AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Yesterday, tens of thousands of people gathered at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, for the memorial of Charlie Kirk. The right-wing activist founded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA at the age of 18, and he was a major figure in Republican politics when he was killed at the age of 31. Many in the MAGA world are now sorting through what is next for his movement. NPR political reporter Elena Moore joins us now from Phoenix, Arizona. Hi, Elena.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Hey, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK, let's start with Turning Point USA. Where might that group go without Charlie Kirk, you think?
MOORE: It's a really complicated question to answer because so much of Turning Point's draw was built on Kirk's own personality and leadership. They're big shoes to fill, and no single person can replace him, says Turning Point spokesman Andrew Kolvet.
ANDREW KOLVET: I think that would be the worst way to analyze this situation. The right way to analyze this situation is to say, what can I do? And I will tell you, it's the total refrain in the office right now. It's like, what would Charlie have wanted in this moment?
MOORE: And he told me that Kirk's team is stepping up, you know, led by his widow, Erika Kirk, who was named the new CEO of Turning Point last week.
CHANG: Yeah, Erika Kirk has been really thrown into the spotlight now. Like, do we have a sense of what kind of leader she might be?
MOORE: Well, she's no stranger to the public eye or the Turning Point movement. She already had a large social media following before Kirk's death, talking about her Christian faith and her family, but she appears to also be a very skilled messenger, especially on those ideas. That was especially clear during her speech at the memorial, when she emphasized Kirk's work with young people especially, and told young men to, quote, "accept Charlie's challenge and embrace true manhood."
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ERIKA KIRK: Be strong and courageous for your families. Love your wives and lead them.
MOORE: And she also made this point.
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KIRK: Your wife is not your slave. She is your helper. You are not rivals.
MOORE: And, you know, she had several notable moments, even at one point saying she forgave the young man who is accused of killing Charlie Kirk, her husband, bringing many people to tears. So it's clear she's already had some impact. But again, Turning Point is not expecting her to push their larger message alone. Notably, since Kirk died, we've seen some of the most prominent voices in the MAGA world step in to host his show nearly every day. And now many are also expected to speak as part of Turning Point's college tour, which Kirk had just kicked off when he was killed.
CHANG: OK, so lots of attention from top conservative voices, but is that translating to the grassroots level, where Kirk first had an impact?
MOORE: I think supporters and staff are hopeful. Turning Point has had tens of thousands of inquiries from young people looking to get involved or start chapters. But even outside the organization, we've seen young people ramp up their own efforts to keep Kirk's style of campus debate alive. Twenty-five-year-old content creator Cam Higby is - he's part of a small group that decided to travel together to different campuses, visiting campuses. And I talked to them while they were on the road, and here's how he described their goals.
CAM HIGBY: Show them you're not afraid, it's OK to talk to people who disagree with you, and honor Charlie. Those are the - I think, the three tiers of what we're trying to accomplish.
MOORE: We're also just going to start seeing more activism inspired by Kirk, I think. I talked to several young people at his memorial who said they're pushing themselves to be less afraid of sharing their political views, even if that means, Ailsa, losing friends. One young woman told me that Kirk gave her a voice, but now she has to, quote, "stand up for herself."
CHANG: That is NPR's Elena Moore in Phoenix, Arizona. Thank you so much, Elena.
MOORE: Good to be with you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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