Ask A Genius 1512: Charlie Kirk’s Legacy, Martyrdom, Rhetoric, and the Future of Turning Point USA
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/09/20
How will Charlie Kirk’s death impact Turning Point USA’s influence on young conservatives?
Charlie Kirk’s death on September 10, 2025, at a Utah Valley University event, has polarized reactions. Rick Rosner notes that conservatives are framing him as a martyr, while progressives stress his record of homophobic, racist, transphobic, and Islamophobic rhetoric. Kirk’s debate strategy relied on facing unprepared student opponents, allowing him to appear victorious. His organization, Turning Point USA, is expected to gain strength and funding from his martyr status, fueling recruitment among young conservatives. While admired on the right as a skilled advocate, his critics emphasize his manipulative rhetoric and toxic legacy. His memorial will draw national attention.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Any thoughts on the legacy of Kirk?
Rick Rosner: The right wants to enshrine him as a martyr. The left wants people to remember that while his killing is despicable and deplorable—nobody should be killed over speech—Charlie Kirk made a career of incendiary commentary that many consider homophobic, racist, transphobic, and Islamophobic, and he profited from it.
He carried himself in a friendly, approachable manner on stage. His strategy was to invite debate, often through campus events and Q&A sessions where students challenged him. That setup is advantageous for a practiced advocate. [Ed. The branded “Change My Mind” format belongs to Steven Crowder, not Kirk.]
It is like me and Lance. When Lance says, “Try to change my mind,” I cannot out-argue him because he spends all his time listening to conservative podcasts and has his arguments lined up. I am a smart person, but imagine someone younger and less experienced trying to debate Charlie Kirk, whose job was to win debates and exchanges with students.
The right can portray him as a happy warrior for conservative causes who won every debate because his truths were so evident. A more plausible explanation is that he often faced “tomato cans,” to borrow the prizefighting term—opponents who were not equally prepared—so the matchups favored him.
Kirk was skilled at reframing questions—taking a question and steering it toward the version he wanted to answer. Those are learned rhetorical skills. The left wants people to remember that he was far from a saint.
Turning Point USA, the organization he led, will likely gain momentum by casting him as a martyr, energizing recruitment among young conservatives and attracting substantial funding. Early reports already point to a surge in attention and sign-ups.
For the record: Kirk, age 31, was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Authorities arrested a suspect, Tyler Robinson, days later. A large-scale memorial is scheduled at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with extensive security and high-profile attendees.
Jacobsen: All right, I have to go.
Rosner: Thank you. See you then. Bye.
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