reject political violence. “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” Newsom wrote.

    Vice President JD Vance showed his support for Kirk in multiple tweets before confirmation of his death, writing, “Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.” Vance also shared a photo of the two men, along with President Donald Trump’s son Don Jr.

    Motive still unknown

    Kirk’s last post on X before the shooting said that it was “100% necessary to politicize the senseless murder of Iryna Zarutska,” a 23-year-old woman who was recently killed on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    Jason Chaffetz, a former Republican congressman from Utah, suggested without evidence on Fox News that the shooter might be trans. It’s become a common claim on the right that most mass shooters are trans, something that’s not true.

    Fox News’ Jason Chaffetz: “I don’t think it was a coincidence that the shot rang out when you have a question about transgender mass shootings. Hopefully I am wrong. I will probably get criticized for jumping to conclusions… I don’t think that is a coincidence but we will see.”

    [image or embed]

    — Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona.bsky.social) September 10, 2025 at 12:26 PM

    There was another school shooting in the neighboring state of Colorado on Wednesday, where at least three kids were injured at Evergreen High School, just outside Denver. All three children are in critical condition, according to CBS News.

    This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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    Matt Novak

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  • Turning Point USA confirms CEO Charlie Kirk shot at Utah college event

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    Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday at an event at a Utah college, Turning Point said.The event was taking place on Utah Valley University’s campus in Orem, Utah. University police confirmed that a single shot was fired toward a “visiting speaker.”The police alert added, “Police are investigating now, suspect in custody.”President Donald Trump put out a statement on Truth Social, acknowledging the situation.”We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump wrote.”I am tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said in a post on X. “Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there.”This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

    Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday at an event at a Utah college, Turning Point said.

    The event was taking place on Utah Valley University’s campus in Orem, Utah. University police confirmed that a single shot was fired toward a “visiting speaker.”

    The police alert added, “Police are investigating now, suspect in custody.”

    President Donald Trump put out a statement on Truth Social, acknowledging the situation.

    “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump wrote.

    “I am tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said in a post on X. “Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there.”

    This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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  • Charlie Kirk edited a selfie after people roasted his ‘beta’ earplugs

    Charlie Kirk edited a selfie after people roasted his ‘beta’ earplugs

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    Arizona’s far-right media prince Charlie Kirk posted the same photo to X and Instagram — with one minor difference. Can you spot it?…

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    TJ L’Heureux

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  • The RNC chairwoman calls for unity as the party faces a cash crunch and attacks by some Trump allies

    The RNC chairwoman calls for unity as the party faces a cash crunch and attacks by some Trump allies

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    LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) — Facing a cash crunch and harsh criticism from a faction of far-right conservatives, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Friday called for the party to unite behind the goal of defeating President Joe Biden.

    McDaniel spoke at the RNC’s winter meeting in Las Vegas behind closed doors on Friday, addressing a gathering of state chairmen and other top party members in what’s expected to be a critical swing state in the November election.

    “We Republicans will stick together, as united as the union our party long ago fought to preserve,” McDaniel said, according to people who were in the room and disclosed her remarks on condition of anonymity to discuss a private gathering. “We’ll have our battles ahead of us, but they’re good battles, and they’re worth fighting for.”

    McDaniel’s appeal for unity comes as former President Donald Trump and his allies push the party to get behind him and effectively end the primary even though he still faces a final major rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. While McDaniel has fought off opponents before, winning a competitive race for a fourth term as chairwoman last year, she’s now facing Trump supporters on the far right who are creating parallel efforts that could conflict with the national party.

    Campaign finance disclosures released this week show the RNC had just $8 million in the bank and $1 million in debt. While the Trump campaign heads into 2024 with $42 million cash on hand, Biden’s political operation reported raising $97.1 million in the final months of 2024 across the various committees it uses to fundraise and ended the year with $117.4 million on hand.

    Biden is already working with the Democratic National Committee, which partners automatically with the incumbent president. An effort by Trump allies to have the RNC this week declare Trump the “presumptive nominee” was withdrawn after it drew criticism because Haley is still running.

    Trump has previously backed McDaniel, though his campaign and the RNC have disagreed at times. Trump declined to participate in party-sponsored primary debates before this year’s Iowa caucuses.

    But there’s long been tension between the party establishment and some people who consider themselves Trump’s strongest supporters.

    McDaniel faced a week of withering attacks launched by far-right figures spearheaded by the group Turning Point, a glitzy and well-funded organization founded by 30-year-old media figure Charlie Kirk, who was part of an unsuccessful effort to oust McDaniel last year.

    Days before the party’s winter meeting convened, Turning Point hosted a counterprograming event and training session at a casino across Las Vegas Boulevard dubbed “Restoring National Confidence,” a play on the RNC’s initials. The invite-only event drew nearly 400 attendees aligned with the group, including some RNC members, as well as state and local Republican Party chairs.

    Kirk, who hosts a popular radio show, is part of a faction of conservatives who’ve openly stoked a feud with the RNC, which they have blasted for spending lavishly and being out of touch with the party’s grassroots base. That, they argue, led to losses in 2018 and 2020 as well as underwhelming results in 2022.

    Some Turning Point supporters have become RNC members, while the group is actively recruiting others, an effort that, if successful, would give the group more sway over the direction of the party and perhaps a stronger say in the party’s chair.

    “We know a pack of losers when we see it: top to bottom, the entire RNC staff in its current form,” Kirk said Thursday on his radio show.

    “They don’t even know what winning is,” he added.

    Inside the RNC meeting, some members, including those who have been critical of McDaniel, said the Turning Point effort was ill-advised.

    “Attacking the brand and the chair doesn’t advance our fundamental goal of winning elections,” said Mississippi national committeeman Henry Barbour, who has at times criticized McDaniel.

    And McDaniel’s allies note that the Democratic National Committee was in debt to the tune of $5 million in the early days of the 2020 race, when the party was trying to return a Democrat to the White House.

    Turning Point is looking to expand its influence and reach beyond the youth movement, with mixed results. The group has struggled in its adopted home state of Arizona, where many of its preferred candidates failed to win in statewide races that many saw as winnable.

    Its leaders have also come under scrutiny over their own spending practices, including charter jet travel, offering lucrative salaries and paying to host Kirk’s wedding reception in 2021. Turning Point is currently trying to raise $108 million for a three-state get-out-the-vote campaign in Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia that would operate parallel to efforts that are already underway.

    RNC spokeswoman Emma Vaughn dismissed the challenges as coming from people complaining online.

    “Outside noise might be what keyboard warriors and the Democrats are focused on,” she said. “Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and the entire Republican National Committee are laser-focused on beating Biden this fall.”

    ___

    Slodysko reported from Washington.

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