After the Assassination: TPUSA Reels from Candace Owens’ Leaked Texts and Legacy Rift

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) is grappling with a fresh wave of turmoil. The conservative organization, still mourning its founder’s death, has been thrust into the spotlight after former protégé Candace Owens publicly shared leaked text messages from Kirk.

The messages, sent just two days before he was shot and killed, reveal Kirk’s frustrations with pressure from pro-Israel donors. The screenshots, published on Owens’ show on October 6, 2025, show Kirk venting in a group chat of nine people.

“Just lost another huge Jewish donor. $2 million a year because we won’t cancel [Israel critic Tucker Carlson],” Kirk wrote. “I cannot and will not be bullied like this. Leaving me no choice but to leave the pro-Israel cause.”

Owens, who acquired the messages from an external source unrelated to TPUSA, defended her decision as a pursuit of truth to honor her late friend. She even claimed Kirk appeared to her in a dream, hinting at a potential professional reunion before his death.

“Did he just, 48 hours later, conveniently catch a bullet to the throat before our on-stage reunion?” she questioned on her show—a statement that reverberated through conservative circles.

Inside TPUSA, the release triggered immediate alarm. Andrew Kolvet, the organization’s spokesman and a close confidant of Kirk, confirmed the texts’ authenticity but argued they were taken out of context. In a 23-minute segment on The Charlie Kirk Show, Kolvet described Kirk’s words as “nuanced,” reflecting the stress of donor demands to blacklist figures like Tucker Carlson, rather than a complete abandonment of support for Israel.

Kolvet revealed he had already shared the messages with federal investigators probing the attack by suspected shooter Tyler Robinson.

“I’m actually relieved the truth is out there,” he said, stressing TPUSA’s commitment to cooperating with authorities. “We want justice for Charlie. Our team is actively pursuing that and actively cooperating with investigators.”

Senior TPUSA figures urged staff and allies to avoid engaging in a public feud with Owens, fearing it would exacerbate the distraction.

“This was the kind of distraction Charlie always feared,” a source confided.

Instead, the organization emphasized unity and preserving Kirk’s legacy.

“We have a sacred duty to make sure all this love and support for him and Turning Point is not squandered,” Kolvet stated. “That’s what we’ll stay focused on, because Charlie would demand it of us.”

Owens responded to Kolvet’s handling as a “friend,” expressing disappointment that he hadn’t shared the texts privately but noting she was “glad” he addressed the issue “correctly.” She later likened the emerging rift over Kirk’s legacy to the TV series Succession, describing it as “warring siblings fighting over the empire their father built.”

The irony hasn’t been lost on TPUSA insiders. Kirk, who dedicated his career to bridging divides within the conservative movement, now finds his memory at the center of one.

“The man who had spent his career keeping rival factions at peace had become the subject of a feud,” one source lamented.

A longtime friend of Kirk added bluntly:

“She is free to say what she wants, ask what she wants. I just think she’s taking it in the wrong direction.”