Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was gruesomely shot in front of a Utah university crowd of students on his tour, The American Comeback Tour.
The 31-year-old right-wing talk show host and media personality was the the Utah Valley University campus hosting his infamous ‘prove me wrong’ table, where audience members can debate with Kirk.
His event at the university sparked mass amounts of backlash after 6,000 students signed a petition to keep him from hosting on the campus.
Previously named on Forbes 30 under 30 list, Kirk was the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention as well as the opening speaker at the 2020 RNC.
Kirk, who has millions of social media followers, co-founded the non-profit Turning Point USA in 2012 as a teenager, which he dubbed a ‘national student movement.’
Its mission is to ‘identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government,’ according to its website.
Turning Point enthusiastically backed Donald Trump in 2016, and Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr during a general election campaign.
The non-profit also strove to encourage the restoration of ‘traditional American values like patriotism, respect for life, liberty, family, and fiscal responsibility.’
Kirk garnered much of his online notoriety for his ‘prove me wrong’ table, and in 2024 alone saw 15 billion views across multiple social media platforms, a Turning Point spokesperson told Deseret.
US media personality Charlie Kirk gives a thumbs up as he arrives to speak during the presidential inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena, in Washington, DC
He has been well known among young voters for his ‘populist nationalist’ worldviews on issues such as immigration, gender and politics.
In his efforts to educate his follower base, especially of the younger generation, Kirk founded the Turning Point Academy, which provides a ‘pro-American’ education to more than 250 partners.
He even turned to faith and began Turning Point Faith, which collaborates with more than 3,700 congregations encouraging ‘biblical citizenship,’ the outlet reported.
His work has been heavily involved with students at colleges and university’s across the country, as Turning Point supports student body president races and recruits precinct leadership teams.
‘With a presence on over 3,000 high school and college campuses nationwide, over 650,000 lifetime student members, and 450 full- and part-time staff all across the country, Turning Point USA is the largest and fastest-growing conservative youth activist organization in the country,’ according to Turning Point’s website.
In 2026, the non-profit had goals to renew or begin 1,000 college chapters and 1,650 high school chapters under the name ‘Club America.’
But Kirk’s work within the MAGA realm is not confined to Turning Point, as he has also authored four books and has been featured on-screen and in writing across multiple media outlets.
His podcast, The Charlie Kirk Show, reaches over 1 million people every day and has often ranked among the top ten shows on Apple News podcast charts.
Kirk’s MAGA reputation was prevalent as he was often involved in controversial discourse.
Kirk, 31, was shot at Utah Valley University on Wednesday on his The American Comeback Tour
In June at a Turning Point event in Dallas, Texas, Kirk became involved in backlash after he said that women should only go to college to find a husband.
A 14-year-old asked for advice from the influencer for attending college and the advantages and disadvantages of higher education.
After the girl mentioned that she was interested in pursuing a career in political journalism, Kirk asked all the young girls in the audience to raise their hands if their top priority is to ‘get married and have kids.’
Many of them did raise their hands, including the girl who asked him the question.
‘Interestingly, I think there is an argument to bring back the MRS degree,’ he said, referencing the slang term for women who go to college solely to find a husband.
‘No seriously. And just be clear that’s why you’re going to college. Don’t lie to yourself, like, “Oh, I’m going and studying sociology.” No you’re not, we know why you’re here and that’s okay!’ Kirk said, grinning.
He specifically cited universities in the Southeastern Conference, many of which are known for being party schools, to find a man.
‘That’s a really good reason to go to college actually, especially an SEC school. You will find a husband if you have the intent to find a husband at Ole Miss,’ he said.
‘I say college is a scam, but if you find your life partner that’s actually a really good reason to go to college.’
His comments did not go over well with critics after a clip of his answer spread online.
‘This poor girl. She asks Charlie Kirk about her goal to be a political journalist and he tells her to go get an Mrs degree,’ author and columnist Jill Filipovic posted on X.
‘Charlie Kirk telling a 14-year-old to go to college just to land a husband? That’s not advice – it’s a time warp,’ another user added.
‘Women aren’t signing up for debt and getting science and math degrees to play 1950s housewife. Let’s aim a little higher than an “MRS degree.”‘
Another person joked about Kirk’s own lack of a college degree.
Kirk’s often controversial and out-spoken opinion even landed him a death threat last October.
He and Donald trump were the subject of one Arizona social studies teacher’s death threat to the Republican figures.
Daniel Ashpes, 24, was accused of making online threats against the Republican figures while they were in the East Valley for a political rally last week.
He was booked into the Tempe City Jail on October 17 after police were made aware of threatening messages sent in response to an automated messaging service for RSVPs to the rally at a local hotel.
Detectives said that Ashpes admitted sending the messages during an interview, AZ Family reports.
He faced three counts of threatening to cause physical injury to another person and one charge of using a phone to threaten or intimidate.
Charlie Kirk and his wife Erika (left), and their two children
