Charlie Kirk was one of America’s most influential young men.
He shifted the minds of millions, and inspired millions more. A household name among Generation Z, Charlie came from nothing to help propel President Trump to the White House.
I first met him seven years ago, when he was setting up the British version of his campaign group, Turning Point.
In the years since, I have had the opportunity to interview and meet him on several occasions.
Though I did not know him well, I can say he was one of the most articulate, charismatic, and kind-hearted men I have interviewed.
Charlie Kirk was speaking at a campus event in Utah when he was killed
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REUTERSIt was his infectious smile and happy warrior style which stood out from the vast crowd of online conservative influencers.
Always one to relish a debate, he spent more than a decade touring college campuses challenging anyone to challenge him.
He was murdered doing what he loved most; being in the thick of a crowd of students debating and discussing politics.
Charlie was beloved by millions of ordinary Americans, but he truly captured the heart of the most powerful: The President.
Mr Trump’s tributes to Charlie have been heartfelt, describing him as “legendary”. And the relationship was reciprocated.
‘Charlie Kirk was murdered doing what he loved best; in the thick of a crowd of students debating and discussing politics,’ Steven Edginton writes
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When the President won his historic election last year, Charlie was credited with turning out millions of young people for the Republicans.
Without his vast ground campaign, many doubt Trump would have won the key swing states required to get into the White House.
For Charlie, his efforts reached their crescendo on November 5.
On election night, his live reaction to Trump’s win was recorded, and you can see just how emotional he was.
Charlie had put his life and soul into helping President Trump, and he had won.
But this wasn’t just an attack on Charlie Kirk. This was an attack on American democracy.
Charlie’s vision never included violence or hate, he believed in vigorous argument.
His murderer wanted no debate, only death.
‘Charlie had put his life and soul into helping President Trump, and he had won,’ Steven Edginton writes
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Questions will now arise as to whether the open forum debates Charlie held will be viable in the future.
After several assassination attempts on President Trump last year, one of which came to within an inch of succeeding, there is a clear attempt to intimidate those on the right by method of violence.
America is no stranger to political assassination. Infamously, JFK was killed by a sniper in 1963.
Then, Martin Luther King Jr – and, following him, JFK’s brother Robert in 1968.
For decades such violence was seemingly contained. No longer.
In Charlie’s short 31 years, he achieved more than most in their lifetimes.
He turned a generation Red. He propelled Donald Trump to the White House.
And he did so with a spirit and love of which Martin Luther King Jr would be proud.
