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Charlie Kirk's ‘lasting impact’ explained by College Republicans of America chairman

College Republicans of America Chairman William Donahue discusses the political legacy of Charlie Kirk on ‘Fox News Live.’

In the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, America is searching for answers. But on Wikipedia, a different kind of search is underway. Editors on the site are pushing a left-wing narrative about Kirk, one that’s subtle but — for that precise reason — highly effective.

The attack on Kirk begins in the very first sentence of the Wikipedia article, which identifies him as "right-wing." That may seem unobjectionable in itself, but a look at Wikipedia articles on comparable figures from the left reveals no such politicized framing. 

For example, the article on former Obama advisor David Plouffe identifies him as an "American political and business strategist," and MSNBC host and political analyst Al Sharpton is described as an "American civil rights and social justice activist." Although the articles do describe their partisan activities, they aren't called liberal or leftist in them at all. Plouffe was even "invited to join" ACRONYM, "a liberal nonprofit." But he’s not called "liberal."

The attack continues further down in the Kirk article’s lead paragraphs, where editors said Kirk was controversial due to his "opposition to gun control, abortion, and LGBTQ rights; his criticism of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Martin Luther King Jr.; and his promotion of Christian nationalism, COVID-19 misinformation, the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, and false claims of electoral fraud in 2020."

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK

The framing ensures that anyone searching for Kirk after his murder is met with a narrative designed to discredit him.

Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk speaks during a campaign rally Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Even more critically, the lede disproportionately feeds Google’s knowledge panel and search results and top AI platforms. I asked ChatGPT, "Did Charlie Kirk promote conspiracy theories?" It answered, "Yes, Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, actively promoted several conspiracy theories throughout his career." To support this, ChatGPT cites five "conspiracy theories" spread by Kirk, three pulled directly from the list above. In four of the five cases, ChatGPT cites only one source: Wikipedia.

One way Wikipedia editors stage an attack is by cross-linking allegations across articles. The allegation, made in the main "Charlie Kirk" article that he was a proponent of "Christian nationalism," links to a separate article that asserts this view is "noted to bear overlap with Christian fundamentalism, [W]hite supremacy, Christian supremacy, the Seven Mountain Mandate movement, and dominionism." 

In a newly created article, "Killing of Charlie Kirk," editors wrote that Kirk "utilized his skills in social media and campus organizing to become a highly influential figure in the ‘hard-right movement,’" citing an article in The New York Times. 

DAVID MARCUS: PROGRESSIVE MADNESS KILLED CHARLIE KIRK, A ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION LEADER

In a dedicated section in Kirk’s main article, "Promotion of falsehoods and conspiracy theories," Wikipedia editors initially accused Kirk of promoting "the antisemitic Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory." Kirk was widely known as one of the most influential supporters of American Jews in the country.