Kirk was a top conservative provocateur

Zac Anderson

USA TODAY

Charlie Kirk was one of the right’s preeminent provocateurs, often delving into contentious territory.

He staked out positions on race, gender, guns and marriage that inspired and angered many.

He even co-hosted a panel discussion show titled “Thoughtcrime” to discuss “things you are not allowed to talk about.”

A conservative leader and MAGA celebrity, Kirk traveled the country debating other young people and building a juggernaut youth group, Turning Point USA. His clout extended to the White House as a close ally of President Donald Trump.

Hugely influential and often controversial, the 31-year-old Kirk was killed Sept. 10 when a gunman shot him at an event in Utah.

The slain activist produced hours of commentary for his online show and spent years traveling the country for events where he talked about guns, diversity efforts, abortion, LGBTQ+ issues and more.

Kirk’s comments regularly attracted notice, with critics accusing him of promoting racism, homophobia, antisemitism and other forms of bigotry. Supporters said he was a fearless visionary. Here are some of his views.

Immigration

Deporting immigrants who don’t

have legal status was a major focus for Kirk.

Vice President JD Vance, who hosted Kirk’s show on Sept. 15 in memoriam, said Kirk would call him and question why more people weren’t being deported faster under the Trump administration.

“Charlie was a hardliner on immigration,” Vance said, adding: “I remember having conversations with Charlie where he would say: ‘Why aren’t the deportations higher? Why aren’t you doing more?’ ” Kirk also espoused the tenets of the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, which fosters the belief that non-White immigrants will replace White citizens.

“The Democrat Party built their entire coalition on the great replacement reality,” Kirk said June 11 on his show. “We are going to have millions of people come into the country and try to replace the native-born population to change the politic. If you can’t win elections because the people don’t support you, well then change the people. Replace them.”

Kirk claimed Islam is “not compatible with Western civilization.” He also was accused of antisemitism, including by some on the right, for comments about Jewish people. His allies pushed back, saying he was a strong supporter of Israel.

After the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Kirk said the biggest defenders of the country are “us – conservative, evangelical Christians.”

“Jewish donors, they have a lot of explaining to do, a lot of decoupling to do,” Kirk added. “Because Jewish donors have been the No. 1 funding mechanism of radical, open-border, neoliberal, quasi- Marxist policies, cultural institutions and nonprofits. This is a beast created by secular Jews. And now it’s coming for Jews, and they’re like, ‘What on Earth happened?’ And it’s not just the colleges. It’s the nonprofits, it’s the movies, it’s Hollywood, it’s all of it.”

Civil Rights Act, diversity efforts

Kirk often discussed racial issues. He was an ardent opponent of affirmative action, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Kirk attracted attention last year for stating on his show that, “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified.”

In a clip posted on Kirk’s YouTube channel this year, a Black individual attending a Kirk event brought up the comment and asked, “Don’t you think it was an irresponsible statement?”

“No,” Kirk responded while wearing a shirt that read: “ANTI-DEI PRO-MERIT.”

“Anytime we reach racial quotas, we relax the standards,” Kirk said. “Therefore, when it comes to pilots or surgeons, if I see somebody who is Black ... I’m going to hope that that person is qualified.”

Kirk also routinely criticized the 1964 Civil Rights Act that banned racial and other forms of discrimination in public places, saying on his show last year that it “created a beast, and that beast has now turned into an anti-White weapon.”

Gun deaths, rights

Kirk was a staunch gun rights advocate who happened to be answering questions about gun violence when he was killed.

In 2023, Kirk told an audience at a TPUSA Faith event that gun deaths are “worth it” to protect the right to bear arms.

“You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won’t have a single gun death,” Kirk said.

Abortion

Kirk’s strong religious views factored heavily into his political advocacy. He made religious arguments against LGBTQ+ individuals, and was staunchly anti-abortion.

During an episode of the web show “Surrounded,” Kirk was asked, if he had a 10-year-old daughter who was raped and became pregnant, would he want her to deliver the baby.

“The answer is yes, the baby would be delivered,” Kirk said.

Transgender rights

Kirk opposed transgender rights, and his organization sponsored rallies against transgender medical care. In April 2024, he likened doctors who perform gender-affirming care to Nazis committing atrocities.

“One issue I think that is so against our senses, so against the natural law and dare I say a throbbing middle finger to God, is the transgender thing happening in America right now,” he said during a speech posted in 2023 by Right Wing Watch.

Contributing: Reuters