The public memorial service for Charlie Kirk on Sunday, Sept. 21 is expected to not only pay homage to the late conservative firebrand's life, but his political activism as well.

The organization he founded years ago, Turning Point USA, is hosting the memorial in Glendale, Arizona, and will feature speeches from the nation's top Republican and conservative figures − underscoring Kirk's and Turning Point USA's influence on a broad section of American politics.

Speakers include President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, as well as the late commentator's wife, Erika Kirk, the new head of Turning Point USA. Several members of the president's cabinet will also attend, the organization announced on Sept. 17, as will Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump Jr. among others.

Kirk was killed Sept. 10 by a single gunshot while speaking to a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah as part of Turning Point USA's "American Comeback" speaking tour. The Utah college was Kirk's first stop in more than a dozen cross-country events.

The suspect in the attack, Tyler Robinson, was arraigned on Sept. 16 on seven felony charges, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Local prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty.

What is Turning Point USA?

Turning Point USA was founded by Kirk in 2012 when he was 18, and has since become a prominent political force. Along with its presence on hundreds of college and high school campuses, the organization hosts conferences, encourages youth organizing on conservative issues and produces various media such as the “The Charlie Kirk Show."

It says on its website its mission is to "identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government" and to build "most organized, active, and powerful conservative grassroots activist network on high school and college campuses across the country."

The group and Kirk have been closely aligned with the MAGA movement and are credited with helping mobilize support for Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

Much of its power comes from its connection with young voters, and Kirk long argued that his organization's chapters were necessary to combat "woke" classroom ideology. Kirk often held rallies and debates for students. He was at Utah Valley University on the first stop of "The American Comeback Tour" when he was killed.

Today, Turning Point USA says it has chapters in 3,500 high schools and college campuses, 250,000 students as members, and an annual budget of around $80 million. The group said in a Sept. 18 social media post they have recieved more than 62,000 requests from high school and college students since Kirk's shooting, requesting to start a new Turning Point USA chapter or get involved with an existing chapter.

The group gives chapters digital resources, access to request conservative speakers on campus, and a dozen "activism kits" to promote issues ranging from voter registration, free speech and gun access, to kits entitled "Make America Healthy Again."

Its website hosts a “Professor Watchlist” tool that allows students to report teachers and leadership for having “radical left” views. Its similar watchlist for school boards is described as a tool to find and expose leadership supporting "anti-American, radical, hateful, immoral, and racist teachings in their districts, such as Critical Race Theory, the 1619 Project, sexual/gender ideology."

Erika Kirk elected to lead Turning Point USA

Turning Point USA said in an X post on Sept. 18, that its board unanimously elected Erika Kirk as its new CEO and chair of the board.

"In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death," the group said in its announcement.

Erika Kirk, 36, vowed in a speech days after Charlie Kirk was killed by a gunshot wound that she would continue her husband’s work.

“The evil-doers for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done,” she said in her address, posted to Turning Point USA's YouTube page.

Erika Kirk is slated to give keynote addresses at the public memorial service in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, Sept. 21, alongside Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Contributing: Reuters

Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Turning Point USA? What to know about Charlie Kirk’s organization

Reporting by Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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