The National’s Eli Glasner breaks down the political influence of Charlie Kirk after the conservative commentator and activist was shot and killed while speaking at a Utah university.

Washington

Charlie Kirk emerged as a prominent conservative activist, notably co-founding Turning Point USA at a young age and becoming the youngest speaker at a Republican convention. His ability to connect with young voters, particularly young white males, contributed to his growing influence within the Republican Party and his close association with Donald Trump. Kirk's use of social media and energetic rallies helped modernize the party's appeal and played a role in Trump's re-election campaign.

Kirk was known for his provocative rhetoric, including denying the 2020 election results and promoting conspiracy theories. His influence extended to shaping the party's messaging and outreach strategies, with Trump reportedly joining TikTok at Kirk's suggestion. Following an incident of violence at one of his rallies, questions have arisen about the future direction of the movement and the potential impact of Kirk's absence.

Why Charlie Kirk matters

What made Charlie Kirk important? Just look at the crowd at the very rally where he was shot. The first stop in the America Comeback Tour. A sea of red and white hats, enthusiastic young men and women. This is why President Trump kept Kirk close. And some credit him with Trump's re-election win. His message did connect with a lot of young white male voters. And here was Kirk the moment he learned Trump had been re-elected. No one has worked harder than Charlie for this. I am just humbled by God. Al Hardy is a journalist who covers the religious right. He certainly was always a conservative. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He went to church. Greetings and welcome back. As a young man, he tuned in to right-wing talk radio star Rush Limbaugh. At 18, he co-founded Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization. In 2016, he became the youngest person to ever speak at a Republican convention. As the popularity of Turning Point grew, so did his influence. Like Trump, Kirk understood the importance of entertaining the crowd. So it is, you know, bursts of music, rallying people up with, you know, very at times vicious political rhetoric, but also having fun. Understanding that for a lot of people, politics is becoming a form of entertainment. And that is something Kirk keyed into. He's just such a fascinating person. And since you really don't get to see very many Republicans in the media. This actually brings me so much joy because I feel, I felt so isolated in how I thought. He had a really big audience. His podcasts would get half a million or three quarters of a million people every day I saw. And he was connecting with young voters. Which played a critical role in the election. You're talking about a lot of people who are undecided, who are open to persuasion, unlike older voters. Connecting with audiences while ramping up the rhetoric. He was a denier of a lot of truthful things. He was an anti-vaxxer. He denied the election results in 2020. He equated abortion with the Holocaust. A lot of really out there conspiracy theories talked about replacement of whites. We are a country of immigrants. No, we're not. No, no, no. We're a country of settlers, not of immigrants. But Trump, who joined TikTok in part at Kirk's suggestion, clearly saw his usefulness. I won the young people by 37 percent. No Republicans ever won, and I won by 37 percent. And Charlie Kirk will tell you TikTok helped. But Charlie Kirk helped also. A social media savvy personality and organizer, Kirk helped modernize the Republican Party's appeal. His success made him a critical part of the Trump inner circle, with frequent visits to the White House. Now in the wake of violence, some wonder what will fill the vacuum. Kirk has become so emblematic of the transformation of conservatives under Trump. Trump, to them, started out as a political figure, but now he's very much a spiritual one, almost messianic. And I think within that framework, Charlie Kirk is going to become a martyr to this movement. And we can only hope that more violence doesn't follow. You

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