Controversial conservative Charlie Kirk tapped to guest host 'Fox & Friends Weekend'
Charlie Kirk is set to guest cohost "Fox & Friends Weekend" as the network seeks to appeal to younger viewers.
The 31-year-old controversial conservative announced the news on social media July 23, telling fans that he had a "quick personal update" in an Instagram Story.
"I'll be guest hosting Fox & Friends this weekend! Tune in a 6 a.m. Eastern Saturday & Sunday," Kirk wrote, sharing that he would be joining regular cohosts Rachel Campos-Duffy and Charlie Hurt. A Fox News spokesperson confirmed an earlier Axios report in a statement to Paste BN.
The move comes as Fox tries to target Gen Z and millennial viewers (Kirk's main audience) after President Donald Trump made gains with younger voters, including white young men, in the 2024 presidential election.
At 18, Kirk emerged on the national stage in 2012 after co-founding the nonprofit Turning Point USA, which promotes conservative politics on high school and college campuses. Among its efforts is a watch list aimed at "unmasking radical professors." It also has a political action committee called Turning Point Action.
He earned headlines earlier this month after he revealed on his popular podcast "The Charlie Kirk Show" that he was "done talking" about convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein amid pressure from some Republicans.
The former wunderkind firebrand is best known for making statements considered by some to be intentionally provocative. He said last year that he might assume a Black airline pilot is less qualified than a white pilot because of DEI initiatives. In 2023, he also said on his podcast "The Charlie Kirk Show" that only straight married couples should be allowed to adopt children.
During last year's Republican National Convention, Kirk spoke directly to younger voters, courting them by seeking to relate to their economic and cultural complaints. He also spoke in January at Trump's second inaugural events.
Kirk follows in the footsteps of his fellow right-leaning influencer and new Fox contributor Brett Cooper, 23, who debuted as a commentator on the network in June.
Less combative than Kirk and the young women who rose to stardom on the right, Cooper found a loyal audience by discussing issues of culture relevance that matter to young women.
Contributing: George Fabe Russell, Sarah Gleason