CNN

By Eric Bradner

(CNN) — Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was killed Wednesday after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University, President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He was 31.

As Trump remade the Republican Party, Kirk embodied the party’s newfound populist conservatism in the social media age.

Kirk’s involvement began in the wake of the tea party movement and grew with Trump’s ascendance. Having co-founded Turning Point in 2012 at the age of 18, Kirk was a prominent supporter of Trump who courted young voters and used his network of nonprofits to seek to turn out voters on campuses and churches for Trump in 2024.

Kirk frequently traveled to college campuses, speaking and taking questions from audienc

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