Turning Point USA has sparked fury among loyal Charlie Kirk fans after setting up a replica tent of the one he was assassinated in as a photo opportunity at its latest rally.
The 31-year-old conservative activist and TPUSA founder was shot dead while debating students at Utah Valley University in September.
His widow, Erika, has kept TPUSA active in his honor and has garnered mass support within the MAGA movement, the upper echelons of the Trump administration and Kirk’s enormous fanbase.
But the decision to erect a near replica from his assassination to serve as a backdrop for photos at this weekend’s TPUSA event in Phoenix sparked questions among Kirk fans, spurred by his former friend Candace Owens, who has gone to war with the organization in the months since his death.
‘Recreating the tent Charlie died under for selfies? Seriously?’ she wrote on X.
‘It felt like a seance. I actually want to know whose idea it was.’
Pictures and videos which went viral from the event show streams of people posing inside a tent which featured a similar backdrop to the one Kirk was sitting in front of on the day of his assassination.
Two posters have been erected; one featuring a picture of Kirk at a debate, and another of him on stage.
The decision to erect a replica from his assassination to serve as a backdrop for photos at this weekend’s TPUSA event in Phoenix sparked questions among Kirk fans
The criticism was spurred by his former friend Candace Owens, who has gone to war with the organization in the months since his death
Owens’ criticism came just days after she and Erika met in person following months of antagonistic comments on social media spurring conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk’s death.
The pair both publicly hailed the meeting a success, but Owens has since returned to her standard line of questioning key details about Kirk’s death and the aftermath.
She was far from alone in criticizing TPUSA for the memorial tent, however, with the decision sparking mass fury online.
‘The murder scene recreation photo op was nothing short of sadistic,’ another critic wrote.
‘They recreated the tent where Charlie Kirk was assassinated for people to take selfies… These people are gross and insane,’ a third added.
‘I kid you not, they built a replica of the tent Charlie was shot in at AmericaFest for people to take photos in. Maybe we should build Twin Tower replicas or Auschwitz ovens too?’
But Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet denied they were doing anything of the sort.
‘It was not the tent where Charlie was assassinated. We made many of them for the tour and this was an entirely different tent,’ he told The Daily Mail.
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Is it ever appropriate to turn a tragic site into a photo opportunity for fans?
Erika Kirk revealed at the event that TPUSA would endorse Kirk’s friend, VP JD Vance, as president for 2028
TPUSA has denied the tent was a replica and insisted it was set up as a memorial to Kirk
‘We put up the tent as a tribute to Charlie, who lost his life fighting for free speech and debate. One of the themes of the conference is to “be courageous and pick up your own microphone.” This is a shameless attack against young people who were inspired by Charlie’s life and courage.’
In the conference’s closing speech, Kirk’s close friend Vice President JD Vance took to the stage, offering somewhat of a pitch to conservative voters ahead of the 2028 election.
He declined to condemn extremism or define a boundary for the MAGA movement, arguing it should be open to anyone as long as they ‘love America.’
‘I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to de-platform.’
Erika pledged Turning Point’s support for Vance to be the next Republican presidential nominee.
‘We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,’ she said on the first night of the convention. Vance would be the 48th president if he takes office after Trump.
Turning Point is a major force on the right, with a massive volunteer network around the country that can be especially helpful in early primary states.
But Owens has set about tarnishing the reputation of the organization with a series of inflammatory videos casting doubt on the suspect accused of murdering Kirk and criticizing how TPUSA is being run in the wake of his death.
Kirk was assassinated while debating students at he Utah Valley University on September 10
He frequently visited schools and attracted large crowds to discuss conservative values with students
The political commentator was a prominent TPUSA speaker and director of communications until 2020 when she parted ways amid disagreements over her views going ‘too down the rabbit holes.’
Insiders revealed to the Daily Mail last week that Erika boarded a private flight from her home in Arizona to meet Owens at a secret location in Nashville to discuss Owens’ concerns.
The meeting, which went on for nearly five hours, was described as ‘productive’, with the hope the pair have buried the hatchet.
