Charlie Kirk (1993-2025) was a conservative activist and commentator best known as the founder of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit targeting young voters with right-wing messaging. Kirk had widely been criticized for spreading misinformation on topics ranging from U.S. elections to COVID-19, and fact-checkers have flagged numerous false or misleading claims he had promoted. His confrontational style and reliance on inflammatory rhetoric have made him a polarizing figure in life as well as in death, with supporters praising his advocacy for conservative values and critics condemning him as an unreliable propagandist.