History of Charlie Kirk in Timeline
Charlie Kirk is an American conservative political activist, author, and media personality. He co-founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in 2012 and serves as its executive director. He also holds executive positions in several related organizations, including Turning Point Action, Turning Point Academy, Turning Point Faith, and Turning Point Endowment. Kirk is a member of the Council for National Policy, demonstrating his involvement in conservative political circles.
1964: Comments About the Civil Rights Act
In December 2023, Kirk criticized the Civil Rights Act of 1964, calling its passage a "huge mistake".
October 14, 1993: Charles Kirk's Birth
On October 14, 1993, Charles James Kirk was born. He would later become a conservative political activist, author, and media personality.
2010: Volunteered for Mark Kirk's U.S. Senate Campaign
In 2010, during his junior year at Wheeling High School, Kirk volunteered for the successful U.S. Senate campaign of Illinois Republican Mark Kirk.
2012: Co-founded Turning Point USA
In 2012, Charles Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA) with Bill Montgomery. Kirk serves as the executive director of TPUSA.
2012: Met Foster Friess at the Republican National Convention
In 2012, at the Republican National Convention, Kirk met Foster Friess, a prominent Republican donor, and persuaded him to finance Turning Point USA.
2012: Founded TPUSA
In 2012, influenced by Bill Montgomery, Kirk founded TPUSA, a conservative student organization. The organization quickly grew with backing from donors like Foster Friess.
2015: Application to West Point
In 2015, Kirk stated that he had applied to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, and was not accepted.
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, which was strongly pro-Donald Trump.
2016: Addressed the 2016 Republican National Convention
In 2016, Charlie Kirk addressed the Republican National Convention. Although he initially expressed reservations about Donald Trump, Kirk stated he would vote for him and believed Trump's candidacy presented challenges to Turning Point's mission. Ultimately, Kirk supported Trump and assisted with travel and media arrangements for Donald Trump Jr.
2016: Co-wrote the book "Time for a Turning Point"
In 2016, Charlie Kirk co-wrote, with Brent Hamachek, the book "Time for a Turning Point: Setting a Course Toward Free Markets and Limited Government for Future Generations", published by Simon & Schuster.
2016: Base year for false claim
In 2016, Kirk used numbers for human trafficking arrests as base for his false claim on social media.
2017: Sarcastic About Not Getting Into West Point
In 2017, Kirk told The New Yorker that he was being sarcastic when he said he did not get accepted to West Point because the slot went to "a far less-qualified candidate of a different gender and a different persuasion".
2017: Turning Point Endowment Inc. was formed
In 2017, Turning Point Endowment Inc. was formed to support and benefit Turning Point USA's charitable purposes and long-term vitality.
July 7, 2018: False Claim on Social Media
On July 7, 2018, Kirk falsely claimed on social media that Justice Department statistics showed an increase in human trafficking arrests from 1,952 in the year 2016 to 6,087 in the first half of 2018.
December 2018: False Claim about French Protesters
In December 2018, Kirk falsely claimed that protesters in the French yellow vests movement chanted "We want Trump."
2018: Listed on the 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 in Law & Policy
In 2018, Charlie Kirk was listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Law & Policy.
2018: Authored the book "Campus Battlefield"
In 2018, Charlie Kirk wrote the book "Campus Battlefield: How Conservatives Can WIN the Battle on Campus and Why It Matters", with the foreword written by Donald Trump Jr. The book received a negative review from Adam Rubenstein in The Weekly Standard.
2018: Kirk Repeats Something He Was Told
In 2018, Kirk told the Chicago Tribune that "he was just repeating something he'd been told" about not getting into West Point.
May 2019: Awarded an honorary degree from Liberty University
In May 2019, Charlie Kirk was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities (D.Hum.) from Liberty University.
May 2019: Reported Launch of Turning Point Action
In May 2019, it was reported that Kirk was preparing to launch Turning Point Action, a 501(c)(4) entity designed to target Democrats.
July 2019: Became chairman of Students for Trump
In July 2019, Charlie Kirk became the chairman of Students for Trump after it was acquired by Turning Point Action. He launched a campaign to recruit one million students for the 2020 Trump reelection campaign.
July 2019: Acquired Students for Trump
In July 2019, Kirk announced that Turning Point Action had acquired Students for Trump along with "all associated media assets".
October 2019: Claimed He Never Said It
In October 2019, at a New Hampshire Turning Point event featuring Rand Paul, Kirk claimed that he never said that he did not get accepted to West Point because the slot went to "a far less-qualified candidate of a different gender and a different persuasion".
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.
2019: Founded Turning Point Action
In 2019, Kirk founded Turning Point Action, a political advocacy arm. Kirk also formed Turning Point Faith, aimed at mobilizing religious communities on conservative issues. Kirk also hosts "The Charlie Kirk Show,"
August 2020: Remarks on Democrats and College Campuses
At an August 2020 meeting of the Council for National Policy, Charlie Kirk stated that Democrats had made a "foolish thing" by shutting down college campuses, as it would reduce ballot harvesting opportunities and voter fraud, removing half a million votes.
August 2020: Falwell resigned as president of Liberty University
In August 2020, Jerry Falwell resigned as president of Liberty University.
September 2020: William F. Buckley, Jr. Council Member
In September 2020, Kirk was the William F. Buckley, Jr. Council Member of the Council for National Policy (CNP).
October 2020: Began Hosting "The Charlie Kirk Show"
In October 2020, Kirk began hosting a daily three-hour radio talk show, called The Charlie Kirk Show, on Salem Media's "The Answer" radio channel.
November 5, 2020: Led a 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: Spread misinformation regarding COVID-19
In 2020, Charlie Kirk alleged that the WHO covered up information about COVID-19. He was briefly banned from Twitter after falsely claiming that hydroxychloroquine had proven to be "100% effective" in treating the virus. He also falsely claimed that Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer threatened doctors who tried to use the medication. Kirk described social distancing in churches as a "Democratic plot against Christianity" and falsely asserted that authorities in Wuhan, China, were burning patients. Furthermore, Kirk refused to abide by mask requirements, questioning the science behind masks.
2020: Spread false information and conspiracy theories about COVID-19
In 2020, Charlie Kirk spread false information and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 on social media, including criticizing Democrats' reaction to Donald Trump's withdrawal of WHO funding and referring to COVID-19 as the "China virus", which was retweeted by Trump.
2020: Considered a "big name" social influencer in Rudy Giuliani's communications 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 effort to recruit one million students for Trump's reelection campaign
In 2020, Charlie Kirk's effort to recruit one million students for the Trump reelection campaign proved unsuccessful, leading to TPUSA and the Trump campaign blaming each other for a decline in youth support for Trump.
2020: Trump Reelection Campaign
In 2020, Kirk launched a campaign to recruit one million students for the Trump reelection campaign. The unsuccessful effort led to TPUSA and the Trump campaign blaming each other for an overall decline in youth support for Trump.
2020: ProPublica Investigated TPUSA Finances
In 2020, ProPublica investigated the finances of TPUSA and claimed that the organization made "misleading financial claims," that the audits were not done by an independent auditor, and that the leaders had enriched themselves while advocating for Trump. Also in 2020, Turning Point USA had $39.2 million in revenues.
2020: The Falkirk Center spent at least $50,000 on political Facebook 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 and Students for Trump Sent Buses to D.C.
On January 5, 2021, the day before the storming of the United States Capitol, Charlie Kirk announced on Twitter that Turning Point Action and Students for Trump were sending over 80 buses of patriots to D.C. to "fight for this president." Ultimately, the groups sent seven buses with 350 students. Kirk stated he was "getting 500 emails a minute calling for a civil war." Publix heiress Julie Fancelli gave Charlie Kirk's organizations $1.25 million to fund the buses and Kirk paid $60,000 for Kimberly Guilfoyle to speak at the Trump rally.
February 2021: CNP September 2020 membership directory leaked
In February 2021, the CNP's September 2020 membership directory leaked.
May 2021: Married Erika Frantzve
In May 2021, Charlie Kirk married Erika Frantzve, a podcaster and businesswoman who won the Miss Arizona USA pageant in 2012.
May 2021: Tweeted for parents to protest at school board meetings
In May 2021, Charlie Kirk tweeted urging parents to protest at school board meetings, encouraging them to push back on mask mandates and the teaching of critical race theory.
July 2021: Promoted misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines
In July 2021, Charlie Kirk promoted misleading claims about the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines. On Fox News' Tucker Carlson show, Kirk referred to student mandatory vaccine requirements as "medical apartheid".
October 5, 2021: Called George Floyd a "scumbag"
On October 5, 2021, during the Minnesota leg of the "Exposing Critical Racism Tour", Kirk called George Floyd a "scumbag".
October 2021: Remarks on Democrats wanting Americans to live in sexual anarchy
In October 2021, Charlie Kirk stated on his podcast that Democrats wanted Americans to live where "there is no cultural identity, where you live in sexual anarchy, where private property is a thing of the past, and the ruling class controls everything." He later doubled down on his remarks in a statement on the Claremont Institute website.
October 2021: "Exposing Critical Racism Tour"
In October 2021, Kirk began the "Exposing Critical Racism Tour" of a number of campuses and off-campus venues to "fight racist theories on America's college campuses!!"
November 2021: Fox News Article on State Power
In a November 2021 Fox News article, Kirk wrote that state power should be used to stop teachers from indoctrinating children with critical race theory.
December 7, 2021: The Charlie Kirk Show podcast ranked 21st most popular
As of December 7, 2021, "The Charlie Kirk Show" podcast was ranked as the 21st most popular podcast on Apple Podcasts.
2021: Liberty University did not renew Kirk's contract with the Falkirk Center and renamed the organization
In 2021, Liberty University did not renew Charlie Kirk's one-year contract and renamed the Falkirk Center to "Standing for Freedom Center".
2021: TPUSA announced Turning Point Academy
In 2021, TPUSA announced an online academy targeted towards students in schools "poisoning our youth with anti-American ideas".
2021: Founded Turning Point Faith
In 2021, after Liberty University did not renew Kirk's contract with the Falkirk Center for Faith and Liberty, Kirk founded Turning Point Faith, an organization dedicated to "recruit pastors and other church leaders to be active in local and national political issues."
February 2022: Remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference
At the February 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference, Charlie Kirk stated that "The southern border matters a lot more than the Ukrainian border" and urged Republican leaders to call the situation on the southern border an "invasion" due to the high number of people entering the country.
February 2022: Characterized the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a border dispute
In February 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, Charlie Kirk characterized the conflict as a "border dispute" and spread false claims from Russian state media that Ukraine was firing mortar shells at a Russian separatist enclave in Ukraine.
August 2022: Birth of first child
In August 2022, Charlie Kirk and Erika Frantzve welcomed their first child, a daughter.
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.
2022: Remarks at the TPUSA Young Women's Leadership Summit 2022 Conference
At the TPUSA Young Women's Leadership Summit 2022 Conference, Charlie Kirk described the "biblical model" for women in romantic relationships as having a partner who is a "protector and a leader" and suggested that conservative women could find conservative men who "have their act together" by starting a Turning Point USA chapter.
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.
2022: Kirk's Twitter account was flagged under "do not amplify"
In 2022, journalist Bari Weiss released a report of internal Twitter documents dubbed "The Twitter Files," alleging that Twitter was censoring conservative personalities. Rolling Stone magazine reported that Charlie Kirk's Twitter account was flagged under "do not amplify," which meant algorithms would not highlight tweets from those accounts.
2022: Partnership with StrongMind ended
In 2022, the partnership between Turning Point USA and Arizona education firm StrongMind ended after StrongMind received backlash from its own employees. StrongMind had initially partnered with TPUSA with plans to open the Turning Point Academy by the fall of 2022.
February 2023: Kirk's podcast contained the second-highest proportion of false statements
A February 2023 Brookings Institution study found that Charlie Kirk's podcast contained the second-highest proportion of false, misleading, and unsubstantiated statements among 36,603 episodes produced by 79 prominent political podcasters.
December 2023: Comments About Martin Luther King Jr.
In December 2023, Kirk described Martin Luther King Jr. as "awful" and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a "huge mistake" during a speech at AmericaFest.
January 2024: Statements on Martin Luther King Jr.
In January 2024, Kirk said that a "myth" had been created around Martin Luther King Jr. which had "grown totally out of control".
May 2024: Birth of second child
In May 2024, Charlie Kirk and Erika Frantzve welcomed their second child, a son.
2024: Kirk argued there is an "LGBTQ agenda", and opposes gay marriage.
According to a 2024 NBC News report, Charlie Kirk shifted towards more socially conservative stances, and has argued there is an "LGBTQ agenda", and opposes gay marriage.
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.
2024: Comments on DEI Programs and Black Pilots
In January 2024, Kirk blamed DEI programs for national aviation issues, saying "If I see a Black pilot, I'm going to be like, 'Boy, I hope he's qualified.'" His comments about DEI programs and Black pilots resulted in conflict with the Republican National Committee.
2024: "You're being brainwashed" Tour
Prior to the 2024 presidential election Charlie Kirk visited around 25 college campuses labeled as the "You're being brainwashed" tour, trying to stir up more gen-Z voter turnout by where he would engage/debate with students on many different relevant topics.
March 2025: Appointed to the United States Air Force Academy Board of Visitors
In March 2025, President Trump appointed Kirk to the United States Air Force Academy Board of Visitors.
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