What Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Means for Republican Youth Movement

Responding to the assassination of 31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Chairman of the College Republicans of America William Donahue, 25, wrote, “many of us are realizing that the death of Charlie Kirk is a watershed moment—an event on the scale of [Martin Luther King Jr.’s] assassination.”

Expanding on that comment in an interview, Donahue said the reference to King was “meant to capture the magnitude of loss in a social movement, not to equate their legacies, but to suggest that Charlie’s death will be remembered as a national turning point, just as King’s assassination reshaped the civil rights struggle, this moment will reshape the trajectory of the American right.”

Those less familiar with Kirk’s work might have seen him as just an online influencer, someone who created viral videos while running a popular podcast and full-blown political organization— which he did. However, political observers and those on the right know that Kirk, as founder of Turning Point USA, was at heart an activist who transformed conservative youth politics through his robust organizing network and, in the process, changed the social acceptability of Trumpism among America’s youth. His death raises the stakes surrounding the Republican Party’s efforts to organize and maintain its momentum in attracting America’s youth.

The 2024 election saw President Donald Trump improve his margin among voters under 30 by 11 percent. Former President Joe Biden captured 61 percent of these voters while Harris won 51 percent. While the right still failed to capture a majority of the youth, conservatives celebrated the shift as its own turning point in U.S. politics that showed Republicans could buck longstanding orthodoxy and become the party of the youth vote. No one was more central to that project than Charlie Kirk.

“The Republican Party, when I joined the RNC Youth Advisory Council, was like an old southern church congregation that didn’t put an emphasis on their youth group, and when that old church congregation passes away, the church passes away with it,” Brilyn Hollyhand, chair of the council and a friend of Kirk, told me in January. “But you look at churches with a thriving youth group, those older people pass the baton to them, and the church grows and flourishes for generations.”

While that conversation wasn’t centered on Krik, Hollyhand identified him as the clear leader among those who don’t just peddle influence online but also organize the GOP to realize that shift in the real world. Speaking to conservative leaders across at college campuses in Ohio and Georgia last winter, I was often told how Turning Point played a key role in youth outreach efforts across the two battleground states. Leaders on the left conceded their side held no equal counter organization.

Many of these people also told me Turning Point USA was unlike many other youth organizing groups, with far-flung chapters operating almost as franchisees of the main organization. TPUSA is known to be remarkably top-down, with college chapters acting based on directives from leadership. Without Kirk leading that charge, it remains to be seen how the nonprofit group will adapt and whether it can continue to occupy its position as a leading Republican organizing force.

Turning Point USA was contacted for comment for this article.

As an activist, Kirk utilized social media, in-person debates and grassroots organization in a manner that was unprecedented for the GOP. The succeess of that all-of-the-above approach was made evident in November, in the swing in Trump’s youth support from his first term. Kirk’s campus debates fostered a festival-like atmosphere where supporters rallied around his burgeoning celebrity. While the GOP remains rife with charismatic, larger-than-life figures, it’s unclear whether any can match Kirk’s skill as an organizer.

The future of Turning Point may remain uncertain, but conservative youth leaders affirm that Kirk’s contribution to the movement will prove long-lasting. Donahue said before Kirk’s rise to prominence being an outspoken conservative or Trump supporter was something to keep quiet, or risk being ostracized. Kirk’s outspokenness helped dissuade those fears.

“Charlie reshaped the conservative movement by making it unapologetically open and proud at a time when many on the right felt pressured into silence,” Donahue, the College Republican chairman, said. “By nature, conservatives care deeply about order and procedure and etiquette. That makes us particularly susceptible to criticisms of radicalism. He gave a generation of conservatives the confidence to speak boldly about their beliefs in the classrooms, on campuses, and in the public square.”

For the generation of conservatives who came of age during the Covid pandemic and the Biden presidency, when Kirk’s popularity was reaching new levels, his legacy has played a defining role in shaping their politics. Fenner Parker, national communications director for the High School Republican National Federation, told me Kirk’s commitment to debate has inspired members of the organization to voice their beliefs “despite the threat of cancel culture.”

The organization operates in 20 states, and Parker said it’s focused on growing. As the next generation of digital natives reaches voting age and becomes involved in politics, it’s likely Kirk’s tactics will provide an enduring example. The current leadership of College Republicans of America and the High School Republican National Federation make clear that Trumpism, MAGA and the values promoted by Kirk stand central the politics they promote.

Trump — a political unicorn with his background as an entertainer and status as a billionaire — is term limited. At 79, he will eventually slow down. Kirk tied himself closely to the president’s movement and acted as its unapologetic advocate. With his passing, the grassroots lost a leader, and it’s unclear whether someone can truly fill that void by 2028.

Neither Vice President JD Vance nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio, widely considered to be the frontrunners for the nomination, have demonstrated the level of personal charisma that Trump brought to the party. Without a powerful surrogate like Kirk, the next GOP nominee could face difficulties maintaining MAGA’s momentum and matching Turning Point’s 2024 ground game. Youth leaders remain optimistic about their bench, however, and emphasized they’ll be at working promoting Kirk’s brand of politics as they identify the next generation of conservative leaders and seek electoral gains.

“Charlie’s movement does not end with his passing,” Parker said. “This act was intended to intimidate young conservatives across the nation, to frighten us into silence. Instead, it has ignited a fiercer resolve within us. Charlie would want us to speak louder, to stand taller, and to never yield to fear-driven tactics.

His death is not in vain; it will serve as a rallying cry for our generation to carry forward his vision with unrelenting passion.”