Then the live-streamed shooting of free speech advocate Charlie Kirk erased all other news from media desks for days. Trump credits Charlie with helping propel a surge of young men towards the right in the 2024 election. ‘I’ve never seen young people, or any group, go to one person like they did to Charlie,’ said Trump. Executive producer of Charlie’s podcast, Andrew Kolvet, claims around 16 to 17 million young men had voted for Trump after listening to Charlie. As the Babylon Bee put it, 12 million more Charlie Kirks have been created after his death.