Career Timeline of Charlie Kirk: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Charlie Kirk built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Charlie Kirk is an American conservative political activist, author, and media personality known for his right-wing populist views. He co-founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in 2012 and serves as its executive director. Kirk also holds CEO positions in Turning Point Action, Turning Point Academy, and Turning Point Faith, as well as president of Turning Point Endowment. Additionally, he is a member of the Council for National Policy. His work primarily focuses on promoting conservative principles and engaging young people in political activism.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2010: Volunteered for Mark Kirk's Senate Campaign

In 2010, during his junior year at Wheeling High School, Charlie Kirk volunteered for the U.S. Senate campaign of Illinois Republican Mark Kirk.

2012: Met Bill Montgomery and Foster Friess

In 2012, Charlie Kirk met Bill Montgomery, who encouraged him to engage in political activism full-time. Later that year, at the Republican National Convention, Kirk met Foster Friess, who financed the establishment of Turning Point USA.

2012: Co-founded Turning Point USA

In 2012, at the age of 18, Charlie Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA and has served as its CEO, chief fundraiser, and public face since then.

October 2016: Participated in a Pro-Trump Fox News event

In October 2016, Charlie Kirk participated in a Fox News event alongside Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Lara Trump, adopting a pro-Donald Trump stance.

2016: Addressed 2016 Republican National Convention, supported Trump

In 2016, Charlie Kirk addressed the Republican National Convention, stating that while he wasn't a big fan of Donald Trump, he would vote for him. He assisted with travel and media arrangements for Donald Trump Jr., signaling a shift in support.

2016: Co-wrote 'Time for a Turning Point'

In 2016, Charlie Kirk co-wrote "Time for a Turning Point: Setting a Course Toward Free Markets and Limited Government for Future Generations" with Brent Hamachek, published by Simon & Schuster.

Time for a Turning Point: Setting a Course Toward Free Markets and Limited Government for Future Generations

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2017: Formation of Turning Point Endowment Inc.

Turning Point Endowment Inc. was formed in 2017 as an organization to support and benefit Turning Point USA's charitable purposes and long-term vitality.

2018: Published 'Campus Battlefield'

In 2018, Charlie Kirk wrote "Campus Battlefield: How Conservatives Can WIN the Battle on Campus and Why It Matters", with the foreword written by Donald Trump Jr. It received negative reviews.

May 2019: Preparing to Launch Turning Point Action

In May 2019, it was reported that Charlie Kirk was preparing to launch Turning Point Action, a 501(c)(4) entity designed to target Democrats.

July 2019: Acquired Students for Trump

In July 2019, Charlie Kirk announced that Turning Point Action had acquired Students for Trump along with "all associated media assets". He became chairman and launched a campaign to recruit one million students for the 2020 Trump re-election campaign.

July 2019: Became chairman of Students for Trump

In July 2019, Charlie Kirk became the chairman of Students for Trump, which was acquired by Turning Point Action. He then launched a campaign with the goal to recruit one million students for the 2020 Trump reelection campaign.

November 2019: Co-founded the Falkirk Center for Faith and Liberty

In November 2019, Charlie Kirk and Jerry Falwell Jr. co-founded the "Falkirk Center for Faith and Liberty", a right-wing think-tank funded, owned and housed by Liberty University.

August 2020: Falwell resigned as president of Liberty University

In August 2020, Jerry Falwell resigned as president of Liberty University after students and alumni raised objections about the organization's aggressive political tone, which they considered to be inconsistent with the university's mission.

October 2020: Began Hosting "The Charlie Kirk Show"

In October 2020, Charlie Kirk began hosting "The Charlie Kirk Show", a daily three-hour radio talk show, on Salem Media's "The Answer" radio channel.

November 5, 2020: Led Stop the Steal protest in Phoenix

On November 5, 2020, immediately after Donald Trump lost the presidential election, Charlie Kirk led a "Stop the Steal" protest at the Maricopa Tabulation Center in Phoenix, promoting false claims of election fraud.

2020: Considered a social influencer in Giuliani's plan

In 2020, Charlie Kirk was considered a "big name" social influencer in Rudy Giuliani's communications plan to overturn the 2020 election.

2020: Published 'The MAGA Doctrine'

In 2020, Charlie Kirk's book "The MAGA Doctrine: The Only Ideas That Will Win the Future" was published.

2020: Unsuccessful student recruitment effort for Trump's reelection

In 2020, Charlie Kirk's effort to recruit one million students for Trump's reelection campaign proved unsuccessful, leading to TPUSA and the Trump campaign blaming each other for the decline in youth support for Trump.

2020: Falkirk Center's political advertisements

In 2020, the Falkirk Center spent at least $50,000 on political Facebook advertisements promoting Trump and Republican candidates.

January 5, 2021: Turning Point Action sent buses to D.C. protest

On January 5, 2021, the day before the storming of the United States Capitol, Charlie Kirk tweeted that Turning Point Action and Students for Trump were sending buses of people to Washington D.C. to fight for the president. Julie Fancelli gave Kirk's organization $1.25 million to fund the buses to the January 6 event.

February 2021: CNP Membership Directory Leak

In February 2021, a September 2020 membership directory of the Council for National Policy (CNP) was leaked, identifying Charlie Kirk as the William F. Buckley, Jr. Council Member.

December 7, 2021: 'The Charlie Kirk Show' ranked highly

As of December 7, 2021, "The Charlie Kirk Show" podcast was ranked as the 21st most popular podcast on Apple Podcasts.

2021: Founded Turning Point Faith

In 2021, Charlie Kirk founded Turning Point Faith after his contract with the Falkirk Center for Faith and Liberty was not renewed. Turning Point Faith is dedicated to recruiting pastors and church leaders to be active in political issues.

2021: TPUSA announced Turning Point Academy

In 2021, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) announced the launch of Turning Point Academy, an online academy targeted towards students. TPUSA partnered with StrongMind, however the partnership ended after StrongMind received backlash.

2021: Liberty University did not renew Kirk's contract and renamed the organization

In late 2020, Liberty University did not renew Charlie Kirk's one-year contract and, in 2021, renamed the Falkirk Center to "Standing for Freedom Center".

December 2022: Warned the Republican National Committee

In December 2022, Charlie Kirk warned the Republican National Committee that they needed to listen to their grassroots voters or face the consequences of ignoring them, saying that the Republican party would be stunted if ignored.

2022: Published 'The College Scam'

In 2022, Charlie Kirk's fourth book, "The College Scam: How America's Universities Are Bankrupting and Brainwashing Away the Future of America's Youth" was published.

The College Scam: How America's Universities Are Bankrupting and Brainwashing Away the Future of America's Youth

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2024: Released 'Right Wing Revolution'

In 2024, Charlie Kirk's book, "Right Wing Revolution: How to Beat the Woke and Save the West", was released.

Right Wing Revolution: How to Beat the Woke and Save the West

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2024: Podcast Statistics Reported

In 2024, NBC News reported that internal data showed Charlie Kirk's podcast is downloaded between 500,000 and 750,000 times each day and is ranked No. 13 on Apple Podcasts for news.

2024: "You're Being Brainwashed" Tour

Prior to the 2024 presidential election, Charlie Kirk undertook the "You're being brainwashed" tour, visiting around 25 college campuses to engage with students. Turning Point Action claimed the tour produced around two billion viral views on social media. Kirk also aided the President-elect in choosing leadership positions for his administration.