How Charlie Kirk Changed Conservatism

Turning Point USA co-founder and close ally of President Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. He was one of the country’s most prominent conservative figures and had flourished using a brash approach to politics. Kirk led Turning Point USA and its sprawling mission of advancing conservative activism, youth engagement and voter turnout efforts. But he was perhaps best known as an online champion of Trump and his MAGA movement, a provocateur and campaign trail fixture with close ties across the White House and Trump administration. Bloomberg News Senior White House Correspondent Josh Wingrove joins Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss.

The man accused of killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk— identified as Tyler Robinson — was arrested on suspicion of murder and weapons offenses.

Robinson is being held in county jail in Utah without bail, according to court documents. He was arrested by law enforcement, after a family member alerted authorities that he had confessed, or at least implied involvement, in the killing, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Friday.

No formal charges have been filed against Robinson, but authorities in Utah said they intend to file them early next week.

Kirk, 31, executive director of Turning Point USA and a close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot in the neck Sept. 10 as he spoke at an outdoor student event before a crowd of more than 3,000 at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Manhunt

The killing sparked a manhunt that involved federal, state and local authorities. Investigators at the school and the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized on surveillance footage of a man arriving on campus in a gray Dodge Challenger the morning of Sept. 10.

The video showed the suspect in a plain maroon T-shirt, light-colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light shoes. When investigators encountered Robinson in Washington County, in southwestern Utah, in the early hours Friday, he was wearing clothes consistent with those images, Cox said.

“This is certainly about the tragic death, assassination, political assassination of Charlie Kirk, but it is also much bigger than an attack on an individual, it is an attack on all of us,” said Cox, who has called for the death penalty in the case.

During a press conference Friday, authorities said a family member told investigators that Robinson had become more political in recent years. The relative recalled a dinner shortly before the shooting when Robinson mentioned Kirk’s planned appearance at the university and criticized him as “full of hate and spreading hate.” The same family member confirmed Robinson drove a gray Challenger.

Investigators also interviewed Robinson’s roommate, who said Robinson had made a joke on Discord, according to Cox. When pressed, the roommate opened the app and allowed investigators to photograph messages linked to a contact named “Tyler.” The messages included references to retrieving a rifle from a drop point, leaving it wrapped in a towel in a bush, engraving bullets and using a distinctive scope. One message noted that Robinson had changed outfits.

Discord said its own investigation has found no evidence that the suspect planned the incident or promoted violence on the site, adding that it has removed the suspect’s account for “violating our off-platform behavior policy.”

“We strongly condemn violence of any kind, including political violence, and we will continue to coordinate closely with law enforcement,” a Discord spokesperson said.

33 Hours

Cox said investigators discovered inscriptions engraved on bullet casings found with the rifle. One such inscription, on an unfired casing, read: “Hey fascist! Catch!” Cox said that inscription showed the gunman’s intent. “I think that speaks for itself,” the governor said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said it took 33 hours from the shooting for Robinson to be taken into custody.

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