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As conservatives mourn Kirk鈥檚 death, the group appears poised to remain a political juggernaut as it plots its future without Kirk at the helm.

The group鈥檚 board announced Thursday that Kirk鈥檚 widow, Erika Kirk, was unanimously elected as its next leader and will serve as CEO and board chair.

鈥淭his was what Charlie hoped for and wanted and he said so numerous times,鈥� Tyler Bowyer, the group鈥檚 chief operating officer, said on social media. 鈥淓rika is one with Charlie and Charlie is one with Erika.鈥�

Turning Point became a multimillion-dollar operation under Charlie Kirk鈥檚 leadership, and was credited with helping to return President Donald Trump to office.

Since Kirk鈥檚 killing, his podcast and social media attracted millions of new followers. There was an outpouring of interest in expanding Turning Point鈥檚 footprint on college and high school campuses, the group鈥檚 spokesperson says, and future large-scale events are continuing as planned.

鈥淚t will grow,鈥� said Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet, who is also a producer of 鈥淭he Charlie Kirk Show鈥� podcast. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e seeing is that Charlie鈥檚 legacy will be much greater, broader, and bigger than we even realized in life.鈥�

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office this week that through 鈥渢his horrible act,鈥� Turning Point 鈥渃ould be maybe bigger than it could have ever been had he been there.鈥�

Inquiries about new Turning Point chapters soar

Both Turning Point and Kirk鈥檚 other ventures received unprecedented interest since he was killed.

Kirk鈥檚 podcast is now the top show on Apple, his social media accounts gained millions of followers and his clips garnered millions of views.

Turning Point also received more than 60,000 inquiries to start new campus chapters, Kolvet said Thursday. The group currently has 3,500 chapters on college campuses and in high schools across the nation.

Aubree Hudson, president of the Turning Point chapter at Brigham Young University that helped organize the Utah Valley University event at which Kirk was assassinated, said hundreds of students reached out about getting involved.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the beautiful part of this tragedy, that his movement, Turning Point, is exploding,鈥� she said.

She predicted conservatives who were afraid to share their views at school will start speaking up.

鈥淗ow it looks like without Charlie Kirk, I think we鈥檙e all gonna try to figure that out,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna be a curve, but I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 gonna slow us down in any way.鈥�

A fundraising behemoth

Turning Point USA is not just a campus advocacy group promoting conservative causes. It and its affiliated group, Turning Point Action, played a crucial role in the 2024 election, helping to turn out voters who don鈥檛 typically cast ballots in swing states including Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin.

It is also a fundraising behemoth.

The group鈥檚 two primary nonprofit arms collectively took in nearly $100 million in 2024, according to forms filed with the IRS. A separate nonprofit wing called the Turning Point Endowment has another $60.9 million in the bank.

Erika Kirk, Kirk鈥檚 widow and the mother of their two children, vowed to continue the group鈥檚 mission. She said during an emotional broadcast from her husband鈥檚 studio that a planned campus tour this fall would go on, as would the podcast and one of the group鈥檚 marquee events, 鈥淎merica Fest,鈥� planned for December.

She said, 鈥渢he movement my husband built will not die.鈥�

鈥淚 promise I鈥檒l make Turning Point USA the biggest thing that this nation has ever seen,鈥� she said.

Erika Kirk steps into a new role

Since its founding, Charlie Kirk was the operation鈥檚 public face and crucial to its influence. He was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following, who grew the operation in large part, through the force of his own personality and rhetorical skill as he traveled the country, speaking and hosting events.

Erika Kirk has a following in her own right. The entrepreneur and podcaster often appeared with her husband at Turning Point events. The former 2012 Miss Arizona USA also worked as a model, actress and casting director, according to a biography on her website. She founded a Christian clothing line, Proclaim, and a ministry that teaches about the Bible.

Alex Kolodin, a Republican state legislator in Arizona who is closely aligned with the group, said he鈥檚 confident Kirk鈥檚 widow will hold the movement together.

鈥淪he鈥檚 not going to let anybody break apart her husband鈥檚 legacy,鈥� Kolodin said.

He said Turning Point wouldn鈥檛 be what it is today without Kirk鈥檚 鈥済enius鈥� but Kirk inspired a generation of young conservatives who are social-media savvy and know how to engage their generation. Kolodin predicted some of them will rise to the moment and ensure Kirk鈥檚 death doesn鈥檛 leave a void in the online spaces where young people congregate.

鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 surprise me if the next big thing in that direction was a couple of guys that nobody ever heard of,鈥� Kolodin said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 actually a reason that I鈥檓 optimistic for the future of it.鈥�