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America Mourns the Loss of a Young Political Giant
At just 31, TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk has passed away. Now, other young conservatives must take his message and continue his mission.
By The Poolside Politician
9/15/20257 min read
Last Wednesday, America lost an icon who connected with young people, challenged the political status quo, and brought conservatism into the twenty-first century.
In 2012, at the age of 18, Charlie Kirk founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA), with the goals of increasing conservative presence on hostile college campuses and shifting the youth culture towards conservative ideas and values.
Recent voting trends among Generation Z suggest that Charlie Kirk was remarkably effective in advancing his mission. Compared to Millennials and earlier cohorts at the same age, today’s Gen Z shows stronger conservative leanings, a shift in which Kirk played a pivotal role by cultivating a renewed conservatism among America’s youth.
In the years leading up to 2025, he transformed from a teenage activist into a mainstream figure with serious influence in Republican circles. Virtually every young conservative encountered clips of him sparring with progressive students on college campuses, moments that became viral staples of conservative media.
Alongside his in-person campus events, Kirk expanded his influence far beyond the student sphere. He built an audience through The Charlie Kirk Show podcast, which became a daily platform for his views that reached millions of daily listeners. He was also a frequent guest on national television and digital programs, where he debated his ideas and positioned himself as a leading voice for young conservatives. His appearances at the 2020 and 2024 Republican National Conventions gave him a prime stage in front of the broader conservative movement, cementing his status as more than just a campus activist. By connecting students with established leaders at TPUSA conferences and bringing his arguments into mainstream media, Kirk bridged the gap between grassroots youth energy and national politics in a way few others had managed.
Through TPUSA, he built an organization that spread across the country, claiming more than 2,000 chapters nationwide producing tens of thousands of energetic conservative activists. What started as a small operation in Kirk’s garage grew into one of the most visible youth-driven conservative networks in America. The quintessential American success story.
But there is something else very important in what Kirk did, he allowed students across the political spectrum a significant opportunity: the freedom of speech and open dialogue, face to face, with him.
Yet Kirk’s legacy isn’t only about fiery soundbites. The most enduring contribution may be the way he encouraged young people to think critically about the future they wanted to shape for their country. At a time when so much of life unfolds on phones, social media, and online echo chambers, his campus events stood out as spaces for direct, authentic, and personal political debate.
Whether students agreed with him or challenged him, they were given the chance to ask questions, voice their opinions, and test their ideas in a setting that was both energetic and open. In doing so, he helped foster a culture of conversation that pushed countless young Americans to wrestle with big questions about values, policy, and the nation’s direction.
Kirk’s death is incredibly upsetting for that very reason. There was nobody better at wanting to have dialogue and conversations with a strong emphasis on the youth population.
In recent years, American politics has been dominated by older leadership. The last three presidents have each taken office in their seventies, while the average age of House members at the start of the 119th Congress is 57.9 years, and the Senate is even older at 63.9 years. To put that in perspective, even if Charlie Kirk’s age at the time of his death were doubled, he still would not have reached the average age of a United States senator.
When Charlie Kirk’s life ended so suddenly, it wasn’t only him who was robbed. Millions of young people today and in the years ahead lost a political fighter who thrived on engaging others, someone who stood out as a rare young voice deeply involved in shaping America’s future.
What makes his passing even harder to accept is the way it happened. Kirk was known for taking questions, fielding challenges to his ideas, and debating anyone who came up to the mic. He never shied away from conversation, he invited it. Yet instead of stepping up to the microphone and responding in kind, someone chose cowardly violence. A man who gave others the chance to speak was denied that same right in the end, and that is a uniquely American tragedy.
We know that the left has lost the election, culture wars, and the info wars. The American people rightfully and promptly rejected their radicalism in the 2024 election, awarding Republicans the White House, majorities in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, the popular vote, and all of the swing states. Those results are pretty impressive for a bunch of "Fascists" and “Nazis” according to the left. Radical leftists should spend less time spreading hateful and dangerous rhetoric and focus rather on improving their unpopular and insane ideas.
Even during this tragic time, we now have a profound responsibility to carry Charlie’s message further and harder than ever before. Let’s break down some ways that conservatives can effectively accomplish this.
First, conservatives must be more openly unapologetic about their convictions than ever before. The events of Wednesday were a sobering reminder that there are people who would rather resort to violence than engage in debate, and that reality is a genuine threat to our safety in everyday life. Knowing that anyone could be the next target of assassination, we should always be on high alert in our day to day lives. We cannot afford to be careless. Staying alert, avoiding distractions like wearing earbuds when out in public, being aware of your surroundings, and steering clear of risky situations are small but important steps we can all take to protect ourselves while continuing to stand firm in our beliefs.
Second, we need to live healthier lives, building strength both in body and in mind. That means committing to regular exercise and making better choices about what we eat, because discipline in how we treat our bodies carries over into how we approach every other part of life. A strong body builds confidence, resilience, and energy, all of which are needed if we are going to lead and influence others. But just as important is the life of the mind, dedicating time each day to reading about philosophy, history, politics, finance, and God gives us the knowledge and perspective to sharpen our arguments. The more we understand the world and its ideas, the more equipped we become to defend our beliefs and to articulate a clear vision for the future. A healthy lifestyle is about more than fitness; it’s about preparing ourselves to carry the responsibility of leadership with strength and clarity.
Third, for young conservatives, faith and values must remain central. For men, that means committing to church and deepening their walk with Christ, because faith is the strongest foundation on which to build a meaningful life and, eventually, a family. For women, it means holding fast to those same principles, valuing virtue, and seeking to live out their beliefs with strength and integrity. For both men and women, building relationships rooted in shared values matters. Those connections are more likely to grow in places that foster community and purpose in environments such as church, volunteer opportunities, or even everyday spaces like libraries and coffee shops, rather than in settings that rarely lead to lasting bonds.
Fourth, we must reject the path of violence. The events of Wednesday were a painful reminder of how destructive it can be when people choose force instead of dialogue. There is a reason businesses and restaurants across the country did not feel the need to board up their windows afterward: our movement has never been about chaos or destruction. It has always been about persuasion, conviction, and ideas. We don’t need violence to win, because we know the strength of our arguments speaks louder and lasts longer than anything else.
Fifth, we should be fully aware of the far left’s resentment for conservatives and our beliefs. Too many liberals were bold enough and flocked to social media, creating and posting videos of themselves celebrating, filled with glee over Kirk’s assassination. It’s important for conservatives to understand that those who celebrated his death are truly evil humans, and lack respect for our lives and would do the same if we were assassinated instead. Conservatives need to recognize that reality and be prepared to stand strong in the face of it.
Charlie Kirk’s story is one of conviction, youth, and determination. From founding a small student organization at eighteen to shaping national conversations through media and campus debates, he proved that young people could have a powerful voice in America’s political life. It is incumbent upon all of us now to continue his movement in a principled, respectful, and idea driven way. He reminded us that ideas matter, that debate is essential, and that even in a divided country, dialogue is always more powerful than silence or violence.
His passing is a tragedy, but it is not the end of the movement he helped inspire. If anything, it is a new beginning, a call for us all to step forward with greater courage. By living with discipline, growing in knowledge, grounding ourselves in faith and values, and refusing to give in to hate or violence, conservatives can carry his mission further than ever before. The best way to honor his memory is to keep building, keep debating, and keep inviting the next generation into the conversation about America’s future.
Together, I believe we can rise to this responsibility. The path forward will not be easy, and there will be moments of hardship and anger, but we cannot lose sight of the higher calling that guided Charlie’s work. I take comfort in knowing that he is now in heaven, and I am confident he will be supporting us along the way.
To evoke Spartacus, we are all Charlie Kirk.
TPUSA Founder Charlie Kirk with POTUS Trump in 2025
Thousands of students gather on ISU's campus for Kirks event