ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
For many young conservatives, Charlie Kirk was more than just another political activist or online personality. He was the face of their movement, a glimpse at how life for their generation could look by embracing a more hard-right MAGA worldview. The fact that this agenda was anathema to his many progressive critics was the sweetener on top. Today, Kirk's followers are in shock and grief over his assassination on the campus of Utah Valley University on Wednesday. As they try to make sense of Kirk's killing, many are also asking what's next for the movement he started. NPR political reporter Elena Moore is covering this. Hey, Elena.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Hey, Ari.
SHAPIRO: You've been following Charlie Kirk for years. He had this huge network of followers. What are you hearing from them today?
MOORE: A lot of his supporters are hurting right now. You know, Kirk was a controversial political figure reviled by many on the left, but he was extremely celebrated by the MAGA movement, especially young organizers and activists who came of age in it. Remember, you know, he had millions of followers and had become a big media personality. But he was also the head of a massive political organizing network and even helped, you know, some folks decide to run for office themselves. That includes Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna. She's 36 and in many ways got her start because of Kirk. When she met him, she was on track to start medical school and ended up scrapping that plan to work for his group, Turning Point USA. I spoke to her this morning, and she was very shaken up.
ANNA PAULINA LUNA: I saw a lot of videos online - after I had to watch my friend bleed out - of people celebrating his death. That should be condemned and removed from polite society.
MOORE: And she told me she really owes her political career to Kirk, and that's a common theme I've heard from many of his followers today, that he inspired them.
SHAPIRO: What made him so impactful for young conservatives?
MOORE: Well, he entered the national conversation at a time when there weren't a lot of voices like his. He started Turning Point USA in 2012 when he was just 18. And Ari, I mean, think about that time. Former President Obama was extremely popular with young people, and Kirk gave folks a place to really revel in what was then seen as a political counterculture to that. You know, things, I have to say, though, look different now. Kirk has evolved into a close ally - you know, he evolved into a close ally of President Trump and played a key role in helping move many young voters towards the president.
SHAPIRO: And how big is that organization he started - Turning Point - in Republican politics today?
MOORE: Oh, it's grown into a massive organization. They report having more than 800 chapters on college campuses. The group has also launched a bunch of connected nonprofits and reported an annual revenue of roughly $100 million. And to fans of Kirk, it's really hard to overstate his influence in developing a new generation of conservative leaders. This is 33-year-old Hayden Padgett, the chairman of the Young Republican National Federation.
HAYDEN PADGETT: The impact Charlie was building was not about finding politicians and putting them in office today. It was about finding literally millions of young people who otherwise would never have heard conservative ideas and believe them and then now fight for them.
SHAPIRO: And Elena, what was it about the message Kirk was pushing that helped him gain such a big following and influence?
MOORE: Well, he talked a lot about free speech, of course, and free markets and limited government. But he was also a conservative fire brand. And as with the rise of Trump, you know, many of Kirk's ideas became and are now much more mainstream. And since Kirk first came on the scene years ago, you know, the youth vote looks different. Last fall, Trump made serious gains with voters under 30. The day after the election, I actually spoke with Kirk about this, and I asked him to describe Trump's connection with young people. I asked him, you know, was it about economic concerns, social issues? Here's what he told me.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
CHARLIE KIRK: They don't look at it as economic or social. There's one above. They just want to live in the same country as their parents. I don't know if that's a social issue or an economic issue. That's just - they want a nice life, and they feel it slipping away. They feel as if insanity is creeping into their institutions.
MOORE: And Ari, that message, I've heard from him a lot at events, and it's really one the party, I think, has adopted more broadly.
SHAPIRO: And so now that he's gone, what happens to the void that he leaves behind? Is the role that he played one that can be filled by someone else?
MOORE: The young Republicans I've spoken with so far say no singular leader can fill Kirk's shoes, so to speak. But young organizers and content creators who were inspired by him seem to be starting that conversation. Brilyn Hollyhand is one of those people. He's 19 and chairs the Republican Party's Youth Advisory Council. He posted a video on social media this morning calling for Kirk's memory to inspire his generation to get involved now.
SHAPIRO: That is NPR political reporter Elena Moore. Thank you.
MOORE: Thanks, Ari. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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