FEATURED
Key Takeaways
- Conservative students nationwide are establishing new TPUSA chapters in response to the assassination of its founder, Charlie Kirk.
- Madailein McDonough, president of a new TPUSA chapter in Virginia, said conservative students need a supportive community where they can encourage each other to confidently and fearlessly defend their beliefs.
- Interest in TPUSA also has surged among high school students, and one group is offering grants to help these students in Missouri.
Unwilling to give into fear, conservative students across the country are taking action to start Turning Point USA chapters on their college campuses in the wake of founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
In Virginia, Madailein McDonough, president of University of Mary Washington’s newly formed TPUSA chapter, told The College Fix that her ultimate goal is to expand its presence and be “confident in our beliefs, respectful in our approach, and fearless in defending free speech.”
Turning Point USA received over 62,000 requests throughout the nation to start or join a chapter after Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10 while speaking on a Utah campus, the organization wrote recently on X. McDonough’s chapter in Virginia is one example, with others popping up in Tennessee, Wisconsin, and on campuses other states.
When asked why she wanted to join TPUSA, McDonough said it was when she saw how “badly open dialogue and true diversity of thought” were needed on her campus.
“I noticed that conservative students often stayed silent out of fear of being judged or ostracized. When I discovered TPUSA’s mission to promote free markets, limited government, and free speech, I knew I wanted to be part of a movement that gives young conservatives a voice,” she told The Fix in a recent email.
“Joining TPUSA allowed me not just to share my beliefs but to help create a respectful space for all viewpoints to be heard,” she said.
When asked about conservative students who may be afraid of getting involved due to the risk of left-wing violence, McDonough told The Fix that while she “completely” understands their concerns, “courage and community go hand in hand.”
“When you join TPUSA, you’re not standing alone; you’re joining a network of students nationwide who have your back. Our chapter prioritizes safety, respect, and support, and we believe that strength comes from standing together peacefully and proudly,” she said.
“Violence and intimidation should never silence ideas. By engaging respectfully, staying informed, and working together, we can demonstrate to others that it’s possible to stand firm in one’s beliefs without fear. The more of us who speak up, the safer and stronger our community becomes,” McDonough told The Fix.
In Tennessee, Samuel Bodwell, president of Vanderbilt College Republicans, recently contacted TPUSA to start setting up a chapter there. Bodwell said the goal is to “continue the legacy of Charlie Kirk and advocate for open discussion on college campuses,” according to a recent article in The Vanderbilt Hustler.
In Wisconsin, Jacob Turner, president of Concordia University’s TPUSA chapter, wrote on X on Oct. 1 that he also was inspired to resume the process of getting his chapter recognized by the school. Turner said he “found a fire” to action that he “never felt before” following Kirk’s assassination.
Interest in joining TPUSA has skyrocketed in high schools, too.
Francis Howell Families, a non-partisan political action committee, is working with Missouri lawmakers to secure a $1,000 grant to help students in the Francis Howell School District establish a TPUSA chapter, St. Louis Public Radio reported recently.
“Charlie Kirk’s mission was to engage in constructive dialog with anyone who would talk with him. We believe that mission should continue and want to help our youth have opportunities to engage in critical conversations about important topics,” committee spokesperson Chris Brooks told The Fix.
“School clubs cost money to start up and operate, and we don’t want anyone in our district to be denied the opportunity to participate in a TPUSA club due to a lack of funding,” Brooks continued.
Brooks said in his email to The Fix that several students contacted them “before and after we publicized the offer.” He said the students “will work with their school to meet the requirements of starting their club, after which we will coordinate the donation of the funds directly to the school.”
When asked what he would say to those who oppose funding political engagement in high schools, Brooks told The Fix that “public schools have already been turned political by leftist administrators and activists.”
“Students are already being taught leftist points of view and ideologies during the school day. Having voluntary student led clubs that focus on freedom, love of country, and constructive dialog with others is a small step towards helping students get a balanced view of the world and a greater understanding of our country,” Brooks said.
Francis Howell Forward, a progressive political action committee, opposes the initiative. “We support freedom of speech, but we don’t feel it’s appropriate to incentivize children towards political and religious causes,” Jamie Martin, the non-profit’s president, stated in an article by St. Louis Public Radio.
The Fix contacted the committee Monday via email to ask how it determines that a cause is inherently political or religious, and what it would say to those who say it’s important to fund political causes in high school as a way of promoting constructive dialogue early on. It did not respond.
Charlie Kirk was the founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit that advocates for conservative politics on college campuses and in high schools. He was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, and posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Oct. 14.
MORE: TikTok censors College Fix videos honoring Charlie Kirk
