Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Hernandez, Sarah

Second Advisor

Sprenger, Audrey

Area of Concentration

Sociology

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the rhetoric that independent political commentators on YouTube used to develop conspiracy theories in the immediate aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder. On September 10th, 2025, Charlie Kirk — a prominent conservative political commentator and activist — was assassinated at a Turning Point USA event on Utah Valley University campus. Following the shooting, various conspiracy theories developed online as the narrative from the federal investigation was still developing. This study is necessitated by the rapid pace at which digital subcultures have displaced traditional media outlets and reshaped what is considered trustworthy reporting. To analyze this phenomenon, this study uses a qualitative critical discourse analysis of video transcripts from two conservative independent political channels during the first eight weeks following the event. Exploring the views that developed is sociologically important because it helps one better understand how conspiracy theories become legitimized in the American digital landscape, where influencers can push populist or dualistic rhetoric for personal or political power and profit. This study features rhetorical analyses of two case studies that reveal Manichaean worldviews, in-group/out-group formation, and two distinct conspiracy theory models. These different models of conspiracy theory show a broader ideological identity crisis within the American right, in which a shared Manichaean worldview no longer guarantees a single, unified target, leaving a fragmented movement unable to agree on the location of its scapegoat.

Rights

The author has granted New College of Florida the nonexclusive right to archive, make accessible, and distribute for educational purposes this work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The copyright of this work remains with the author.

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