(TNND) — Charlie Kirk was "a singular voice for a generation" of young conservatives, politics professor Casey Burgat said Thursday.

"In an age of influencers, he was the right's main influencer for the next generation," said Burgat, the Legislative Affairs Program Director at George Washington University.

Kirk was struck down by an assassin’s bullet Wednesday while speaking to a crowd at Utah Valley University.

He was just 31.

But he left an undeniable political legacy with his focus on engaging young people in policy debate, activism and voting.

Kirk founded the nonprofit political youth organization Turning Point USA in 2012, growing it into a presence on high school and college campuses nationwide. He was only 18 when he started Turning Point USA.

"Turning Point USA was extremely impactful," said Todd Belt, the Political Management program director at GW. "And Charlie Kirk himself ... really helped get the message out to young voters and to energize them in support of (President Donald) Trump."

Belt said Kirk was “an unrepentant Trumpist” who developed an “incredibly warm” relationship with the president.

“He had access to Donald Trump and Trump's family in a way most people didn't. ... For Trump, it's the loyalty, and Kirk has always been loyal to Donald Trump and his message,” Belt said.

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Belt said Kirk rode social media to build a media empire, offering a young voice that emulated Trump’s approach.

Kirk had a “brashness” with his political discourse that turned him into a big draw, Belt said.

"He made it his job to go out on college campuses and to essentially pick fights," Belt said. "I mean, his big thing was to say, 'prove me wrong.'"

Mark Jones, a political science fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute, said Kirk was more than willing to meet with opponents, less interested in agreement than in forcing his opponents to logically counter his positions.

Jones said Kirk embraced going “into the hornet's nest of college campuses” for political debate – a conservative voice in places often viewed as liberal bastions.

Belt said Kirk “took an outsider's bent into college campuses,” saying that “you're not really a radical if you're a leftist, because you're surrounded by a bunch of people who will comfort you and have the same types of opinions.”

Turning Point USA is active at 3,500 high school and college campuses, according to the organization’s website.

Kirk spoke at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Republican National Conventions.

He authored multiple books.

Kirk reached over 100 million people a month on his social media accounts, according to his Turning Point USA bio.

And he hosted a popular podcast and nationally syndicated radio show.

Trump cut into the Democratic advantage among young voters in the last election, and some of that credit certainly falls to Kirk.

“There's a lot of factors at play, but he was a full-on grassroots activist who understood how to use social media platforms, the platforms that younger voters or citizens are on, and then turn them into voters,” Burgat said.

Burgat, Belt and Jones all said young people often ignore politics. It’s even harder to get them to go out and vote. And when they do, it’s often for the more liberal candidate.

Jones said Kirk was successful in that task that has “consistently bedeviled politicians.”

“When Donald Trump looks back on the 2024 election, one of the reasons why he was so successful was his enhanced support among younger, Gen Z men,” Jones said.

A Pew Research Center analysis of the last election found former Vice President Kamala Harris had a 19-point advantage among voters 18-29. That might sound like a lot, but it’s less than the Democratic advantages of 26 points in 2020 and 30 points in 2016.

The AP VoteCast surveys found 47% of voters 18-29 went for Trump last election, including 57% of young men.

“One of Kirk's legacies is providing a playbook and a road map of how to reach younger voters and persuade them to vote for conservative candidates,” Jones said.

Kirk was able to “effectively proselytize a more conservative message” to a new generation, Jones said.

J.P. De Gance, the founder of nonprofit ministry Communio, also said Kirk was a role model for young conservative Christians.

Kirk was married and the father of two young children.

“He had a huge impact on causing young men and young women to think differently about prioritizing what we might call the permanent things – marriage, family, faith – these critical supports for a healthy culture,” De Gance said.

Kirk made family life attractive to young people, he said.

“That's a huge contribution,” De Gance said.

Trump called Kirk a “patriot” and a “martyr for truth and freedom” during remarks from the Oval Office following Kirk’s assassination.

How will Kirk’s death affect Trump and the “Make America Great Again” movement?

Burgat said it’s too soon to say.

“Right now, we're all in the shock stage, the condemning of political violence,” Burgat said. “And then who knows how this stuff will impact our politics going forward. But I know that this will be a rallying cry for conservatives.”

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Jones said there’s an important question of whether someone can effectively pick up the baton and continue Kirk's work.

“And at the same time be as effective as him,” he said.

Belt said Kirk was an important force among young voters in the MAGA movement.

“And young voters are essential to turn out for midterm elections,” Belt said. “And Donald Trump knows that the efficacy of his presidency hangs on retaining control, slim as though it may be, of both the House and the Senate. And not having someone out there rallying people across campuses could be detrimental.”