Turning Point USA reported receiving roughly 18,000 new requests to form chapters at colleges and high schools after Erika Kirk delivered her first public remarks since the assassination of her husband, founder Charlie Kirk.
A screenshot of a text exchange shared by Minnesota Republican state Rep. Elliott Engen showed a Turning Point USA leader saying the organization had received the requests. Turning Point USA previously reported having about 9,000 college chapters and 1,100 high school chapters.
Erika Kirk addressed supporters in a televised livestream from the organization’s headquarters Friday, two days after Charlie Kirk was shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. In the remarks, she said her late husband’s message — centered on faith, patriotism and moral conviction — would continue and urged young people to start or join Turning Point USA chapters if one did not exist nearby.
"He wants you to make a difference, and you can," she said in the livestream. "The movement is not going anywhere, and it will only grow stronger when you join it." In an Instagram post accompanying photos of her husband in a casket, she wrote, "If they thought my husband's mission was big now..you have no idea. You. All of you. Will never. Ever. Forget my husband @charliekirk1776 I'll make sure of it."
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. Authorities identified the alleged shooter as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who a law enforcement statement said was turned in by his father on Friday and later charged with aggravated murder.
Supporters have left posters, flowers and American flags at makeshift memorials for Kirk, including at Timpanogos Regional Hospital and on the Utah Valley University campus. Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Republican officials and conservative organizers noted the uptick in chapter requests as a sign of mobilization among young conservatives. The text exchange shared publicly included the line, "This is the Turning Point," attributed to a Turning Point USA leader discussing the volume of incoming requests.
Turning Point USA, founded by Charlie Kirk, has built a national network on college and high school campuses emphasizing conservative principles. The organization’s existing chapter counts provided context for the scale of the new requests: roughly doubling the number of college chapters if all were approved and significantly increasing its high school footprint.
Law enforcement has continued to investigate the shooting and the circumstances surrounding the event. The alleged shooter faces state charges; authorities have not publicly detailed a motive. Memorials and tributes to Charlie Kirk have been posted online and at physical sites where supporters continue to gather.
The surge in chapter requests came as Erika Kirk framed her husband’s work as a continuing movement, calling on young people to carry forward his convictions. The requests reported by Turning Point USA leaders reflect an immediate institutional response to her public appeal, though the organization has not released an independent, public count verifying the figure.
As the conservative movement and national political observers assess the aftermath, campus organizers and students across the country are expected to weigh whether to pursue formal chapters. State and local officials have continued to monitor developments surrounding the shooting and security at public events, while Turning Point USA’s national leaders consider next steps amid heightened attention and requests for organizational expansion.