Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was shot dead Wednesday. A supporter of Donald Trump, he was heavily involved in his campaign targeting young Americans.

A leading voice of pro-Trump youth in the United States , 31-year-old Charlie Kirk, was killed on Wednesday, September 10. The conservative influencer was shot during a public meeting at a university in Utah. The American political class unanimously condemned the murder.

With 6.9 million followers on Instagram and 3.8 million on YouTube, Charlie Kirk used this influence to promote an ultra-traditional and conservative concept of the family to young Americans.

Lover of oratorical jousts

Last year, he was a key part of Donald Trump's campaign to recapture the White House, notably through his organization Turning Point, which enabled him to organize massive door-to-door operations in key states.

Co-founded in 2012 by the influencer, this association has become the largest group of young conservatives in the United States in a decade. During the last presidential election, Turning Point raised more than $100 million to convince conservative voters to vote early in swing states.

A willing provocateur, Charlie Kirk was also known for organizing filmed oratorical jousts on college campuses. He invited students to debate with him at these gatherings, which provided an opportunity to unleash his radical rhetoric on ill-prepared opponents, creating viral videos.

In favor of carrying weapons, against abortion

This Christian nationalist from the Chicago suburbs was a regular commentator on Fox News and also hosted one of the most listened-to podcasts in the country. On these various channels, Charlie Kirk defended the right to carry firearms and said he wanted to "eradicate all abortions," calling abortion "the Holocaust of our time." He also accused Joe Biden of creating "the equivalent of Expedia for illegal immigrants."

The influencer, married with two children, became involved in activism at a young age, even dropping out of college to devote himself to it fully. During the 2016 campaign, which led to Donald Trump's election, he served as a personal assistant to the president's son, Donald Trump Jr.

Charlie Kirk had been repeatedly criticized for spreading fake news. He had fueled online disinformation about Covid-19, but also fueled conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, which was supposedly "rigged" and "stolen" by Joe Biden.

In 2018, he also falsely claimed that some protesters chanted "We want Trump" during "yellow vest" rallies in France. This fabrication was later picked up and propagated by Donald Trump himself.