Charlie Kirk’s grassroots organizing through Turning Point USA may have helped Trump win 47% of voters aged 18-29 in 2024, an 11% increase from 2020’s 36% share.
As conservatives reflect on the legacy of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk ahead of his celebration of life in Arizona on Sunday, some Republicans credit him with helping President Donald Trump win over young voters in 2024.
Former TPUSA staffer Anthony DeWitt explained that the grassroots element of Kirk’s work likely played a „monumental“ role in „energizing the youth to get out and vote in 2024.“
„Charlie created something that finally lifted the voices and work of not only grassroots, but young people, people like myself who were just entering politics and gave us something that traditionally was only achieved by those who have had a lifetime in politics“, DeWitt stated.
„Getting young people knocking doors, chasing ballots, getting signatures, signing up new voters, attending conferences — that was the key to winning the 2024 election.“
A Fox News voter analysis had Trump wooing 47% of voters aged 18-29, with former Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly winning the demographic with 51%.
In the battleground state of Michigan, the analysis found that Trump won the age group with 50%, compared to 48% for Harris. He also came close with 48% in Arizona, where TPUSA is headquartered, with 51% of those surveyed backing Harris.
Trump ultimately ended up sweeping the battleground states, including Michigan and Arizona, winning 312 electoral votes and the popular vote.
However, it is an 11% increase from the 36% of voters in the same age range in 2020, with former President Joe Biden carrying the demographic with 61%.
Colin Reed, a Washington, D.C.-based Republican strategist, noted how Kirk plays a unique role in „expanding the tent“ for the party.
„A generation ago, it would have been unthinkable for a Republican candidate to run nearly equal among younger voters against a Democratic standard-bearer who had every Hollywood and celebrity endorser under the sun, but that’s precisely what happened in 2024“, Reed wrote to Fox News Digital, alluding to Harris’ star-studded, but short campaign after Biden dropped out in July.
„Charlie opened the doors for younger people to not only consider the conservative movement but embrace it and champion its principles as a ticket to prosperity and happiness.“
Those close to Kirk, including Turning Point Action’s leader Tyler Bowyer, dubbed 2026 the „Charlie Kirk election“ at a vigil at Arizona State University Monday.
„2028 will be the Kirk-Vance election“, he said, and the organization is expected to rally around Vice President JD Vance to be Trump’s successor.

President Trump said the US was getting a „tremendous fee plus“ for brokering the deal between US companies and China.
President Trump said he and China’s Xi Jinping held a „very productive call“ on Friday, discussing the final approval for a deal that would see US TikTok sold.
Once confirmed, the deal should stop TikTok being banned in the US after lawmakers decided it posed a security risk to citizens‘ data.
Congress had ordered the app shut down for American users by January 2025 if its Chinese owner ByteDance didn’t sell its assets in the country – but the ban has been delayed four times by President Trump.
„We made progress on many very important issues including Trade, Fentanyl, the need to bring the War between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the approval of the TikTok Deal“, said President Trump in a Truth Social post after the call.
In a readout on state media, President Xi said the call was „pragmatics“ and said the two leaders „had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-U.S. relations“.
The readout added that China’s „position on the TikTok issue is clear: the Chinese government respects the will of companies and is pleased to see companies conduct business negotiations on the basis of market rules and reach solutions that comply with Chinese laws and regulations and balance interests“.
ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, posted after the call, thanking the two leaders for „their efforts to preserve TikTok in the United States“.
„ByteDance will work in accordance with applicable laws to ensure TikTok remains available to American users through TikTok U.S“, said the statement.
TikTok is reportedly building a separate app for US users, although it was confirmed this week it would use the original ByteDance algorithm that made TikTok so valuable in the first place.
Software firm Oracle, along with US tech investors Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowitz, is expected to own an 80% share of US TikTok while China maintains a 20% share, according to the Wall Street Journal.
US user data is expected to be processed by Oracle in Texas.
Beijing was long opposed to the sale, but earlier this week described the arrangement as win-win for the US and China.
Friday’s call between the US and Chinese leaders was only the second since President Trump launched steep tariffs on China, triggering a trade war between the two nations.
After the call, President Trump said on Truth Social that he and President Xi agreed „we would meet at the APEC Summit in South Korea“ next month, and he will travel to China early next year.
Chinese state media said in the readout after the call that the US hopes to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation, will support consultations between the two teams, and properly resolve the TikTok issue.