A year after Charlie Kirk’s death, are young voters turning on Trump?

What the report says

One year after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Al Jazeera reports that Turning Point USA, the youth-focused organisation he co-founded, has continued to grow its campus footprint across the United States. The group says it now has more than 3,500 high school chapters and more than 1,500 college chapters, both up sharply since Kirk’s death in September 2025. Kirk was closely aligned with President Donald Trump and was shot while speaking to students at Utah Valley University.

The article says the expansion comes at a time when Republicans are facing weaker support among younger voters, especially young men. Polling cited by Al Jazeera and Reuters shows approval of Trump among men ages 18 to 29 slipping during 2026, while broader surveys point to economic concerns such as inflation and financial insecurity as major worries for this age group. The story also notes that opposition to US military action in Iran is strong among young people, reflecting broader policy disagreements.

Al Jazeera says Kirk’s death also had political consequences beyond campus organizing, including a Trump administration crackdown on groups it described as domestic terrorist organizations. Within Turning Point USA, the publication reports, debates over US support for Israel have become more visible. Even so, the organization’s growing network still gives Republicans a tool to reach younger voters before the November 3 congressional midterm elections.

The group plans memorial events for Kirk at Utah Valley University and at the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, Texas.