On Thursday, Charlie Kirk, one of the American far-right's most celebrated activists and a key ally of President Donald Trump, was shot dead at a political event in Utah.
Kirk founded Turning Point USA, a youth organisation that became central to the 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) movement, spreading its pro-Trump message across US campuses and social media, often aimed at Generation Z.
He rose to national prominence as a firebrand speaker, television pundit and radio host, known for his attacks on liberalism, immigrants, LGBT people and Muslims.
While his death has sparked shock and debate in the US, his legacy abroad is remembered mainly for his Islamophobic rhetoric and outspoken defence of Israel - views that placed him at the centre of US right-wing discourse on the Middle East.
Pro-Israel advocacy
Kirk consistently championed Israel, describing it as a frontline defender of Western civilisation.
He attended the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, calling the trip "eye-opening" and pledging that his organisation would always stand with Israel.
He frequently defended Israeli military actions, including its genocidal assault on Gaza. After the beginning of Israel's war on the Palestinian enclave in 2023, Kirk insisted that "Israel has every right to respond with overwhelming force".
He rejected accusations that Israel deliberately targeted civilians or starved Palestinians, posting segments of his show that denied the well documented famine in Gaza and repeating Israeli propaganda.
The Times of Israel noted that Kirk often debated students about the Gaza war, posting confrontational videos online. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that in July 2025 he shared a clip "defending Israel against accusations that it was starving Palestinians", despite the clear evidence of it.
His death was marked with tributes from Israeli leaders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, called him "a lion-hearted friend of Israel" who "fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilisation", adding that he had spoken to Kirk just weeks earlier and invited him to visit Israel.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar described him as "an incredible friend of Israel" and "a fearless warrior for truth and freedom".
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said Kirk represented "the Judeo-Christian values that unite Israel and America", while far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned of "copycat killings", describing his assassination as "the murder of the messenger of a different opinion".
Islamophobic remarks
Much of Kirk’s notoriety came from prejudiced remarks about Muslims.
After Democratic politician Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim of Ugandan-Indian heritage, won a New York City primary, Kirk tweeted: "24 years ago a group of Muslims killed 2,753 people on 9/11. Now a Muslim Socialist is on pace to run New York City".
The post was widely condemned as grossly Islamophobic.
In other posts, Kirk claimed: "It’s not Islamophobia to notice that Muslims want to import values into the West that seek to destabilise our civilization".
He frequently echoed Trump’s arguments for a ban on Muslims entering the US, warning of migration from Muslim-majority countries as a threat to the West.
Kirk’s rhetoric mirrored that of the European far right, drawing on "Great Replacement" conspiracy theories about Muslim immigration being used to "replace" so-called "native populations".
Political polarisation and blowback
Despite the shooter not even being apprehended, Kirk’s assassination has quickly been seized on by MAGA leaders and media allies to attack political enemies.
Trump hailed him as "legendary" while blaming the "radical left" for his killing, and pro-MAGA Fox News host Jesse Watters told viewers the movement would "avenge" his death.
Such reactions cast the shooting not simply as a personal tragedy, but as evidence for a broader ideological war.
According to many of his critics, Kirk leaves behind a legacy of division that his allies are now using to rally supporters and vilify opponents.
His death has already become another weapon in the partisan battles that define Trump’s movement.