By JONATHAN J. COOPER<\/p>\n
Chants of \u201cCharlie, Charlie\u201d broke out on the second night of President Donald Trump\u2019s midterm convention as Republicans paid tribute Thursday to Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA leader<\/a> who was assassinated one year ago. <\/p>\n The normally festive and rowdy crowd inside the basketball arena in Dallas quickly hushed as a five-minute memorial video began playing. It was a somber interlude in the convention\u2019s parade of candidates.<\/p>\n \u201cOne year later, there is something wonderfully defiant about the fact that his voice has not grown quieter,\u201d said Lucas Miles, a pastor and Turning Point vice president. He said the organization\u2019s membership and social media following have \u201cmultiplied.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirk was a singular figure on the right. He created a sprawling network of chapters on college campuses, hosted an influential podcast and built a loyal following among young Christian conservatives. He was also a powerbroker on the right with relationships across various factions that comprise Trump\u2019s \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d movement. <\/p>\n Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking on the campus of Utah Valley University. <\/p>\n Tyler Robinson, 23, could face the death penalty<\/a> if convicted of aggravated murder in Kirk\u2019s death. He has pleaded not guilty. He turned himself in<\/a> a day after the shooting.<\/p>\n No one has emerged to fully fill Kirk\u2019s shoes since his death, and the movement he built has been rattled by infighting over the circumstances of his death. A vocal contingent, led by prominent podcaster Candice Owens, has questioned the official narrative of Utah prosecutors who say Robinson was the lone killer. Conspiracy theories have proliferated online.<\/p>\n Miles seemed to address the tension from the stage. <\/p>\n \u201cTurning Point is not dead,\u201d he said. \u201cThe organization Charlie founded is still growing. A new generation is stepping forward.\u201d<\/p>\n