Where Charlie Kirk stood on key political issues

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The conservative activist, killed earlier this month, built a following among young right-wing Americans by taking hard-line stances on culture, race, and religion.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was among the most vocal spokesmen for the American right until he was assassinated at Utah Valley University this month. He is known to have had his confrontational style and ability to incite students. Kirk had influenced arguments on religion, race, immigration, firearms, and climate change. His critics labelled him as promoting bigotry and conspiracy, but his defenders called him the champion of free speech and conservatism, the New York Times reported.

Gender identity and religion

Kirk had a tendency to appeal to right-wing Christians who opposed growing acceptance of LGBTQ rights. He was against same-sex marriage, transgender rights, and separation of church and state. He created TPUSA Faith in 2021, which sought to unite churches in the battle against "wokeism." He also pushed students to report professors who taught what he referred to as "gender ideology," presenting himself as a warrior of traditional values.

Gun rights at all costs

Kirk was a staunch advocate of the Second Amendment. He argued that citizen-carrying firearms were essential to the preservation of freedom, even if that meant tolerating the fact that gun deaths are a part of American life. Speaking at an event in 2023, he said, "It's worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights." He insisted on further guards who are armed for schools and asserted greater gun ownership as the solution to violence.

Race and civil rights

Kirk frequently made racial remarks that sparked outrage. He referred to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a "mistake" and that Martin Luther King Jr. was an "awful" person. He was opposed to affirmative action, mocked diversity efforts, and referred to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as a "diversity hire." His statements became plainly racist at times: in 2024, he stated, "If I see a Black pilot, I'm going to be like, 'Boy, I hope he's qualified.'" He also dismissed George Floyd, calling him a "scumbag."

Accusations of antisemitism

While Kirk presented himself as an Israeli loyalist, he was repeatedly charged with being antisemitic. He embraced "replacement theory" as a conspiracy that claimed Jews were trying to annihilate white Americans by promoting immigration. He also accused Jewish donors of funding "anti-whiteness" programs. He once declared Jews support "the colleges … the nonprofits, the movies, it's all of it." Defenders pointed to his backing of Israel's support for Gaza as proof he was not an antisemite, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave him a public compliment when he passed away.

Hostility towards Islam

Kirk frequently depicted Islam as dangerous to America. He warned against what he called "conquest values" and linked Muslim politicians to terrorism. During the New York City mayoral race, he mentioned 9/11 and Al Qaeda in criticizing candidate Zohran Mamdani, leading to

accusations of Islamophobia. Critics claimed that such remarks encouraged religious hatred, but Kirk stood by them as candid assessments of security risks.

Free speech advocacy

Kirk regularly took stands as an advocate for free speech. Turning Point USA held campus events with giant inflatable beach balls on which students wrote messages, representing symbols of First Amendment freedoms. Kirk invited students to debate him and sued schools that tried to exclude him from speaking. Critics dismissed this as selective. Turning Point's "Professor Watchlist" invited students to report left-of-centre professors, leading some to view this as an effort to stifle dissent.

Climate change denial

Kirk repeatedly downplayed the risk of global warming, calling it "nonsense" and rejecting the scientific consensus on global warming. While younger conservatives were increasingly worried about the climate crisis, he rejected it as manmade. In late 2024, he called climate science "gibberish, balderdash, and nonsense" in a speech to Turning Point UK. On his show, he interviewed energy executives sceptical about global warming, furthering his alignment with fossil fuel interests.

A lasting influence

Charlie Kirk's positions place him squarely in the middle of America's most heated fights. To his fans, he was a fearless truth-teller who rallied young conservatives around religion, freedom, and patriotism. To his critics, he was an incendiary who spread conspiracy theories and fuelled social strife. Even in death, his legacy lives on through Turning Point USA and the policies he championed about some of America's most divisive causes.