The MAGA Movement Is Splintering Without Charlie Kirk

A year of feuds among MAGA figures shows how much the movement depended on Kirk personally.

Al Drago / Getty September 10, 2026, 5:58 PM ET Share Save This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.

When Charlie Kirk was assassinated last September, many of his allies on the right memorialized him as a hero of free speech and the founder of an enduring political movement. Critics on the left tended to emphasize his long history of offensive remarks and dismiss him as little more than a troll.