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Charlie Kirk had college students hooked. Here’s what they’re saying in group chats

Some jeered. Others mourned. All were anxious about the future of their country.

A man with short curly hair wearing a blue blazer and black "VOTE EARLY" shirt stands against a blue backdrop with "Turning Point Action" text.
Charlie Kirk, founder of conservative organization Turning Point USA, was killed Wednesday. | Source: Olivier Touron/AFP/Getty Images
By Tomoki Chien

I’m a college senior. Never have I received so many simultaneous texts from friends about a single news event.

Charlie Kirk was killed Wednesday while delivering a talk to students at Utah Valley University. Details of the shooting are scant. But all signs point to him being the latest victim in a wave of political violence in the U.S.

Kirk captured the minds of college students in a way that few commentators or politicians have. He founded the behemoth Turning Point USA network, which established conservative chapters at campuses across the country.

He posted viral clips of bombastic debates with teary-eyed students and regularly appeared on buzzy internet shows like “Jubilee.”

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On Wednesday, it showed: Friends described their group chats “blowing up” in a way that they rarely do about news — not even when President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in July 2024.

Students, of course, know all about Trump. But it was Kirk who visited their campuses to engage them in fervid debates about abortion, immigration, and trans rights — and it was Kirk who appeared on their TikTok feeds the day after.

I asked friends, acquaintances, and current and former classmates to send me screenshots of their group chats, then redacted names so they could share their honest conversations.

These texts come largely from liberal students, born and raised in California. Some jeered Kirk. Others mourned his death. All were anxious about the future of their country.

To be clear, I’m not endorsing anybody who’s cheering on Kirk’s death; these screenshots are meant to reveal students’ unfiltered thoughts. Here’s what they had to say.

A conversation discussing concern over someone named Charlie Kirk being shot, expressing fear about the shooter’s identity and trauma from seeing a video.
Shared by an 18-year-old at UC Berkeley.
A group chat discusses someone's extreme anti-abortion views and news that he was shot in the neck, with doubts about his survival.
Shared by a 20-year-old at the University of Southern California.
One message states someone was killed for speech and praised for reaching out across divides. Another claims liberals ignore that political violence is a separate issue from gun control.
Shared by a 20-year-old at Tulane University.
A text conversation discusses a video of Charlie Kirk being shot, describing his posture, reaction, and speculation about the shooter’s intentions.
Shared by a 21-year-old at UC Berkeley.
A conversation mentions a "Charlie Kirk shooting," expresses support, says "one man down," then jokingly wishes it was Trump.
Shared by a student at Pomona College.
A phone screen shows a text chat where one person asks about an envelope's postmark, and the other says it’s from a shop near their house.
Shared by a 21-year-old at USC.
A text conversation shows one person saying, "Political speech and political order is dead," and the other replying, "Might as well get back with your ex I guess."
Shared by a 21-year-old at Stanford University.

I asked two conservative friends to send me their group chats. One didn’t answer. The other asked me to “give us time to grieve.”

Tomoki Chien can be reached at [email protected]

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