A New York Times Magazine profile of Charlie Kirk anoints the 31-year-old the "youth whisperer of the American right." The story by Robert Draper looks at how Kirk has embedded himself in President Trump's inner circle, which "is especially notable when you consider that he has never held office, worked in the White House or held a campaign staff position." Instead, he rose to political fame through Turning Point USA, the conservative youth group he founded at the age of 18. "I started listening to Rush when I was a junior in high school," Kirk tells Draper, referring to Rush Limbaugh, an idol who would later write a check for $1 million to Kirk's organization. "Because you're looking for someone in high school to affirm your beliefs. I would never forget: on my lunch break, from like 12:17 to 12:55, I'd listen. Just me. I went all in on Rush."
The story traces the embrace of Kirk by older conservatives impressed with his speaking skills. Consider this quote from Tucker Carlson, referring to conservative investment manager Foster Friess:
- "When Foster Friess first started going on about this kid Charlie Kirk who hadn't gone to college and was so incredibly brilliant, I remember thinking, Well, Foster got scammed by some smart-talking kid," he says. "The reason I'm such a fan of Charlie's is that I was proven wrong."
Kirk's entry into the Trump inner circle started by helping Donald Trump Jr. with his social media and scheduling in 2017. Since then, he has become a force in his own right with a podcast and his Turning Point Action political-action organization, and supporters credit him with helping put Trump in the White House with the youth vote. (Read the full story, in which Kirk says he aims to create an "influencer kind of army" with young people. "We want to transform the culture.")
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