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From abortion to Indians in the US: 5 extreme claims that Charlie Kirk propagated
Kirk was speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Thursday when an unidentified shooter attacked him.
Charlie Kirk, a key Donald Trump ally who helped rally young voters to Republican causes, died on Thursday after being shot in the neck during an event in Utah, United States.
Kirk, executive director of the conservative Turning Point USA advocacy group, was speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University when an unidentified shooter attacked him.
Follow for live updates on the Charlie Kirk shooting.
"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," Trump said on Truth Social. He ordered American flags to be lowered to half-staff until Sunday evening.
A manhunt was underway for Kirk's shooter. A person of interest was taken into custody and was later released, FBI director Kash Patel said in a social media post.
Also Read | Megyn Kelly breaks down in tears while announcing Charlie Kirk's death during live broadcast
While Kirk's killing left Washington, along with the rest of the world, shocked and disheartened, here are five extreme claims that Charlie Kirk propagated.
'Spiritual battle': Charlie Kirk on abortion
Charlie Kirk was known for his uncompromising stance on abortion, a position that often drew both robust support and fierce criticism. In many of his rallies, Kirk called abortion “a spiritual battle,” casting it as central to what he described as the fight between good and evil in American politics.
Also Read | Charlie Kirk's shooter arrested or not? Confusion after FBI claim amid Utah chaos
In one of the most controversial instances, Kirk was asked during a public forum how he would respond if his own daughter, at the age of 10, were raped and became pregnant. His response underscored his rigid opposition to abortion in any circumstance.
“That’s awfully graphic,” Kirk said. “But the answer is yes, the baby would be delivered.”
Charlie Kirk's on 'visas for Indians'
Charlie Kirk once triggered backlash after claiming that “America does not need more visas for people from India,” arguing that Indian immigrants are displacing American workers and that the country is already “full.”
. "America does not need more visas for people from India. Perhaps no form of legal immigration has so displaced American workers as those from India. Enough already. We’re full. Let’s finally put our own people first," he posted on X.
His remarks drew sharp criticism from Indian professionals and commentators, who highlighted the significant contributions Indian immigrants make to key US sectors.
Kirk on gun violence
Charlie Kirk rejected calls for gun control and emphasised the need to protect Second Amendment rights. “It’s worth having a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment”, Kirk said after the 2023 Nashville mass shooting.
He has attributed some causes of gun violence to “broken culture,” particularly in urban contexts like Chicago. Kirk has pointed to fatherlessness in Black communities as a factor in ongoing cycles of gun violence.
'90 per cent Indian': Kirk's view on migration
In a dialogue with an Australian TikToker at the University of Florida, Kirk said that America would still be America if it were 90% Indian, as long as the Indians were Christian.
"America will cease to be America if it does not have a Christian foundation and underpinning. So if it is 90% Indian Christian, is that still America?” Auspill followed up, and Kirk said: “If it’s Christian, yes," he said.
The remark drew criticism, with many interpreting it as suggesting that being Christian is more important than ethnicity or national origin.
Kirk's outlook on women
Kirk repeatedly stated that women should prioritise motherhood over careers, and that birth control makes women angry and bitter.'
At a Turning Point Faith event, Kirk suggested that women in their early 30s are “past their prime” in terms of attractiveness. He also blamed cultural messages encouraging women to delay marriage or motherhood in favour of career goals, saying they’ve been “sold a lie.”
