Conservative Speakers Honor Charlie Kirk on National Campus Tour

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Prominent conservatives are rallying behind the legacy of slain activist Charlie Kirk as they kick off a new national campus tour. The tour, which began on September 22, features a lineup including Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Utah Senator Mike Lee, and media personalities Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and Glenn Beck.

Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in 2012, was assassinated on September 10 during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. His widow, Erika Kirk, now serves as CEO of TPUSA and has vowed that the campus tour will continue despite the tragedy.

“Our campus tour this fall will continue,” Erika Kirk said. The tour will cover 11 campuses over the next two months, maintaining seven originally scheduled events and adding four new destinations in Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama, and California.

The first event took place at the University of Minnesota, where over 2,000 students attended. Michael Knowles, a conservative commentator and close friend of Kirk, headlined the event. Knowles encouraged students to honor Kirk’s memory by engaging in their faith.

“Charlie was the unifying figure for the movement,” Knowles said. He emphasized the need for a “marketplace of ideas” and clear direction for the conservative youth movement after Kirk’s death.

The response to Kirk’s death has been significant; TPUSA reported over $6 million in donations and more than 54,000 requests to establish new chapters since the assassination. Erika Kirk has actively sought support, sending fundraising emails shortly after her husband’s memorial service attended by an estimated 200,000 mourners.

The next stop in the tour is Virginia Tech, where Megyn Kelly and Glenn Youngkin are scheduled to speak on September 27. This reflects TPUSA’s push to maintain its momentum and honor Kirk’s ideals of free speech and political engagement.

As the tour progresses, speakers will include not only influential conservatives but also rising voices within the party. Each event aims to solidify Kirk’s mission for future generations and encourage young conservatives to voice their opinions actively.

The outcome of this tour will shape the future of conservative youth politics in America, and with each event, the urgency to define that future becomes more pronounced.