In Phoenix, young ultra-conservatives look to carry on Charlie Kirk’s legacy

On a cool October evening in the suburbs of Phoenix, capital city of the US state of Arizona, a young ultra-conservative influencer turns his mic on and welcomes the viewers flocking to his TikTok live stream. “Hi Dylan, great to see you! What’s up, Chase? Thanks to everyone moderating the chat!” Carson Carpenter, a 21-year-old political science graduate from Arizona State University (ASU) is welcoming participants for an online discussion entitled, “Liberals debate me one-on-one”. The style of the debate is inspired by Charlie Kirk, a leading figure among ultra-conservative youth who was fatally shot at a speaking event at Utah college on September 10, 2025. Read moreCharlie Kirk: Trump's fiery far-right 'youth whisperer' “TikTok live streams aren’t my favourite thing, but at least they bring in a lot of people. There are also a lot of trolls or people who attack me, but that’s part of the game,” Carpenter said with a wry smile, describing his stance as “Jesus First and America Only”. The debate topic for the evening is particularly explosive: the alleged drugging and gang rape of a female student at Cornell University in 2024 by seven fraternity members. When an online user joins...