# Who is Charlie Kirk? Why is he important? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 11, 2025, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-charlie-kirk-why-is-he-important/1022971 "2025-09-11T22:13:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2025, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-charlie-kirk-why-is-he-important/1022971/21 "2025-09-12T23:27:01Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > He was sort of a political shock jock to me, however little he was on my radar. He said things that were inflammatory on purpose to get attention, but that really resonated with right wing folks, especially MAGA types. Much of his rhetoric came across very similar to how a troll (and particularly a sea lion) might communicate online. A great deal of it was especially callous, even for a right wing figure. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/RkV28ufTQ88/maxresdefault.jpg "No, Charlie Kirk Was Not Practicing Politics the Right Way") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkV28ufTQ88) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-charlie-kirk-why-is-he-important/1022971/22 "2025-09-12T23:32:39Z")
Kirk’s influence was such that he had visited the White House over 100 times. [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/us/politics/charlie-kirk-dead.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/us/politics/charlie-kirk-dead.html) ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-charlie-kirk-why-is-he-important/1022971/23 "2025-09-13T14:52:29Z")
When I first became aware of him, he reminded me of a chirpy high school kid who took politics a little too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-charlie-kirk-why-is-he-important/1022971/24 "2026-09-21T22:21:59Z")
One year later: Want to register for a TPUSA event you won’t be attending? Here’s a direct link. > **[University of Iowa](https://tpusa.com/tours/university-of-iowa/?utm_campaign=america_love_it_or_leave_it&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid&utm_content=university_of_iowa&utm_id=120254084489680728&hsa_acc=464151101123398&hsa_cam=120254084489680728&hsa_grp=120254084489660728&hsa_ad=120254084489710728&hsa_src=fb&hsa_net=facebook&hsa_ver=3&utm_term=120254084489660728&fbclid=IwY2xjawUdqthwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtATAAYWRpZAGrOpJxFEdYc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHlC89-M29MKwcxTr3MGdf_nhTrIJx9REuLakTjhAowu18fYeAJT0W_TYj1A1_aem_VYn8pLuCxCzA-BKyXAPRUA&campaign_id=120254084489680728&ad_id=120254084489710728)** ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-charlie-kirk-why-is-he-important/1022971/25 "2026-09-22T02:20:06Z")
So, it’s the “AMERICA LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT TOUR” featuring a smirking Ben Shapiro, and a scowling woman (Alex Clark, apparently) with extreme Mar-a-Lago face? Sign me up! These are people too stupid to realize that “America, love it or leave it” (or the similar “My country, right or wrong”) is a nationalistic dog whistle and is _not_ actually a complimentary thing to say about America. As Al Franken said: > [@Al Franken](#): > > _“We love America just as much as they do. But in a different way. You see, they love America like a 4-year-old loves his mommy. Liberals love America like grown-ups. To a 4-year-old, everything Mommy does is wonderful and anyone who criticizes Mommy is bad. Grown-up love means actually understanding what you love, taking the good with the bad and helping your loved one grow.”_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-charlie-kirk-why-is-he-important/1022971.md?page=1)