A year after Charlie Kirk was killed, young conservatives navigate a divided movement
One year after the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, his organization Turning Point USA is navigating internal challenges and questions about its future. While his death sparked a surge in new chapter applications, supporters are now grappling with the direction of the movement.
Why it matters
The article explores the impact of a prominent political figure's death on youth conservative movements and the potential fragmentation of political organizations.
When Jacob York found out that Charlie Kirk had been fatally shot, he was at baseball practice. Standing in the outfield, he broke down in tears. That night, he decided that Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA, should have a chapter on his campus. So he got to work starting one himself.
"I feel like there [were] many of us who had that wake-up call," said York, 21, who attends Olivet Nazarene University, a small Christian school south of Chicago.
"I think I submitted the request to start a chapter six times," he recalled. "There were so many requests that it kept saying, 'Oops, try again later.'"
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