By Daniel Ruggles
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, at the start of a college campus tour that centered on Kirk discussing politics – and education – with students.
A large part of Kirk’s political activism centered on what education should look like. Amy Lieberman, The Conversation’s education editor, spoke with Daniel Ruggles, a scholar of conservative youth activism, to better understand the beliefs about education that influenced Kirk and the connection he tried to make with young people.
Andri Tambunan/AFP via Getty Images
What is most important to understand about Charlie Kirk’s views on education?
Charlie Kirk’s education philosophy was founded upon the idea of not being on the left. One of the problems with that approach is that it’s harder to explain your ideas and values in a positive way instead of just being “anti” left.
Conservatives, well before Kirk’s time, have been trying to reclaim education from liberals whom they view as valuing equity and belonging instead of timeless values of order and traditional values in society. This philosophy overall focuses on reclaiming education from liberals.
There is a lot of alignment with Kirk’s education philosophy and the Make America Great Again movement, but his approach predates Donald Trump’s rise. It is focused on returning to what conservatives call Western and “traditional” values. This means rolling back the clock to an idealized time when men and women had set gender roles in society and life was more harmonious and wholesome. At its best, this education philosophy can be valuable – teaching what society views as virtuous behavior, ethics and tradition – but it can also prioritize tradition and privilege over justice and equity.
This philosophy also has to do with not feeling a need to apologize for one’s identity. A big divide between liberals and conservatives is how they explain disadvantage. Conservatives like Kirk believe they should not have to apologize for their identities, and other people’s identities should not be a reason for special treatment.
This philosophy is not so much about making education more effective as much as it is about not being “woke.” De-woking the classroom is usually the overall goal. This involves ridding the classroom of what is known as grievance politics – meaning someone believes they have been marginalized because of their identity, race, gender or sexuality.
How far back can you trace this educational philosophy?
The 1960s had an explosion of progressive activism amid the New Left and antiwar movements as young adults realized that they could now demand certain rights. At the same time, there were a lot of young conservatives on campuses who felt fine with the way things were or who were concerned about some of the more radical ideas promoted by the New Left.
Universities became more inclusive in the 1960s, too. Generally, there were not any gender studies programs at American universities until the 1960s and 1970s, nor were there any race and ethnicity programs. Some conservatives pushed back on the emergence of these programs, saying that if there is an African American studies department, they want to see a conservative studies department, too.
After the 1960s, conservative education fights died down. Conservatives still wanted their voices heard on campus, but their merit-only based education philosophy seemed less relevant when left-wing campus protests had declined significantly.
How did Charlie Kirk capitalize on the conservative feelings regarding education?
Kirk founded his political nonprofit, Turning Point USA, in 2012. Kirk didn’t originally support Trump, but he became friends with Donald Trump Jr., and eventually became close with the president. Like Trump, Kirk saw academia as the source of a plethora of problems in American society. His goal was to make college campuses more friendly to conservative students by making conservative ideas like free market economics and traditional gender roles more popular.
There was a lot of foundation laying over time for Kirk’s conservative education philosophy. Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel, as well as the subsequent war in Gaza and Palestinian rights protests in the U.S., offered a moment for conservatives like Kirk to brand progressives at schools as this huge threat.
What was Kirk’s tour focused on accomplishing?
Kirk and others in the conservative youth movement want their followers to have a close relationship with them. This helps conservatives influence government and society, using college campuses to recruit young adults as conservative voters and activists, making the university appear less progressive in the process. Let’s say progressive college kids have Bernie Sanders or Che Guevara posters hanging in their dorm rooms. Conservatives like Kirk have built an all-encompassing, alternative world for young conservatives to become involved in, where they have proximity to political and thought leaders, including Kirk. Turning Point has used flashy slogans, signs and bumper stickers to help make conservatism cool on campus.
Kirk’s tour had just begun, but he had planned to make stops at universities in Colorado, Utah, Minnesota, Montana and other states. It was important that Kirk himself was in the room with young people, and that they could ask him questions and talk with him. He was considered approachable in a way that most politicians would not be.
Conservatives have used this strategy for a long time. My own research shows how college students would write to conservative leaders like Ronald Reagan and William F. Buckley in the 1960s and 1970s and these figures would write back. This kind of proximity between leaders and young supporters isn’t seen on the left. The goal is to cultivate a conservative movement community. Many of those conservative college students later worked for the government. Kirk’s tour was about continuing that kind of direct relationship between conservative leaders and young people.
Conservatives have a pipeline – meaning, let’s say you’re in high school and you discover conservative ideas by watching Charlie Kirk on YouTube. In college, you can go to Turning Point events and meet conservative leaders. After you graduate, you can even get a job with a conservative group through websites like ConservativeJobs.com. The point of the pipeline is to always give young conservatives a next step to becoming more involved in politics. While not everyone follows this pipeline, it helps the conservative movement cultivate new generations of talent. I think Kirk had a lot he was trying to accomplish, including building up a reservoir of young talent through Turning Point.
Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via Getty Images
How is Turning Point distinct from the Republican Party and MAGA?
Turning Point isn’t the same as the Republican Party, but it’s helping to push the party further to the right. Turning Point has alienated other members of the conservative movement in certain ways. In 2018, the conservative youth group Young America’s Foundation accused Turning Point of taking over the conservative youth movement and crowding out other groups. Turning Point’s total revenue has grown considerably in the last few years, topping US$85 million in 2024 – that matters because money and attention help Turning Point push out other conservative voices.
Kirk and Trump agreed on a lot of policy issues. Kirk used Turning Point to define conservatism on his terms and to defend Trump. Education is the bulk of Turning Point’s work, a continuation of what has historically also been been the most important cultural issue on the right since the 1960s.
Daniel Ruggles is a doctoral candidate in politics at Brandeis University.
justPhil says
This piece seemed to tiptoe around Charlie Kirk and his educational stances. He took the ultra-regressive position that women should attend college just to find a husband…a “ Mrs degree” as it was called. He rejected feminism advocating submission to a husband. To Kirk, women are little more than puritanical broodmares. And in the style of McCarthyism, armed with an ideology “watchlist”, he targeted professors who had not bent their teachings to his world view, and turned campuses into cultural battlefields. His mission was to “deprogram” students from liberal ideas and viewed faculty and students as “enemies to be defeated”. He was clearly a White Christian Nationalist wanting it’s footprint all over our educational system with a twisted belief he was reclaiming our country for Christ with a mandate to take over and dominate all aspects of society including educational institutions.
Jim says
So far as I know right now, the shooter has not been cooperating with the police in their investigation. Nor have I seen any definitive explanations for why he shot Charlie Kirk. Under these circumstances, I would normally say that anyone professing the know the cause(s) of this shooting to be way out over their skis at this point.
That said, the VP of the USA, Vance stated that “left wing extremism” is the cause of this shooting. The Secretary of the DOJ, Pam Bondi said that “left wing radicals” killed Charlie Kirk.
We’ve reached another low point in this country where the VP and the DOJ Secretary are out spouting this when there has been no evidence produced to support their statements. There was a time where senior elected officials chose to wait until there were facts uncovered before they started talking their view of events. We’re way past that now. It appears that it’s more important to skew the public’s perception in the direction they want and callously calculating that the facts will not ever catch up. And, sadly, with the type “news coverage” we have now, they’re probably right.
I’m so glad to see that the leadership of this country is doing as much as they can to split this country further. Let’s keep going until there is no “United States”.
Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling for a “national divorce”. She used to be on the fringe – now she is just another right wing commentator…
I didn’t see much comment from these people when one lawmaker was killed and another wounded in Minnesota back in June. More of the “thoughts and prayers” line that follows every school shooting in this country.
Now that a right wing influencer has been killed, it appears the government is going to go after anyone and everyone on the left as if they personally participated.
Brian Kilmeade, a Fox mouthpiece, stated that mentally ill homeless people should be put to death. I’ve heard no talk of him losing his job as a result. There are lots of people losing their jobs for things they said about the Kirk murder. But, again, there is the MAGA view of right and wrong and what normal people view. That’s why it’s okay to pardon January 6 rioters and cop beaters while simultaneously claiming to support the police! No contradictions in MAGAland.
So Trump now has his excuse to declare war on 50% of the country. It’s going to be interesting to see where this leads.
Skibum says
Kirk should not have been shot and killed due to his extremist, pseudo-Christian rhetoric that spewed hate and division against the Bible’s most important commandment to love one another, period. Within the freedom as well as the constraints of the 1st Amendment, everyone should be able to express their opinions.
At the same time, there are lots of people right here in America who are quick to violence. And we have no idea who they are. We have no idea if they have mental issues, a documented, criminal history of violence, or if they have a cashe of weapons or plans to hurt other people.
With all of the unknowns, we should have more safeguards in place than we do to help protect innocent people from those who would do us harm.
One thing I do know for sure about Charlie Kirk and others like him is that they twist and mold extremist thoughts and ideologies specific to their own made up recipe of religosity, NOT true spirituality, not love, with not a thought in the world about “what would Jesus do”. If they had their way, they would have the nation’s government, our schools and institutions, every aspect of life as we know it conform to passages from the Old Testament. There would be state and federally sanctioned, public executions by stoning of those who violate “biblical laws”… not anything in the U.S. Constitution or current statutory laws.
All we have to do is listen to some of the astonishing rhetoric from the same type of radicalized, extremist religious hate mongers in our society. Kirk was certainly not the only one. Do people not remember that weird group of family members that formed their own radical, right-wing “church” and would stand together near burial ceremonies for fallen U.S. military personnel and yell anti-gay slurs at all of the mourners? They were so disruptive, so forceful and hate filled at what should have been somber ceremonies that law enforcement had to be called out and protective barriers of citizens sometimes protected mourners from that family of protesters who held up protest signs and screamed at those assembled for funerals “GOD HATES FAGS!”
I don’t know if Charlie Kirk ever did that, or if he would approve of such a thing, but he himself has pointed to an Old Testament passage when asked about gay people, saying per a verse in Leviticus that stoning to death of a person like that was “God’s perfect punishment.” Take from that what you will.
I have previously commented about another pseudo-Christian woman in WA State who in years past was in the running for governor of that state when I lived there. She was a complete whacko! In her campaign speeches, she vowed over and over again that if elected, she would govern the state “by the edict of God”… whatever the hell she meant by that, but it could NOT have been good governance, that is for sure. Many, many other Washingtonians felt the same way and she went down to defeat by a landslide.
So Charlie Kirk and others who would put their particular bent on religion, or more precisely “religiosity” as I refer to it in law and make every one of us adhere to THEIR particular version of what they personally believe are no different in my opinion than the Taliban, who’s extreme version of their religion tightly controls every aspect of people’s lives in Afghanistan.
We do not want the American version of the Taliban taking control of government, of schools, of religious institutions, or of people’s lives in America, period! Go out, say what you want or believe, but when it crosses that line where you are demanding others think and believe the same crap you do, then watch out… watch your back, because there are way too many people out there quick to violence, who may be unhinged, who may have weapons at their disposal, and we do NOT know who they are or if they are stable enough to just walk away and ignore people they don’t happen to agree with.
That unfortunately is our reality in today’s gun happy society.
Bo Peep says
Yeah I do too.
Pogo says
@Daniel Ruggles
https://www.google.com/search?q=Daniel+Ruggles+is+a+doctoral+candidate+in+politics+at+Brandeis+University
“Charlie Kirk Wanted…” Why seek Kirk among the dead? You’re an edumacated fellow; Kirk is a martyr — I assume you discern the difference between that and a blithe spirit gone too soon.
Kirk wasn’t mailed to us from a doomed planet; you state the matter succinctly yourself, “…Kirk used Turning Point to define conservatism on his terms and to defend Trump. Education is the bulk of Turning Point’s work, a continuation of what has historically also been the most important cultural issue on the right since the 1960s.” Kirk was (and now the martyr is) in vogue, not in charge. Son, ya caught a minnow — not Jaws.
Money begets money; in other words, yes Virginia, you’re a Gotrocks, descended of generations that slept in your dorm room before we dropped you off — make us proud…
The practical application of inherited cheese to lubricate a wheel’s turning
https://www.google.com/search?q=Young+America's+Foundation+donors
Skibum says
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/taliban-leader-bans-wifi-afghan-province-prevent-immorality-125616137
This is what it looks like when governments are allowed to have their particular bent on religion become the law of the land. Those religious-centric, draconian laws impose strict rules on everyone’s freedoms and choices, including (and especially) regarding education institutions. I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not want any religion, no matter which one, trying to dictate what I can and cannot do in my life.
We have people in high elected offices throughout our state and federal governments who either originally came from other countries around the world themselves or their families immigrated from other countries and they continue to adhere to many of their former country’s cultural and religious practices. While the Bible and protestant or catholic church teachings remain continue to be the bulk of America’s religions, we also have the Mormon religion where they get most of their religious teachings from The Book of Mormon. We also have Buddhists, Islamists, etc. with their own religious philosophies, teachings and texts, with people in our government who are adherents to those religions… after all, it’s a free country.
Who knows, depending on who may be in charge at any point in time, which individuals would try to make everyone in America adhere to their specific religion du jour, mandating that ALL of us comport ourselves to whatever someone else believes.
We must fight ANY and ALL attempts to mesh government of the people, by the people, and for the people, with religion of any type. Because if we allow that to happen here in America, before we can even say “OMG what have we done?!” we will have slipped down that slippery slope into becoming the American Taliban.
Thomas Hutson says
OK, OK I personally am not one to bad mouth the deceased on his or her OPINIONS!! That being said enough is enough, no one needs to be killed over opinions! However let’s be very clear Charlie Kirk was nothing more than a private person with a platform and podcasts that he used to spew the garbage from the TACO ORANGE MAN! Charlie Kirk was not an elected official regardless of what this administration is trying to portray him. One thing the American people can be certain of he is NOT A MARTYR. Please give us a break, if TACO MAN Wants to award him a metal, have at it! Americans watching and viewing comments from TACO MAN and his supporters don’t let them threaten or belittle you! John Roberts, the Housemaid and the rest of the Hightower are no supporters of our Constitution they are aligned more with Project 2025! The reality is the Reds are in power now, their tactics to keep compliance is through threats and intimidation including news, everyday workers. Elected officials, and MAINLY FREE SPEECH! To those Americans feeling our democracy is lost, REMEMBER all this can be changed in 2026! YOUR VOTES will put the stop to TACO ORANGE MAN’S hate filled agenda!!
Kelly Smith says
Let all the those who reject the “truth” of Scripture continue their diatribe. The “Truth of Jesus Christ” will reign supreme. I applaud Charlie Kirk’s deportment in dealing with those whose reject the “Truth.” The blood of the martyrs are the seed of the church. I unashamedly proclaim Christ and His Word.
Laurel says
I’m sorry to say this, but this is the kind of excuse to go after the left, that fell right into Trump’s lap. He doesn’t give a damn about Kirk, it’s another excuse to, now, send the guard into Utah. Insane. He loves his chaos, and this is prime real estate for his rhetoric. Watch a clip on Miller’s rant on Fox. Look at his eyes as he fakes his indignation. There’s nothing there. Nobody’s home. Something like 80% of communication is through body language. So, either he is full of shit, or full of Botox.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/09/13/stephen_miller_we_are_going_to_do_what_it_takes_to_dismantle_radical_left_organizations_that_foment_riots_and_inspire_terrorism.html
This is manipulation of the masses from the highest office in the land.
Skibum says
Well, amen to you, Kelly Smith. That’s great, wonderful, actually. Keep those thoughts in your heart, in your life… and in your desired church family. But NOT in our government, NOT in our schools, NOT in our libraries, not in everyone else’s lives and daily activities because not everyone believes the same as you, or thinks the same as you.
But everyone does have one particular thing, one very special thing, in common with you. And that is the freedom of choice. The freedom of religion. To not be told or directed by anyone else what their spiritual belief system should be comprised of. It would be wonderful, wouldn’t it, if every believer actually believed that God was and is a God of love, not retribution and punishment. It would be awesome if the lessons everyone took from the Bible were the teachings that we should love God and love one another above all else, and to follow the 10 Commandments.
But there are so many contradictory things in the Bible, so many things in the Old Testament that were no longer applicable after Jesus’ birth and the writings in the New Testament, so many revisions, translations throughout history, so many branches off of the original church, now so many different religions, other religious books and church teachings that contradict one another, so much greed and hypocrisy that is evident in sinners’ lives, even within the church and its leaders.
What is to be believed? What teachings should be listened to and followed?
My parents, both of whom were ordained in their specific denomination, have always been staunchless, unapologetic conservatives. My mom has said to me in the past that when they got married, it was her obligation as a Christian wife to obey without question every direction from my dad, who was without, question or argument, the one designated by God to make every important decision for the family.
Hmmm. I guess I’ve always been the “black sheep” of the family, because I have always believed that to be total nonsense.
My life long best friend up in Canada has talked about his very extreme, conservative Christian parents, and their beliefs and church ordered rules. His mother was never allowed to even speak up in church unless his father gave permission to do so. That was how everyone in their particular church had to act. Some churches require specific clothing to be worn, in a specific way, especially for the female sex.
Other religions in the U.S. have had religious teachings and rules that have been so controversial that they have been outlawed, but still practiced in secret, like plural marriages, even to underage girls… all such “teachings” defended as coming from God.
Another huge “hmmm, I don’t know about that” from me!
What to believe???
Can you not see how onerous and problematic the very personal, individual belief system is when it comes to the topic of religion? Why that not only has traditionally been something we have all most likely been warned about discussing in public, but it better left to each of us to figure out on our own how big or small a part it should play in our personal life? What fits you perfectly, may well be too restrictive, or completely unbelievable for someone else. What I choose to believe in is certainly not anything that I can or should force on someone else.
You would not like it if I confronted you with the news that I was going to determine what religion you had to adhere to, and what religious rules you were going to be forced to follow from this day forward. Religious beliefs are NOT statutory law here in the United States, and that is why there should NEVER, EVER be a mesh of religion and government, period!
So, you do you, and God love you. But you have to right to even think of telling others that your particular views and beliefs need to be shared by anyone that is farther away from the nose on your face. Unless someone asks you to share your beliefs with them, it is best to look into a mirror and share them with the person you see, the person you want to be.
Your actions, your behavior, your own life as a believer, is a much more powerful example to others than anything you could possibly say to them.
JC says
Kelly Smith, my truth is to not support someone who supported slavery. And yes, the bible is pro-slavery and Jesus more than once stated slavery is a-ok. I’m good.
Laurel says
Skibum: I realized, while studying the history of modern art, that during the dark ages, people lived far apart. To rule people scattered at great distances, the fear of God was used, very successfully.
Kelly Smith: You do you.
Skibum says
Yes, Laurel, there is a lot we can learn, much to open our eyes or shock our collective conscious, if we study history like you have done when seeking out more information about modern art. My father-in-law happens to be a religious scholar. One of the eye opening things I learned from him was about the high priests of the Jewish religion during the time of Jesus. I was surprised at how corrupt the high priests actually were, in order to retain the power and total control over the Jewish people.
In retrospect, it should not have been such a surprise. Power corrupts. Absolute power absolutely corrupts. Such is the human condition, and it would behoove all of us to remember this truth, and why we can never allow a wanna-be dictator to wrest control of our government for his own self-enrichment and benefit.
Laurel says
Skibum: It’s funny that both of us told Kelly “you do you” though I had not read your response until now! Hmmm…
You’ve had some trials! Glad you are you! You done good.
I never liked organized religion, and my mom only forced me to go to church on Easter, kicking and screaming the whole way. I was a real skeptical kid!
I’m not a Christian, but I am fascinated by Christ’s teachings, which seems to elude so many so called “Christians” today. I wonder things like, one of the ten commandments states “Thou shall not kill.” It doesn’t say who or what. So, on judgement day, what if God asks “Have you killed my animals, or my trees?” Uh oh. Maybe we’re only supposed eat plants that continue to grow after we harvest some leaves. Well we’ll see! Maybe.😉
Skibum says
Yes, Laurel, there are so many contradictions, various interpretations, and unknown mysteries within the Bible and religion in general. When considering the 10 Commandments in its entirety, what I believe is it is more of a general reminder to be a good person, not an a-hole. Don’t intentionally cause harm to other people, and treat others the same way you want to be treated.
Uh oh… some people are going to be in big, BIG trouble!