'Sleeping giant' likely woke up for Turning Point USA after Charlie Kirk's assassination
The assassination of Charlie Kirk has brought light to his organization, Turning Point USA (TPUSA), and what comes next for the group known for mobilizing young people in the conservative movement.
During livestreamed remarks on Friday night, his widow, Erika Kirk, stressed individuals getting involved with TPUSA, adding that the annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix this December will continue as scheduled.
"To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die," Kirk said. "It won't. 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. My husband's mission will not end. Not even for a moment.
"I'll make Turning Point USA the biggest thing that this nation has ever seen," she later added. "I love you, baby. Rest in the arms of our Lord."
The address led to some users on X suggesting that she will likely be Kirk’s heir to the group, which has over 2,000 student groups and over 800 faith-based groups, according to its website.
"I think Erika Kirk should be Turning Point USA’s CEO," former TPUSA staffer Anthony DeWitt posted.
Following his assassination, the group is expected to see a surge in support.
Judah Waxelbaum, a former campus activist at Arizona State University for Republican causes, said that the assassination likely awoke a "sleeping giant" with the current size of TPUSA.
"Turning Point's not going anywhere. Turning Point, I think, will probably actually get significantly larger in the wake of what happened to Charlie," he told Fox News Digital in an interview on Saturday, noting that "you couldn't do youth politics in Arizona, really anywhere in the United States without coming across Charlie Kirk."
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"They do incredible work with mobilizing and getting voters out there and chasing the vote. And they're going to be energized. They have to be, and it's what Charlie would have wanted," Waxelbaum said.
"No one who admires Charlie Kirk is walking away from electioneering or what we're doing in the youth space. And in a lot of ways, I wouldn't be surprised if they've woken up a sleeping giant," he added.
Kirk’s celebration of life ceremony is scheduled for next Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
He was assassinated at Utah Valley University during one of his famous "Prove Me Wrong" events, where he would take questions and debate students, on Wednesday.
Vigils across the country have been underway for days, including on college campuses.
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