Erika Kirk, CEO of right-wing think tank Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and the widow of American political commentator Charlie Kirk, is expected to visit Northern Ireland on a tour to recruit young people to the organisation.
According to the Belfast Telegraph, ex-DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr is backing a plan to launch a branch of TPUSA in Northern Ireland.
TPUSA aims to recruit students and young people aged 15 to 25 as “activists” to advance its right-wing Christian agenda.
There is already a UK branch of TPUSA (TPUK), which holds events on campuses across England, Wales, and Scotland. According to their website, they aim to “End Political Indoctrination”, “Champion Patriotism”, “Protect Free Speech”, “Promote Family Values”, and “Oppose Socialism” with a “Youth Focused Approach”.
They specifically mention “Champion[ing] patriotism, British culture, and pride in our nation’s history and values”. Furthermore, they aim to “challenge the left leaning bias in our institutions and wider society, expose the far left and end the tyranny of woke ideology”.
TPUSA was founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk and conservative “Tea Party” activist Bill Montgomery. TPUSA also has strong ties with the United States President Donald Trump, and most recently, put on an alternative halftime show for the Super Bowl, calling it an “All-American Halftime Show” as an alternative to musician Bad Bunny’s official performance. Bad Bunny’s performance garnered 128.2 million viewers, while TPUSA’s received about 4 million.
TPUSA has previously faced legal action for making misleading claims about COVID-19 during the pandemic and allegedly violating campaign finance rules during the 2016 US presidential election.
TPUK has participated in several protests and events against immigration, Palestine, the LGBTQ+ community, and vaccines.
The Irish Independent quoted one source close to the organisation as saying, “There have been talks ongoing for some time, and there is a real ‘let’s get this going’ attitude.” “Obviously, Charlie’s murder paused the international operation, but people are keen to get it moving again. There are a lot of conservative young men here in Northern Ireland looking for a home in Turning Point, but there are less young women stepping forward.” “Erika Kirk is a role model to them, and so she’s being encouraged to come to Northern Ireland. That will really boost the movement and get things moving. I’m confident it is going to happen soon. There are a lot of people working to make it happen sooner rather than later.”
