The Global Story - The Charlie Kirk blueprint

The Charlie Kirk blueprint

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On Wednesday, the divisive conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on the first stop of his ‘American Comeback Tour’, where he invited students to engage him in political discussion. Kirk was the founder of the conservative nonprofit Turning Points USA and one of Donald Trump’s most powerful advocates, especially among young people. But his impact stretched far beyond the United States, as he leveraged social media to reinvent the right's image around the world.

Today, we speak to Semafor political correspondent, David Weigel, about the blueprint Kirk pioneered for winning young minds to the conservative cause. Then, we speak to Daniel Ogoloma, who partnered with Kirk for a debate while he was a student at Oxford University. He tells us about his plan to bring Kirk’s ideas into Nigerian politics.

Producers: Viv Jones, Xandra Ellin, Valerio Esposito, Lucy Pawle, Sam Chantarasak
Executive producer: Annie Brown
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo credit: Trent Nelson / The Salt Lake Tribune / Reuters

Published on Friday, 12th September 2025.

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