Who was Charlie Kirk? Everything You Need to Know
- Uri Pilichowski
- Sep 16
- 4 min read
Charlie Kirk, 31, was the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA. He was killed last week during a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, about 39 miles south of Salt Lake City. Authorities have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect who allegedly fatally shot the father of two.
Charlie Kirk was one of the highest-profile conservative activists and media personalities in the US, and a trusted ally of President Donald Trump. He was an avid public speaker, touring the country to address Republican events, many of which were popular with members of the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement. His daily talk radio show also had millions of followers on social media. Turning Point USA, which he founded at the age of 18, aimed to spread conservative ideals on liberal-leaning US college campuses.
Kirk’s record
“No non-Jewish person my age has a longer or clearer record of support for Israel, sympathy with the Jewish people, or opposition to antisemitism than I do. I regularly refer to antisemitism as a ‘lie from the pit of Hell,’ because it is.” This was a statement the late Charlie Kirk said this past April.
It’s hard to believe that the same man who said that antisemitism was a lie from the pit of Hell would have the Democratic Majority for Israel launch a petition calling on the Republican National Convention to rescind their giving Kirk a prime time speaking slot over what they called Kirk’s “long record of antisemitic statements.” After Kirk’s murder, charges of antisemitism were levied on social media by many of his critics.
Accusations of antisemitism
Kirk, at times, drew criticism for veering into antisemitism as he discussed matters related to Israel and other topics. In October 2023, just days after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Kirk drew controversy after he derided Jewish philanthropy to American universities for “subsidizing your own demise by supporting institutions that breed Anti-Semites and endorse genocidal killers.”
Weeks later on “The Charlie Kirk Show,” he also said that Jewish people control “not just the colleges; it’s the nonprofits, it’s the movies, it’s Hollywood, it’s all of it.” Some conservatives decried his comments. Erick Erickson, a Christian radio host, posted on X that Turning Point USA was “looking like not just a grifting operation, but an anti-Semitic grifting operation.” Ben Domenech, the editor of The Spectator, wrote that if Kirk remained the head of his organization, “the right has an anti-Semite problem that will follow them into the coming elections.” The ADL accused Kirk of creating a “vast platform for extremists and far-right conspiracy theorists” and promoting “Christian nationalism.”
Defense of Kirk
The statements, social media posts, and speeches Kirk has made decrying antisemitism and defending the State of Israel make it difficult to accept the charges of antisemitism levied against him. In a post on X, Kirk defended himself against charges of antisemitism, "I’ve always stood up for the Jewish community, calling out antisemitism wherever it appears."
Kirk said, “The greatest trip I ever took was to Israel, and the second greatest trip I ever took was to Israel. I’m a huge supporter of the Holy Land, of Judea and Samaria, and up against the terrorist organizations, Hezbollah and the Palestinian Authority. I’ve gone to the college campuses, I’ve spoken at more college campuses than any Christian conservative in the last couple of years…you name it, I’ve probably spoken at every major U.S. university campus all across the country, and I am confronted many times by young Christians that believe that Israel is an oppressive apartheid state that basically should not exist in its current form. So I am here to say that we have to do a better job at conveying the geopolitical significance of the State of Israel.” Kirk flew to Jerusalem to personally attend the opening of the American Embassy in Jerusalem.
Kirk addressed antisemitism in several posts on X, writing, "Jew hate has no place in civil society. It rots the brain, reject it,” and "Jew hate has no place in public discourse, period, end of story." "Antisemitism is a disgusting, irrational hatred that we must all condemn unequivocally."
Kirk has also made statements in praise of the Jewish people: "The Jewish people have made incredible contributions to civilization, from science to philosophy to culture," "The Jewish people have faced unimaginable persecution, yet they’ve thrived and blessed the world with their resilience and ingenuity."
Wrap up
While Kirk has made some troubling comments that are consistent with statements antisemites regularly spread, his record of praising Jews, his warm relationship with the Jewish community, his staunch support of Israel, and his harsh criticism of antisemitism make accusations of Kirk being an antisemite incorrect.
Uri Pilichowski is an author, speaker, and senior educator at institutions around the world.