Washington Examiner breaking news reporter Ross O’Keefe detailed the strategy Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk has for her organization in 2028, citing how he’s been told Kirk is a “unifying force” for the current conservative movement.
Kirk endorsed Vice President JD Vance for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination at TPUSA’s AmericaFest 2025, which is being held approximately three months after her husband, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated at a TPUSA event. O’Keefe said he’s heard from a source who works for the Trump administration attending AmericaFest that TPUSA will seek to win over young women in 2028, a major voting bloc for the nation’s next president.
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“Polling really shows that young women, especially Gen Z young women, are the most liberal group in the United States. Obviously, Turning Point did a good job of converting young men to the conservative cause in 2024, but I think Turning Point really wants Erika to lead the effort for young women to come to the conservative cause in 2028,” O’Keefe said on NewsNation with Marni Hughes.
“And I think if JD Vance was able to gain some support of young women, and by a proxy of Erika Kirk’s endorsement of him, I think that will make him a very tough opponent for whoever he goes up against in 2028, if he does choose to run,” O’Keefe said.
O’Keefe added that Kirk is a “unifying force” for Vance at AmericaFest, citing how political commentators such as DailyWire’s Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson are “barking at each other,” while Kirk is corralling support for the vice president. He also said this was the best time for Kirk to give her endorsement, as she recently forgave her husband’s assassin, and many people are in tune with her and her statements.
Vance has not said whether he will run for president in 2028, though this hasn’t halted speculation over the possibility. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) joined Kirk in giving Vance an early endorsement at AmericaFest on Saturday.
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For Democrats, one possible 2028 candidate is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who suggested she’d “stomp” Vance in a hypothetical presidential showdown. The congresswoman pointed to a Verasight poll on social media that showed her beating the vice president 51% to 49% in such a matchup.
Besides Vance, another possible candidate is Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who previously ran for president for the 2024 election cycle before endorsing President Donald Trump. Recent moves by the governor, such as a desire to redistrict the state of Florida, could indicate another possible bid for the White House.