Why was Charlie Kirk such a big deal for young Americans?

On Wednesday 10 September Charlie Kirk was shot dead at a university campus in Utah. Charlie Kirk was a conservative activist who founded the student organisation, Turning Point USA. It aims to spread conservative ideas in liberal universities and now has chapters at more than 850 colleges. Kirk became known for his controversial views and was accused of being racist, misogynistic and trans-phobic.

He held open-air debates on campuses across the country, where he tried to win people over to his thinking. Clips of these conversations were posted on his social media accounts and often went viral.

Turning Point USA played a key role in the get-out-the-vote effort for Donald Trump and other Republican candidates in the 2024 election. He was also widely credited with helping to register tens of thousands of new voters. BBC reporter Nathalia Jimenez explains Charlie Kirk’s appeal to young Americans and how he managed to become so ubiquitous online. And we hear from students who followed him and debated with him.

Audio of Charlie Kirk used courtesy of Turning Point.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Julia Ross Roy Editor: Verity Wilde