Turning Point USA said it received more than 32,000 inquiries in the 48 hours after founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed, a dramatic surge the conservative youth organization described as an effort to expand his campus movement.
Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show and a Turning Point USA spokesman, said on X that the influx of requests to start new college chapters came in the two days following Kirk’s assassination. Kolvet wrote that by comparison TPUSA currently has about 900 official college chapters and roughly 1,200 high school chapters, with a total presence on about 3,500 campuses and schools.
Kolvet called the response "truly incredible," and said Kirk’s stated goal of placing a Club America high school chapter in every U.S. high school — a network he estimated at about 23,000 schools — could be realized faster than previously expected. In a separate post, Kolvet wrote, "This is the Turning Point."
Kirk was shot and killed during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University that organizers said was the first stop of a planned "American Comeback Tour." He was 31. The attack occurred last week, and authorities have said the suspect is in custody; criminal proceedings remain pending.
On Thursday evening, U.S. officials escorted Kirk’s casket and his family from Utah to their home state of Arizona aboard Air Force Two. Video circulating from the tarmac showed his wife, Erika Kirk, visibly emotional as the casket was carried past. The couple have two young children. A celebration of life is scheduled for next Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., and President Donald Trump has said he will attend the funeral.
In public remarks following the shooting, Erika Kirk urged supporters to continue her husband's project. "To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die," she said. "I refuse to let that happen. No one will ever forget my husband's name. And I will make sure of it. It will become stronger. Bolder. Louder and greater than ever." She also announced that TPUSA’s annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix this December will proceed as scheduled.
Supporters and former campus activists said the killing could galvanize additional recruits. Judah Waxelbaum, a former Republican campus activist at Arizona State University, told reporters he expected the organization to grow in the wake of Kirk’s death and said the event may have "woken up a sleeping giant." Turning Point USA has been a prominent presence at colleges for more than a decade and is known for student chapters, on-campus debates and high-profile national events.
Turning Point USA has reported rapid growth in recent years and has been a significant outlet for conservative youth mobilization. Kirk, who founded the organization as a student, became a prominent voice on college campuses and in conservative media. His death has prompted tributes from allies across the conservative movement and renewed attention to the group's activities and future plans.
Authorities and event organizers continue to provide details as investigations and funeral arrangements proceed. Turning Point USA officials said they plan to capitalize on the wave of inquiries to expand chapters and maintain the calendar of national events in the coming months.