PHOENIX — Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization turned into a political juggernaut by Charlie Kirk, will convene its flagship conference Thursday for the first time since the assassination of its charismatic founder, testing the sustainability of a divided movement that helped bring the president back. Donald Trump to the White House.
Kirk served as a unifying figure for the American right, bringing together students, online influencers and Republican politicians. But now the party’s populist wing is skirmishing over the meaning of “America First” and the future of a decade-old movement defined more by the strength of Trump’s personality than by loyalty to any particular ideological project.
Thousands of people are expected to gather for the four-day gathering in Phoenix. Vice President J.D. Vance, media personalities and a handful of Trump administration officials will appear, plus Christian rock bands and preachers. Participants will have the opportunity to take selfies with popular figures and engage in discussions about political organizing, religion and conservative criticism of American culture.
Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, will play a prominent role as the organization’s lead new leader. The conference promises to be an extended tribute to her husband, who is seen by many on the right as a martyr to conservatism and Christianity after he was murdered at just 31 years old.
Tyler Robinsonthe 22-year-old accused of shooting and killing Kirk while speaking at Utah Valley University in September, appeared in court last week. Robinson has not entered a plea. Authorities say he told his romantic partner that he killed Kirk because he had “had enough of his hatred.”
The last time Turning Point held its AmericaFest conference weeks after Trump’s comeback victory a year ago. The MAGA movement was exuberant as Republicans prepared for a new era of total control in Washington.
Now the party faces a challenging midterm election, with Trump constitutionally barred from running for office again and his more ideologically motivated followers positioning themselves to steer the movement after he leaves office. In the meantime, the conservatives have been moved by it conflicts over anti-Semitism in its ranksthat Trump has refused to mediate.
Turning Point is known for well-produced events that feel more like rock concerts or megachurch services than political rallies, complete with fireworks and floor-shaking bass.
The speaker lineup includes a who’s who of conservative influencers and preachers, including some who have openly feuded with each other in recent weeks. It features some of the biggest names in MAGA media, including Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Jesse Watters, Steve Bannon, Ben Shapiro and Jack Posobiec.
The push for influence has accelerated since Kirk’s death, which left a void in the organization he founded and in the broader conservative movement.
“Charlie was the unifying figure of the movement,” conservative commentator Michael Knowles said at a Turning Point event just weeks after Kirk’s death.
“The biggest threat right now is that without that one figure that we were all friends with, who could really hold it together, things could go in different directions,” Knowles said. “We have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
One of the rifts that has deepened since Kirk’s death is whether Republicans should continue their unwavering support for Israel and the war in Gaza. There are also concerns about whether the should accommodate movement people with anti-Jewish views.
The schism came to light when the head of the influential Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts, defended Carlson for conducting a friendly interview with podcaster Nick Fuentes, whose followers, known as “groypers,” see themselves as working to preserve a white, Christian identity in America. Roberts’ comments sparked outrage among some Heritage staffers, senators and conservative activists.
Fuentes had long feuded with Kirk, who tried to marginalize Fuentes within the conservative movement. Groypers enjoyed crashing Turning Point events to spar with Kirk.
Carlson and Shapiro, who have sharply criticized Fuentes and Carlson, will both speak Thursday, the first day of the conference.
Turning Point has also faced unrest over conspiracy theories spread by Candace Owens, a former employee who hosts a top-rated podcast. Owens has claimed without evidence that Israeli spies were involved in Kirk’s death and that he was betrayed by people close to him. Authorities say Robinson acted alone.
Asked about Owens and others spreading conspiracy theories during a CBS News town hall, Erika Kirk responded with one word: “Stop.” She said Owens is making money off her family’s tragedy, adding that conspiracy peddlers risk spoiling the jury pool and allowing her husband’s killer to get away with it.
Last weekend, with the Turning Point conference looming, Kirk and Owens agreed to a temporary hiatus until a private meeting. It didn’t take long.
After the meeting on Monday, Owens said on her show that she and Kirk spoke for four and a half hours, but she still doubted Robinson acted alone. Kirk wrote on X that they had “a very productive conversation” and that it was “time to get back to work.”
As she grieves her husband, Erika Kirk has slowly ramped up her public appearances. She spoke at the funeral: memorably forgiving her husband’s alleged killer, and at a Turning Point event in Mississippi in October.
As an entrepreneur and podcaster, she often appeared at Turning Point events with her husband. The former 2012 Miss Arizona USA has also worked as a model, actress and casting director, and she founded a Christian clothing line, Proclaim, and a Bible teaching ministry.
Before her husband’s death, she spoke openly about prioritizing her family before her career and described a marriage with traditional gender roles. Now she takes on the demanding job of leading Turning Point, an organization that has particularly resonated with young men.
At a memorial for her husband, Erika said, “Charlie and I were united in our purpose.”
“His passion was my passion, and now his mission is my mission,” she said. “Everything that Turning Point USA has built through Charlie’s vision and hard work, we will magnify tenfold through the power of his memory.”
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