On September 13, 2025, Napolitan Institute surveyed 1,000 Registered Voters and asked them if they knew who Charlie Kirk was.
- Three quarters (76%) of voters know who Charlie Kirk was.
- That's an extraordinarily high level of name recognition (higher than the names of many congressional leaders).
- In an open-ended question, we asked those who knew who he was to describe him. Among voters who said they know who Kirk was, a plurality recognized his role, political identity, or his character.
- See the summary below for more details.
Voters who said they knew who Charlie Kirk was were asked to describe who he was in a few words. Many responses (396 comments) stated that he was an activist or commentator. Responses included titles such as conservative political activist, a Christian and religious influencer, and Founder of Turning Point USA. Another large segment (257 statements) labeled him as conservative or right-wing. Some commented on his assassination (153 statements).
More than half of the responses (55%) focused on Kirk's role. Many voters said he was a public figure; they used terms like activist, commentator, and media personality. Other statements included terms like conservative, right-wing, and MAGA supporter. More critical statements contained terms such as far-right and racist.
When discussing Kirk's role, voters also mentioned his work with youth and college students. Some described him as a leader who promoted Christian values and faith (in conjunction with his political views). Other comments about Kirk's role stated that he founded Turning Point USA, and some said they had heard about his recent assassination.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of voters talked about Kirk's political identity. Some called him conservative or Republican, while others labeled him as extreme or ultra conservative. Many associated Kirk with Christianity, describing him as a Christian, faith-based, or (more negatively) a Christian nationalist. Several noted his relationship with President Donald Trump, saying he was Trump's friend or spokesman.
About one third (29%) of the comments discussed Kirk's character. Positive comments described him as a good, peaceful person and a family man. They said he engaged in non-violent, fact-based debates and that he advocated for free speech. Many statements mentioned that his Christian faith was a central part of his identity. Some characterized him as a martyr who died for his beliefs.
Negative comments focused on his political ideology with some calling him a fascist. Several commenters included allegations of racism and bigotry, saying that he spread hate for Black people and diversity. Others described him as a liar and provocateur.
One in five comments (20%) discussed the assassination of Charlie Kirk, noting he was shot during a speaking engagement at a university. The mix of comments included conflicting views on his character with some saying he was an intelligent person or Christian man, and others saying he was hateful and misogynistic.
The most recent data cited is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen September 13, 2025. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.
