By George Lehman
Boston University News Service
Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk and Vice President J.D. Vance took the stage at Turning Point USA’s rally at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday evening, saying that Gen Z is “the future of Charlie Kirk’s legacy.”
“Gen Z, you are the courageous generation,” Kirk said. “Hear me when I say that my husband believed that to his core, that’s why he went on campuses. That’s why he was trying to reach you.”
Kirk also said that Turning Point USA’s movement is “far more than political.”
“Your generation is living at a crossroads,” Kirk said. “You are living in one of the most defining movements in American history and we are all witnessing in real time the battle that is raging for the soul of your generation.”
“Charlie wasn’t just a political figure,” Vance said. “He was a person who particularly to the young people of this country, to all of you, he had the very best advice, and I think that’s the most important way for me to honor Charlie, which is to repeat that advice.”
Kirk noted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement of a partnership with Turning Point USA to enable Club America chapters to be brought to high schools across the state.
“We want to make sure that all high schools in Florida, anybody in a high school that wants to start a state Club America chapter, will be able to do so,” DeSantis said during a press conference Monday at New College of Florida. “There shouldn’t be any impediments to that and certainly no discrimination.”
Kirk also thanked Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin for “donating generously to Turning Point USA,” after the governor pledged to donate $100,000 to support new chapters across Virginia during a TPUSA rally at Virginia Tech in late September.
The nonprofit announced in a post to X it had received over 54,000 requests to start chapters or get involved with existing chapters from high school and college students across the nation in less than a week after Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a rally on Utah Valley University’s campus on Sept. 19.
According to the Turning Point USA and Club America websites, the nonprofit has over 800 college chapters and more than 1,200 high school chapters throughout the country.
Wednesday evening’s rally was part of the “This Is The Turning Point” tour that began last month and runs until Nov. 10.
“Charlie lived and died, for the basic principle that we ought to be able to talk about our differences, we ought to be able to debate them, and we ought to have faith that the best way to make sure that the best idea wins is to actually just have a discussion,” Vance said. “That is what this event is all about. That is what Turning Point USA is all about.”
