Turning Point USA’s Campus Expansion Masks Fading GOP Appeal Among Young Voters

The organization founded by the late activist has significantly increased its campus footprint, even as Donald Trump’s approval rating declines among young men.

Published On 10 Sep 2026

Twelve months after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, his co-founded organization, Turning Point USA (TPUSA), has significantly expanded its presence across American educational institutions. This growth occurs simultaneously with rising dissatisfaction among young voters toward the Republican Party.

As of Thursday, TPUSA operates over 3,500 high school chapters nationwide, representing an 180 percent increase since Kirk’s death, according to the organization’s data.

The organization also maintains over 1,500 college chapters, reflecting an increase of more than 60 percent.

At the time of his death on September 10, 2025, Kirk was a prominent conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump. He was killed while addressing students at Utah Valley University, an incident captured on video.

Following his assassination, the Trump administration launched a crackdown on entities it designated as “domestic terrorist organisations,” which included the loosely organized antifascist movement known as Antifa.

Kirk built Turning Point USA into a formidable youth organizing force within the Republican Party, instrumental in mobilizing young conservative voters.

However, the expansion of TPUSA’s political infrastructure occurs against a backdrop of growing dissatisfaction among young voters, driven by economic concerns and the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

According to polling by Reuters and Ipsos, only 32 percent of men aged 18 to 29 approved of Trump’s performance in August, a decline from 43 percent in February 2025.

This decline follows a period of electoral gains; according to Pew Research Center data, Trump captured 46 percent of young men’s votes in the 2024 election, a seven-point increase from 2020.

Cost-of-living pressures remain a primary concern for young voters. A Harvard Youth Poll from March and April revealed that half of Americans aged 18 to 29 reported that inflation affected them “a lot,” while 45 percent stated they were struggling to make ends meet or lacked financial security.

These economic pressures have been exacerbated by the war in Iran, which Moody’s Analytics estimates has added an average of $750 to household expenses.

Internal debates within TPUSA regarding US support for Israel have intensified. A recent poll by YouGov and The Economist found that only 16 percent of young people believed that US military action in Iran was the correct decision.

Despite these challenges, the group’s expanding network provides Republicans with significant leverage to rally younger voters ahead of the November 3 congressional midterm elections.

Turning Point USA will hold a memorial at Utah Valley University on Thursday, marking the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s fatal shooting during a campus debate. The group will also honor Kirk at the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, Texas.

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