Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist in the United States and close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, had written several books since 2016, focusing on conservative politics, higher education, and cultural debates. He has also publicly recommended titles that reflect his interest in history, economics, and political thought.
Women pray at a memorial outside Utah Valley University after Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)(AP)
Kirk’s first book, ‘Time for a Turning Point: Setting a Course Toward Free Markets and Limited Government for Future Generations,’ was released in 2016 and co-authored with Brent Hamachek, according to New Yorker. It outlined his views on free markets and limited government, serving as his earliest published statement of political ideas.
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Two years later, he wrote Campus Battlefield: How Conservatives Can WIN the Battle on Campus and Why It Matters. With a foreword by Donald Trump Jr., the book encouraged young conservatives to organize on college campuses and push back against progressive ideas.
The MAGA Doctrine
In 2020, Kirk published ‘The MAGA Doctrine: The Only Ideas That Will Win the Future’. The book argued that the political movement tied to Donald Trump represented the future of American conservatism, according to Barnes & Nobles.
His 2022 book, ‘The College Scam: How America’s Universities Are Bankrupting and Brainwashing Away the Future of America’s Youth’, focused on what he called the financial and cultural problems of higher education. Kirk argued that universities burden students with debt while promoting left-leaning ideology.
Kirk’s most recent work, Right Wing Revolution: How to Beat the Woke and Save the West, was published in 2024. It outlined his response to progressive cultural trends and called for conservative activism in culture as well as politics.
About Tyler James Robinson
Authorities said Friday that Tyler James Robinson, a 22-year-old man from Utah, was arrested in connection with the killing.
Robinson had previously been admitted to Utah State University on a prestigious academic scholarship. A video posted by a family member on social media showed him reading his acceptance letter. According to a university spokesperson, Robinson attended only one semester in 2021 before leaving the school.
After leaving Utah State, Robinson enrolled at Dixie Technical College, a smaller institution in southern Utah near his hometown of Washington. The city has a population of about 30,000 and is located roughly 240 miles southwest of Utah Valley University, where the shooting occurred.
At the time of his arrest, Robinson was a third-year student in Dixie Tech’s electrical apprenticeship program. The program trains students to work as electricians, lighting technicians, or electrical repair specialists.