Who is the chairperson and executive leadership of Turning Point USA in 2025?
Executive summary
Erika Kirk was named CEO of Turning Point USA on September 18, 2025, succeeding her late husband Charlie Kirk after his assassination [1]. TPUSA’s own materials and news outlets show Erika leading the organization into late 2025 while senior staff such as Senior Director Josh Thifault and other operatives are publicly active in expansion efforts [2] [3]. Available sources do not give a complete, formal roster of all executive officers or a board chair for Turning Point USA in 2025 beyond the CEO appointment and named senior directors (not found in current reporting).
1. Who was installed as CEO after Charlie Kirk’s death — and when
Turning Point USA announced that Erika Kirk, the widow of founder Charlie Kirk, was named CEO on September 18, 2025, a formal succession reported by Axios and reflected on TPUSA’s team pages [1] [2]. Multiple profiles and the organization’s website describe her appointment as the immediate leadership transition following Charlie Kirk’s murder in September 2025 [4] [2].
2. What the sources say about other senior leadership
TPUSA’s public team pages and news coverage show other senior staff in visible roles throughout 2025—most prominently “Senior Director” Josh Thifault, who appeared alongside Texas officials during a high-profile expansion announcement, and other named senior directors and contributors listed on TPUSA’s site [2] [3] [5]. Politico and Texas coverage reference TPUSA operatives leading state-level outreach and operations, but those articles do not present a full executive roster or identify a separate formal board chair position [6] [3].
3. The organizational picture: CEO vs. public face and senior directors
Charlie Kirk had been the organization’s public face and executive director; after his death TPUSA framed Erika Kirk as CEO charged with carrying forward the group’s mission [4] [1]. At the same time, the organization’s tactical and state work appears run by senior directors and regional leads—Josh Thifault is explicitly labelled a senior director and was the visible TPUSA representative at the December 2025 Texas announcement [3] [7]. That suggests a CEO at national level supplemented by a cadre of senior directors overseeing operations and expansion [2] [3].
4. Media coverage and partisan dynamics around the succession
Coverage is sharply divided. Outlets like Axios and public TPUSA materials present Erika Kirk’s appointment as a continuity move to stabilize and expand the organization [1] [2]. Other reporting highlights internal friction and public disputes among prominent conservative figures — for example, reporting of tensions between Kirk loyalists and other right‑wing personalities, though sensational tabloid accounts (Daily Mail) amplify accusations that TPUSA insiders betrayed Charlie Kirk; those claims are contested and not corroborated by mainstream outlets in the provided corpus [8]. Available sources do not fully corroborate objective details of any internal power struggle beyond public statements and social-media disputes (not found in current reporting).
5. What is not settled in publicly available reporting
No single provided source lists a formal board chair or a comprehensive 2025 executive leadership roster for TPUSA beyond Erika Kirk’s CEO role and references to named senior directors (available sources do not mention a board chair or full C-suite for 2025). The organization’s own “Team” page references Erika’s leadership but does not enumerate every officer or any independent board chair in the materials provided [2].
6. Why the question matters: influence, expansion and political partnerships
TPUSA’s leadership change occurred as the group reported spikes in chapter inquiries and pursued state-level partnerships—Texas announced plans to expand TPUSA chapters statewide with visible participation from TPUSA senior staff and top state officials, demonstrating the organization’s institutional momentum under new leadership [3] [7]. That makes clarity about who runs TPUSA significant because the CEO and senior directors steer outreach, fundraising and political activity in contested civic spaces [1] [3].
7. Bottom line and recommended follow-ups
Based on available reporting, Erika Kirk is the CEO of Turning Point USA as of September 18, 2025 [1]. Senior directors such as Josh Thifault are operational leaders visible in expansion efforts [3] [7]. For a complete, formal list of 2025 executives — including any board chair or officers beyond those named publicly — consult TPUSA’s filings (Form 990) or an updated organizational page/press release from TPUSA, because the supplied sources do not publish a full executive roster or corporate governance listing (available sources do not mention a formal board chair or complete C-suite).