Since Turning Point USA’s founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated Sept. 10, membership rates at Indiana University Bloomington’s chapter have increased from an estimated 180 students to 363, according to Interim Chapter President Jack Henning.
Henning, a senior at IU, noticed the change in membership at a meeting Sept. 10, which took place the evening Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University on the first stop of “The American Comeback Tour.”
“That night we had more members than I’ve ever seen at Turning Point meetings,” Henning said. “We had a lot more people that were interested in getting involved.”
TPUSA, a nonprofit organization known for its conservative politics, was founded by Kirk in 2012. Since then, it has reached over 3,500 high schools and college campuses across the United States, according to the organization.
The IU TPUSA chapter holds events including guest speakers, meet and greets with conservative figures and debates. It also offers internship opportunities. The group “aims to educate and empower conservative students to promote freedom, civil liberties, and conservatism” on campus, according to its beINvolved page.
IU’s TPUSA chapter organized a vigil for Kirk on Sept. 14. Kirk had planned to visit IU on Oct. 21 as part of his tour. Conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson spoke in his place.
Stella Ross, a senior and chapter member who volunteered at the event, said she appreciated that Carlson preserved Kirk’s vision.
“It was really cool being able to both volunteer and get to meet Tucker,” Ross said. “It was really nice for him to keep the original format of how Charlie started Turning Point in the first place, having open dialogue with students.”
Ross said Kirk’s assassination changed more than membership rates for TPUSA.
“I think that our club has kind of become a beacon for conservatives,” Ross said. “So, after his death, more people showed up, more people got involved, and it was really nice to kind of see a scene in the way people wanted to get involved.”
The surge in membership at IU mirrors a national trend following Kirk’s assassination. According to TPUSA’s website, the organization received inquiries from more than 120,000 students hoping to launch new high school and college chapters in the weeks after Kirk’s death.
Luke Snyder, a sophomore and chapter member, said the surge reveals something unexpected about IU’s political landscape.
“I think IU is a lot more conservative than people realize,” Snyder said. “Indiana is obviously a very conservative state, so I wouldn’t doubt that that pours over into campus. I think we’re typically a little quieter with our beliefs in the sense that we don’t advertise as well.”
Kirk’s assassination also strengthened Snyder’s personal faith, he said. Snyder now attends church every Sunday and participates in Bible study at St. Paul’s Catholic Center in Bloomington.
“I’m much more faithful, for sure,” Snyder said. “I mean I grew up Catholic. But after that, I mean, I go to church every Sunday.”
Following Kirk’s death, his wife Erika Kirk was appointed TPUSA’s CEO and board chair. In her first public remarks following the assassination, she vowed to continue his campus tours, podcast and radio shows.
As TPUSA at IU grows, Henning said the chapter hopes to position itself as a space for open discussion rather than division for all students.
“You have a place here, you'll always have a place here,” Henning said. “We don't discriminate against any viewpoints at all, we debate them. That's what American democracy was built upon.”
