Minutes after news that right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk had been shot at a planned campus event at Utah Valley University, the wheels of social media engagement farming and clout chasing had already begun to grind to life.

Kirk, despite being in his 30s, was a mainstay on college campuses around the country, where student groups regularly invited him to hold "debate me"-style events. The classic format - vertical split-screen of Kirk on the bottom, a student speaker on the top - racked up millions of views as the right-wing influencer sparred with college kids challenging him on issues like immigration, abortion, and race in the US. The …

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