Fight for Youth Vote After Kirk's Death

TL;DR

A New York Times article examines the battle for college students' votes between Turning Point USA, a new Democratic group, and Nick Fuentes after Charlie Kirk's assassination.
Nick Fuentes, a 27-year-old white nationalist, urges followers to skip voting or back Democrats amid eroding Trump youth support; Zee Cohen-Sanchez leads National Ground Game on campuses once ruled by Turning Point.
This three-way fight signals Turning Point's post-Kirk struggles and a fragmented right-wing youth movement ahead of 2026 midterms.

The story at a glance

After Charlie Kirk's assassination last September, Turning Point USA faces challenges holding campus influence as President Trump's youth support drops. A fledgling Democratic group called National Ground Game, founded by Zee Cohen-Sanchez, and far-right white nationalist Nick Fuentes are pushing for gains among college students. The article, by Robert Draper from Tempe, Ariz., and La Grange, Ill., covers this first election cycle without Kirk.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/us/politics/charlie-kirk-turning-point-youth-democrats-fuentes.html)

Key points

Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated in September 2025 at Utah Valley University; the group had dominated conservative campus organizing with chapters at over 850 colleges.[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/style/americafest-turning-point-usa-charlie-kirk.html)[[3]](https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-turning-point-e771e3967d5a6024f7cf84d5e0228fed)
Nick Fuentes, 27, a white nationalist with "Groypers" followers, tells them to stay home or vote Democratic to protest Trump, exploiting rifts like Israel policy; he long feuded with Kirk during "Groyper Wars" at Turning Point events.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/us/politics/charlie-kirk-turning-point-youth-democrats-fuentes.html)[[4]](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/us/politics/nick-fuentes-trump.html)
Zee Cohen-Sanchez founded National Ground Game, a new Democratic effort targeting campuses; she appeared at an Arizona State event, barred initially as non-student, to build youth turnout.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/us/politics/charlie-kirk-turning-point-youth-democrats-fuentes.html)[[5]](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXFRAlqj7rj)
Turning Point remains strong but struggles post-Kirk; his widow Erika leads it amid internal conservative fights over figures like Fuentes and Tucker Carlson.[[6]](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/us/politics/charlie-kirk.html)
Trump's support among young voters is "rapidly eroding," opening the youth vote to these competitors in the 2026 midterms.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/us/politics/charlie-kirk-turning-point-youth-democrats-fuentes.html)

Details and context

Kirk built Turning Point USA from age 18 into a major force for conservative youth, raising millions and mobilizing voters through campus chapters and events like AmericaFest. His death created a void, with reports of infighting at Turning Point's 2025 AmericaFest, where Ben Shapiro called Fuentes an "evil troll" and criticized Carlson's interview with him.[[7]](https://apnews.com/article/turning-point-charlie-kirk-americafest-c1ef8d3535191e58ce2aa731d242bebf)[[8]](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/21/maga-stars-turning-point-conference)

Fuentes, a rival, has grown his audience among alienated young men via streaming, pushing white identity politics; post-Kirk, some Turning Point followers drift his way despite past clashes.[[4]](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/us/politics/nick-fuentes-trump.html)

National Ground Game represents Democrats' push to counter conservative campus dominance, with Cohen-Sanchez fighting for access like Kirk once did.[[5]](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXFRAlqj7rj)

Key quotes

"The student vote isn’t owned. It’s fought for. Charlie Kirk understood that. Nick Fuentes gets it too." – Zee Cohen-Sanchez, National Ground Game founder.[[5]](https://www.instagram.com/p/DXFRAlqj7rj)

Why it matters

The youth vote, once Turning Point's stronghold under Kirk, now faces pulls from Democrats and far-right nationalists, testing the GOP's hold on young conservatives amid Trump fatigue. For voters and campus activists, this means more competing messages on campuses, potentially shifting turnout in tight races. Watch Turning Point's midterm performance and Fuentes' influence, though his fringe status could limit or backfire on broader GOP gains.