Views expressed in opinion columns are the author’s own.

After the recent assassination of political influencer Charlie Kirk, I noticed just how much sway the conservative leader had over young voters.

Naturally, I wondered who in the Democratic party had that same pull. A quick Google search left me disappointed to find Hillary Clinton’s name topping the list.

Yes, in 2025, the biggest political influencer on X is still the former secretary of state. The problem? Clinton represents a party clinging to the past, still tied to decades-old donors. Her influence feels nostalgic, while Kirk’s platform was built on youth engagement, not legacy. Ironically, the conservative movement suddenly feels more forward-thinking than the Democrats when it comes to mobilizing younger voters.
Charlie Kirk was no stranger to young voters. In the 13 years since founding Turning Point USA, a nonprofit aimed at cultivating conservative youth support, Kirk toured college campuses, debating students and generating viral clips that often left his opponents embarrassed.
Let me be clear: Charlie Kirk was a controversial figure, outrageously defending gun deaths as the “cost” of the Second Amendment and opposing abortion even in cases of a minor’s rape.

But whether you agree with him or not, one thing is for certain: Kirk made “Trumpism” approachable for new conservatives. He built a movement that filled stadiums, our TikTok feeds and helped expand Trump’s voter base.

Meanwhile, Democrats do not have an obvious figure with that reach. Sure, they lead with young voters on paper, but enthusiasm is measured by presence.

Conservatives are packing lecture halls and quads, while Democrats recycle the same faces and cringe slogans: remember “Kamala is Brat”? One side builds loyalty as the other builds millennial memes that would make even Taylor Swift shake her head.
Democrats do actually have an answer to this problem, they just don’t want to acknowledge it.

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, is proof. He’s authentic and outspoken, showing up where young people are, something that resulted in record youth voter turnout in the Democratic primary.
Mamdani firmly says what his own party won’t. His unapologetically pro-Palestine stance is refreshing in an age where it seems every politician is muzzled by AIPAC donors.
It’s not just Mamdani, either. Figures such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Maryland’s own progressive, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who flew to El Salvador to meet with a wrongfully deported Maryland resident, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, show me that Democrats have leaders willing to stand up and make change.
This is where the Democrats’ focus should be. Politics isn’t polite, and while I supported Kamala Harris in 2024, her campaign stayed centrist, pandering to moderate Republicans. By avoiding progressive stances, she alienated progressive voices. Although Trump’s rhetoric has always been heavily criticized, he owned it and won twice. Democrats don’t need to mimic Trump’s cruelty, because political extremism is never the answer. But they do need to learn from his fearlessness. The political arena rewards those who are bold, those willing to leave Capitol Hill and meet voters in their communities.

Sen. Bernie Sanders recently ventured into West Virginia to connect with voters, and his stop with Ocasio-Cortez at the University of Montana drew thousands of students ready to mobilize. Even Harris, to her credit, brought that energy to voters during a recent visit to Howard University, proof that when Democrats show up and speak directly to voters, they spark something real. I’ve seen the mobilization of groups on this university’s campus, from Turning Point USA chapters to the Democratic Socialists of America. I was proud recently to see the university permit a peaceful protest for Palestine by Students for Justice in Palestine and a memorial service demanding the return of hostages held in Gaza.
The evidence is right in front of us: students are fired up, but they just need someone to show up for them. If Democrats don’t foster that connection with younger voters, they will continue to lose, and right now Republicans are the only ones treating campuses like the battleground they are.
Too many Democrats are obsessed with being the “opposite of Trump,” unprepared for when he leaves office. That moment will be the ultimate test, because as much as I didn’t agree with Charlie Kirk, he understood controversy creates influence. Until Democrats stop being afraid of both, they’ll keep losing the culture war.

Arjun Bhide is a freshman government and politics major. He can be reached at abhide1@terpmail.umd.edu.