'Empty-hall embarrassment' is swamping Trump and Vance as TPUSA falls apart: report
The developing schism within Turning Point USA after the death of founder Charlie Kirk and the ascension of his wife, Erika Kirk as the new CEO is making life much more difficult for Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance as they try to keep their agenda alive.
According to a report from the New York Times' Richard Fausset, TPUSA is undergoing a massive fracturing as chapters strike out on their own under new names, and the remaining members balk at the president’s war on Iran.
The attendance collapse at recent TPUSA rallies is stark and a warning to the Trump administration.
When Vice President JD Vance headlined a Turning Point event at the University of Georgia in Athens earlier this week, the numbers told a story of organizational decay: "In an arena that accommodates 6,500 people, roughly 1,300 attended, according to city officials," the Times reported.
Conservative Never-Trump commentator Charlie Sykes captured the humiliation as "empty-hall embarrassment." Photos of the nearly empty stands circulated online, accompanied by biting criticism.
Trump suffered similar humiliation at his own TPUSA event in a Phoenix church on Friday night — only two-thirds full despite the much smaller venue.
Kirk's absence has exposed organizational chaos beneath the surface, with the Times noting: "Mr. Kirk's engaging personality and rhetorical skill helped to hold it all together. But in his absence, the cracks have begun to show."
The internal divisions are multiplying. In December, "disagreements within the movement — over support for Israel, the showcasing of conspiracy theorists and who is rightfully American" erupted during AmericaFest in Phoenix. Now the conservative split over Trump's Iran war is amplifying deeper questions about the organization's direction and purpose.
Chapter leadership is fragmenting according to the Times. At the University of Arkansas, the turmoil has consumed leadership discussions. Ava Lacey, a student from Mississippi on the executive board, said the chapter wanted to be more political than its nonprofit status allowed — a sign of frustration with organizational constraints.
Young members are abandoning Trump entirely. Tyler Cox, 24, a former member of the Arkansas Turning Point chapter, expressed his disillusionment starkly: "I used to be a big Trump fan, like in 2016, because he spoke his mind. I think there's a lot of things with this administration now that I don't agree with."
Cox said he's "not very interested in joining the new group" — an ominous indictment coming from a longtime activist in the organization.