One year after Charlie Kirk’s death, the future of Turning Point USA without its leader

The first anniversary of the killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is marked with sorrow, memories, memorials and questions about the future of the juggernaut young-conservative movement he started.

"He [Charlie] would walk into those crowds during some sort of protest and dismantle the leader of it, not with a weapon, and not with words, and not even with declaratives, but with interrogatives. He practiced the Socratic method, and he did it very, very well. He was a master; certainly became my master in it," Brent Hamachek, friend and author of the new book, The Intellect of Charlie Kirk, told Just The News.

To honor their late founder, Turning Point USA will hold a “Freedom Built to Last” memorial Thursday at the UCCU Center, honoring him as a husband, father, and free-speech advocate with speakers including Glenn Beck. UVU is closing campus for reflection while planning a permanent tribute, and other events include Dallas GOP convention remarks and church invitations. Student groups, including SDS, plan to protest the event and closure, calling it an endorsement of TPUSA.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Turning Point USA without Kirk

A year after Charlie Kirk’s death, Turning Point USA remains a commanding organization under Erika Kirk, his widow, who was unanimously named CEO and board chair in September 2025. 

The group says it has grown to about 1,500 college chapters (up 64%), nearly 3,500 high-school clubs, more than 1,200 staff, and over a million students involved. 

Campus tours and their large-scale annual event, AmericaFest continue, while the political arm is targeting 2026 primaries and midterm races and looking toward 2028's general election. Erika has framed the work as carrying out Charlie’s plan, with a stronger faith emphasis. Supporters credit resilience and new chapters; critics note staff turnover and questions about whether the organization can match his personal draw.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The assassination

On September 10, 2025, Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while speaking to thousands of students at Utah Valley University in Orem during a Turning Point USA campus event that opened his American Comeback Tour. A single rifle round, fired from a rooftop more than 400 feet away, struck him as he answered questions; he was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead at age 31. Authorities described the attack as targeted. Tyler Robinson, then 22, surrendered the next day after a brief manhunt.

Trial of the alleged assassin

Robinson, now 23, is charged with aggravated murder and related counts; prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. After a lengthy preliminary hearing, Judge Tony Graf ruled on September 1 that there was probable cause to send the case to trial. Robinson pleaded not guilty to all seven charges. 

The next hearing is set for October 23, 2026. Prosecutors cite DNA, Discord messages, a note, and statements to a roommate; the defense has challenged aspects of the forensic evidence. Kirk’s family called the ruling an important step toward justice.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Background 

Kirk was born in Illinois and left community college as a teenager. At 18 years old, he co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, turning a campus idea into a nationwide network of more than 850 chapters that mobilized young voters and earned President Trump’s credit for helping the 2024 victory. 

A gifted communicator with millions of followers, he hosted a daily show, toured colleges with “Prove Me Wrong” debates, and became a frequent White House visitor without ever holding office. Married to Erika and a father of two, he framed his work as defending a country he called uniquely great. 

On September 10, 2025, Charlie was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on his American Comeback Tour—dying as he had lived, face-to-face with students he hoped to inspire. 

Amanda Head is White House Correspondent for Just The News. You can follow her here.