Trump and GOP Harness Kirk’s Legacy for Youth Mobilization

The highly-anticipated Virginia governorial election will stand as a testament to whether the unfortunate demise of Charlie Kirk will inspire the Gen-Z conservative populace to show up at the voting stations. A few weeks prior, a youth like 25-year-old Chloe Bolin might not have devoted her time to a gathering like the Turning Point USA’s Virginia Tech rally. Kirk, the organization’s co-founder, entered her awareness through viral videos on her TikTok’s ‘For You’ page a few years ago.

Bolin, a staunch Christian, found Kirk’s perspectives compelling, even though she wasn’t a frequent listener of his podcast. Nevertheless, when she discovered the news of his tragic death on a Utah college campus in September, she experienced a wave of grief. The pre-scheduled Turning Point tour happening at Virginia Tech was an opportune event for her to express solidarity with Kirk’s stand on faith-based politics.

Following Kirk’s tragic end, many youth conservative cohorts like Bolin have found political purpose, and this newfound vigor hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Republican leadership. Seeing an opportunity to channel this momentum at the polling booth, President Donald Trump and the GOP have tactfully weaved this untimely demise into their narrative, presenting Democrats as extreme and violent.

Candidates vying for seats in the 2026 midterm elections have incorporated the narrative of Kirk’s unfortunate assassination into their campaign messaging and fundraising initiatives. The incumbent Virginia governor’s race between Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger will set the stage to see if this strategy will indeed trigger increased youth voter participation.

One veteran political analyst from Virginia describes the Turning Point USA rally at Virginia Tech as a Republican attempt to engage the youth demographic on college campuses, a feat they’ve generally failed to achieve in past state elections. Based on a poll conducted a couple of days before the 2024 presidential election by Atlas Intel, Harris only secured a narrow 3% lead over her Republican opponent among this same demographic in the state.

Charlie Kirk played a significant role in bridging this gap among young voters in 2024. With the help of Turning Point’s mobilizing initiatives and Kirk’s contributions, Trump acknowledged their effort in securing his victory in December 2024. Despite Kirk’s significant role, his untimely death didn’t influence the current Virginia’s governor’s race as much as anticipated.

Harking back to the patterns from 1977, Virginia tends to elect a governor from the party conflicting with the president, the only exception being the 2013 election cycle. Despite this potential hurdle, the Republicans have proven their resilience and ability to surprise, as they still remain formidable contenders for this year’s race.

An early survey conducted soon after Kirk’s death finds Spanberger, a former CIA operative, with a slight lead in the polls. This lead primarily stems from the 18-29 age demographic with 20% favoring her over Earle-Sears. Nonetheless, it’s important to note that the political landscape is highly volatile and the scales can tip at any moment.

Approximately 40,000 students study at Virginia Tech, but fewer than 3,000 attended the Turning Point event. Among these attendees were Kirk’s most enthusiastic supporters, some of whom exhibited a lack of interest in the forthcoming local electoral events. Much of this younger demographic is engaged more with the broader political climate and less invested in interim year elections.

Many of these young minds share the anticipation of the 2028 presidential election, yet their voting participation in this year’s governor’s race or the 2026 midterms remains uncertain. Bolin, for one, currently working on her doctorate in veterinary medicine, had only voted in presidential elections and was not profoundly politically driven before Kirk’s death.

Kirk’s untimely demise has prompted her to voice her political ideals more assertively, reshaping how many youths perceive and engage in politics. Yet, whether this sense of political awakening will translate into active participation in local and state elections is uncertain. Bolin, for instance, is still deciding whether she will participate in future local and state elections.

Among the attendees at the Turning Point event was one 18-year-old who had decided to vote for Earle-Sears, as his political stance resonated with the youngster. Nonetheless, he was more interested in honoring Kirk’s legacy rather than focusing on the imminent governor’s race.

A speaker at the Turning Point event chose to focus more on the larger implications of Kirk’s demise, rather than its immediate influence on the forthcoming Virginia election. With the late Kirk’s attire nearby, he implored the audience to openly express their political and faith-based perspectives – a fitting tribute to the values that Kirk held dear.

He urged the crowd to maintain a longer-lived vision and to invest time and effort into work that may not produce instant rewards but will have a lasting and profound influence over years to come. This poignant advice speaks to the importance of patience, perseverance, and long-term strategy in achieving transformation, both in politics and beyond.