Where did Charlie Kirk come from, as a figure in the conservative movement?
It’s no longer that taboo to say certain things, or to say that you’re a conservative, or to argue conservative positions.
Why Charlie Kirk?
Charlie Kirk saw that there was a countercultural response against the doctrine of the millennial era of liberal progressivism that everyone got used to, and assumed that Gen Z would easily hold onto.
You could easily consume culture that was connected to Turning Point USA and Charlie Kirk without realizing it.
Last week, my colleague Christian Paz wrote about how Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead last week at a Utah campus event, was a hero to a generation of young conservatives. He and his group, Turning Point USA, changed the way many members of Generation Z thought about politics and political media.
Where did conservative activist Charlie Kirk originate?
He arrived almost unexpectedly. He makes the decision that he wants to launch a resurgent conservative movement when he is about eighteen. He was a supporter of the traditional “lower taxes, smaller government” brand of conservatism and considered radio host Rush Limbaugh to be an idol. In essence, many people characterize him as someone who was exceptional in his abilities to connect with others, communicate, and converse.
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As 2024 approaches, he transforms from an outsider with no prior political experience and no connections to a friend of Donald Trump Jr. He and Tucker Carlson get along well. The new center of Republican power becomes close to him.
And that’s part of his myth: he is not a college graduate, he founded a movement on his own when others didn’t think it would succeed, and it gradually grows to have millions of followers and more than 800 college chapters. They helped organize the Get Out the Vote campaign that Republicans employed last year and raised $100 million for the presidential election.
How did he engage young people and Gen Z politics on the right and then change them?
He engaged in a lot of traditional retail politics, making appearances at places where intellectualism and liberal elitism were prevalent, where it was considered strange to be a Republican and where being conservative was undesirable. He adopted a style of saying grandiose things, inciting anger, and fostering that rage and outrage in order to gain even more notoriety on college campuses.
What he was able to accomplish was to effectively clip content, distribute it, and then use that to establish additional chapters and expand the organization. Furthermore, a sense of community and a sense of no longer being alone on a college campus are formed once you have fans who are starting clubs at their institution. It’s no longer considered taboo to express certain opinions, identify as a conservative, or support conservative viewpoints. Campuses feel more connected to one another as a result.
You turn this into a lifestyle in the process, and I believe that’s crucial in this case. He was establishing a lifestyle and a social and cultural identity in addition to a political movement, and it was this that ultimately changed campuses and Gen Z as a whole. It becomes ingrained in the culture. The major change is when it becomes ingrained in the culture and takes on a life of its own.
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How did Charlie Kirk accomplish this? What did he observe about Generation Z that would help him?
The ability to adapt and be receptive to different viewpoints is what makes Gen Z unique. Charlie Kirk believed Gen Z would readily adopt the liberal progressivism doctrine of the millennial era after observing a countercultural reaction against it. The end result was that Gen Z became much more eccentric rather than merely adopting all those opinions. He envisioned a way to provide those debating spaces that might not be as prevalent on college campuses, as well as a way to nourish and nurture it.
He also seemed to understand the unique characteristics of Gen Z, which include social media nativism and their readiness to enter parasocial relationships. A whole generation relies on influencers and podcasters to provide them with news and information. Instead of the common sense of monoculture that we were accustomed to in the past, they interpret the world around them based on certain individuals or television programs.
Whether you liked him or not, you developed a relationship with him in some way, whether it was out of disgust or a genuine understanding of what he had to say. You saw him not only as a political figure but also as an influencer who discussed religion, faith, health, and wellness. Compared to other politicians, his messages resonated with people on a much deeper level because they covered a variety of topics.
Regarding his actions and the nature of his legacy, what do you believe is misinterpreted?
Even though he said a lot of divisive, offensive, and frequently racist things, his content was still viewed positively by many.
In my opinion, one of the things that shocked many people was how wide his sphere of influence was and, in essence, the fictional world he constructed, in which numerous prominent figures from the conservative movement were interwoven. Without realizing it, you could easily consume culture associated with Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA. And that, in my opinion, is the truly intriguing element. He wasn’t merely an activist for politics. He rose to prominence and gained influence. Eventually, he came to symbolize many facets of people’s lives.
