The University of Arkansas chapter of Turning Point USA announced that it has cut ties with the national organization and will rebrand as Young American Revival. This decision came just a week after Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk visited Arkansas for an event with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Dino Fantegrossi, the former President of the university chapter, said the decision followed talks with the group’s executive board.
In a public statement, he mentioned that the chapter voted unanimously to leave Turning Point USA and continue as an independent student organization with a new name. The group plans to keep promoting Christian conservative values and, free from the limitations of a 501(c)(3) structure, support grassroots conservative candidates.
Fantegrossi expressed that the chapter’s main concern was how the national organization has referenced the legacy of Charlie Kirk, the group’s founder, since his death last year. “We are generally put off by how Charlie Kirk has been used by TPUSA since his assassination,” he said.
📣👏University of Arkansas chapter of Turning Point USA announces disaffiliation from national group. The move comes less than a week after TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk’s visit to the Natural State, which brought the governor’s official endorsement of the organization. pic.twitter.com/FOOivv2zfP
— Teresa (@TeresAbetterLif) March 17, 2026
He added that phrases like “Charlie would have said” and “Charlie would have wanted” felt “disingenuous and manipulative.” He noted that Charlie Kirk “cannot speak for himself anymore” and emphasized that the Arkansas chapter did not agree with how others tried to represent him.
The chapter also indicated it did not want its next phase to start with public conflict with the national group. In its statement, it said it would not make additional public comments about Turning Point USA and would focus on building its new organization on campus.
The split followed Erika Kirk’s appearance in Arkansas on March 11 alongside Sanders, who signed a proclamation encouraging high schools and colleges across the state to establish Turning Point USA chapters.
The proclamation was ceremonial and did not create new funding or legal requirements; however, it publicly encouraged schools to allow students to form such groups and engage in political and religious speech. Erika Kirk spoke to students at the event, assuring them that Turning Point USA would support them.
Arkansas was proud to welcome @TPUSA’s @MrsErikaKirk!
Excited to have you here as we work to bring Club America chapters to students across Arkansas and empower the next generation of leaders. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/gg6zdV8RqC
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 11, 2026
Sanders praised Kirk during the event, calling her one of the conservative movement’s most vocal and loyal leaders. The event publicly supported Turning Point USA in Arkansas, even as the University of Arkansas chapter was preparing to branch out on its own. Fantegrossi did not directly address Sanders’ proclamation or the statewide initiative in his statement.
Turning Point USA was founded in 2012 and became one of the most prominent conservative youth organizations in the country. Charlie Kirk, its founder, was shot on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University, according to The Associated Press. His death led to widespread support from conservatives, and Erika Kirk later became the CEO of the organization.
Neither the Arkansas chapter nor the national organization indicated any immediate legal disputes over the separation. For now, the break leaves the Fayetteville-based student group operating under a new name, with its leaders stating they want to continue conservative activism on their own terms while moving away from the national brand.
