Turning Point USA Holds First College Event Since Charlie Kirk’s Death

The campus event, held at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, proceeded as planned just a day after Charlie Kirk’s memorial service.

Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025. Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP

Nonprofit organization Turning Point USA held a campus event at the University of Minnesota on Sept. 22, its first since the assassination of founder Charlie Kirk.

The event at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities had been scheduled before Kirk’s death on Sept. 10. It proceeded as planned just a day after his memorial service was held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Conservative commentator Michael Knowles, who hosted the event, left an empty chair on stage for Kirk, draped with a white T-shirt featuring the word “freedom” and a white cap with “47” written on it.

“This event was originally supposed to be a conversation between me and Charlie,” he told the crowd. “Now, it will be a conversation about Charlie. It will be a conversation about his life, and what his assassination means for our country.”

Chris Gaffrey, college enterprise director at Turning Point USA, said on X that the event opened with “the entire crowd standing together, hand over heart, singing God Bless the USA.” He also shared a clip capturing the scene at the university.

“It was powerful. It was patriotic. It was a reminder that this movement is alive and stronger than ever. These people LOVE Charlie Kirk,” Gaffrey wrote.

All attendees were required to go through a security screening with metal detectors, according to the university’s event website. Water bottles, signs, banners, and other displayable items were prohibited inside the auditorium.

The tour’s next scheduled stop is on Sept. 24 at Virginia Tech, featuring journalist Megyn Kelly and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, according to a Turning Point USA social media post.

The tour will then continue at Utah State University on Sept. 30, featuring podcaster Alex Clark, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), former Congressman Jason Chaffetz, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.

Kirk was shot and killed during a tour stop at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Authorities later arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspected gunman.

During the memorial service honoring Kirk on Sept. 21, which drew tens of thousands of people, Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, said in her speech that she forgave the suspected gunman.

“That young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate,” she said. “The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”

Erika Kirk has vowed to carry on her husband’s legacy. She was appointed CEO and board chair of Turning Point USA on Sept. 18 following Kirk’s death.