The national tour of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), now called “This Is the Turning Point,” started on Wednesday at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Erika Kirk, the current CEO of TPUSA, and JD Vance, the Vice President, were among the high-profile speakers at the event. It was meant to honor the organization’s founder, Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event on September 10.
But the debut was met with uproar right away from conservatives, as Candace Owens, a former TPUSA employee, published a video on the same day making shocking claims about her old group.
Erika Kirk’s heartfelt message to students
Erika Kirk gave an emotional address on stage during one of her first significant public appearances since her husband’s murder. She talked about how important it is for young conservative students to stand up for what they believe in.
Kirk, who was wearing a “Freedom” T-shirt that was a subtle reference to her late husband’s clothes, told the youngsters to choose courage over fear:
“Your generation is at a crossroads right now. And you are living at one of the most important times in American history. We are all seeing the war for the soul of your generation right now, again, your generation.
Kirk talked openly on the fears of societal consequences for having conservative ideas, putting those worries into a more realistic light after her own tragedy:
“If you’re scared about losing a friend… I lost a friend. I lost my best friend. And if you’re scared to stand out for what’s right, my husband’s death puts things in perspective. It really does take away all those anxieties.
The new TPUSA CEO ended by thanking everyone for their support of her family and the group. She also said that the students are “what the future of our country is all about.”
Candace Owens’ Claims of a “Turning Point Lie”
At the same time, Candace Owens made her public fight with TPUSA and Charlie Kirk’s inner circle worse. Owens, who has pushed unfounded conspiracy theories about the assassination more than once, including claims of foreign participation, used her broadcast to criticize the organization’s story.
Owens claimed she was about to disclose “another stunning Turning Point lie,” and she said that those who were “all apparently mourning him” should “feel some type of way” about it, which suggests that their “best way” to mourn is to be dishonest.
Unproven Claims: Owens’ video brought up a few of the unproven claims she has been pushing, such as:
The Burial: Saying that Kirk had a Catholic burial.
The Investigation: Creating a fake “rift” between Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, and Kash Patel, the Director of the FBI. Owens said, without proof, that Patel “shut down a probe into foreign involvement” in the case. A high-ranking FBI official has apparently contradicted this on X (previously Twitter).
Owens has always said, without giving any real proof, that Kirk’s killing was connected to foreign groups. For example, she said Israel was involved after reports came out that Kirk was changing his pro-Israel views just before he died.
The big difference between Erika Kirk’s message of mourning and conservative strength and Candace Owens’ constant public allegations has caused a lot of problems for the conservative media as the group tries to keep its purpose going.