Morning Wire – Isabel Brown on Charlie Kirk & TPUSA’s Next Chapter

Date: September 20, 2025
Hosts: Georgia Howe & John Bickley
Guest: Isabel Brown (Daily Wire host, former TPUSA chapter president, and The Eye of the Storm director)

Episode Overview

The episode centers on the legacy of Charlie Kirk and the explosive growth and shifting focus of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in the wake of his passing. Hosts Georgia Howe and John Bickley speak with Isabel Brown—whose personal and professional journey was deeply intertwined with Kirk and TPUSA—about the organization’s past challenges, its current revivalist moment, and how it prepares to meet unprecedented grassroots energy. Faith, political activism, and generational change are recurring themes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Isabel Brown’s Origin Story with TPUSA

• Isabel’s Entry to TPUSA:
  • Random Facebook ad for TPUSA’s Young Women’s Leadership Summit in college changed her life.

    “My husband and I met while working for Turning Point USA and our daughter wouldn’t exist otherwise. And really my faith journey as an adult—just marveling at this extraordinary young man’s quest to find the truth of God...” – Isabel Brown (03:00)

  • Hosted Charlie Kirk for his first major campus event at Colorado State in 2018.
  • Kirk’s mentorship shifted her ambitions from medicine to campus and digital activism.

    “Not to work in a fluorescently lit hospital for the rest of my life, but instead to have the courage to speak the truth to our generation...” – Isabel Brown (03:42)

  • Experienced early TPUSA’s guerrilla tactics: setting up tables, distributing “socialism sucks” buttons, and directly challenging campus orthodoxy.

2. The College Campus Climate, Then and Now

• Initial TPUSA Reception:
  • At its inception, little recognition—TPUSA felt like outsiders compared to established groups like College Republicans.
  • Early activism was met by hostility, including notable protests:

    “Antifa was there, ready to protest, ready to be violent. The National Guard for the state of Colorado had to be deployed because of threats to the people in attendance.” – Isabel Brown (05:40)

• Contrast with Today:
  • What was once fringe now commands national traction, far outpacing traditional campus Republican groups in energy and impact.

3. The TPUSA Approach: Reaching Youth Differently

• Methods and Philosophy:
  • TPUSA’s unique appeal: punchy, meme-inspired language; focus on free speech, free markets, and student outreach.
  • Shift from insular community-building to proactive conversation—targeting even those who initially oppose.

    “They didn’t have a sense of going out and reaching a handout to students who might vehemently disagree with your messaging today, but could be pulled over and convinced of your arguments tomorrow...” – Isabel Brown (07:30)

• Evangelical Parallels:
  • TPUSA’s approach is likened to evangelism—melding personal transformation with ideological outreach.

4. The Rise of TPUSA Faith and Spiritual Impact

• Organizational Shift:
  • “Charlie never set out to have this religious revival...but as he went on this deep investigative journey to find the source of truth and to share truth with people, it became obvious to him that that’s inextricably linked to God and to his faith.” – Isabel Brown (08:36)
  • Spontaneous youth religious revival after Kirk’s death:

    “Millions upon millions of Gen Zers around the world went to church for the first time on Sunday, purchased their first Bible...I have probably 5 to 10,000 DMs in my Instagram inbox asking how do I pick up this book, the Bible that I’ve never read, and where do I start praying?” – Isabel Brown (09:10)

• TPUSA Faith:
  • New arm of the organization designed to integrate spiritual leadership and revival into political engagement.
  • Focused on equipping pastors, priests, and religious influencers to “transform” rather than “conform” to the world:

    “Both Salt and light, despite being so different from one another, had a key property of transforming whatever they came into contact with...We have to be in the world and constantly trying to transform the world, not just constantly looking ahead to the next one.” – Isabel Brown (10:47)

5. The “Logistical Explosion”: 54,000+ New Chapter Requests

• Unprecedented Growth:
  • Surge in grassroots interest post-Kirk:

    “There have been tens of thousands of requests for new chapters. As of yesterday it was like 54,000...That’s like a 20x explosion just in less than a week.” – Georgia Howe (11:37)

  • Kirk’s ambitious goal—a TPUSA club in every American high school—no longer seems outlandish.
• Onboarding Process:
  • Prospective chapter leaders apply via TPUSA’s website, are matched with regional field staff, and receive support and materials.
  • Seasoned infrastructure likely to scale operations to meet demand.

6. The Next Chapter for TPUSA and the Conservative Youth Movement

• Unity and Generational Shift:
  • Isabel notes a newfound sense of unity and cooperation among previously compartmentalized conservative groups:

    “Whatever people may have experienced in the past in terms of silly competitiveness...none of that seems to matter anymore...a whole new chapter for the country, a whole new chapter for a generation, a whole new chapter for the conservative movement.” – Isabel Brown (14:00)

  • Acknowledges Kirk’s unique leadership is irreplaceable, but sees broad willingness to shoulder the legacy and sustain the movement’s energy moving forward.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tribute to Charlie Kirk

  “Truly I owe so much, everything really in my life to Charlie Kirk. My career, my family, my husband and I met while working for Turning Point USA...”
  — Isabel Brown (03:00)

• On Early Hostility and Growth

  “The National Guard for the state of Colorado had to be deployed because of threats to the people in attendance and protesting peacefully outside.”
  — Isabel Brown (05:40)

• On the “Socialism Sucks” Campaign

  “Early on, we were handing out buttons on campuses that said socialism sucks and big government sucks, which got the ire of many of our professors and administrators on campuses across the country.”
  — Isabel Brown (05:00)

• Faith and Transformation

  “Both Salt and light...had a key property of transforming whatever they came into contact with. They don’t conform, they don’t affirm, they transform.”
  — Isabel Brown (10:45)

• On Unprecedented Chapter Growth

  “That 54,000 figure I think was as of about 12 hours ago. So I’m sure it’s exploded even further from there.”
  — Isabel Brown (12:12)

• Reflections on the Movement’s Future

  “There will never be another Charlie Kirk. This man’s shoes are completely impossible to even remotely step into, literally, because he had giant, giant shoes as a big guy himself. But the movement is so ready to link arms and to continue his, his real blueprint...”
  — Isabel Brown (14:27)

Important Timestamps

• 02:15 – Isabel Brown’s background & introduction to TPUSA
• 05:10 – Early campus activism challenges and left-wing opposition
• 06:53 – What makes TPUSA different from traditional campus groups
• 08:25 – The intersection of faith and political engagement at TPUSA
• 10:00 – TPUSA Faith: mission and operations
• 11:37 – Logistical implications of surging chapter demand (54,000+)
• 13:47 – Outlook for TPUSA and conservative youth movement post-Kirk

Conclusion

This episode paints TPUSA as an organization rooted in bold youth outreach that now stands at the epicenter of a cultural and spiritual movement among Gen Z, catalyzed by both cultural need and the unexpected martyr-figure of Charlie Kirk. Isabel Brown’s personal anecdotes and insider perspective illuminate how TPUSA’s new chapter is poised to channel both political and spiritual momentum, navigating logistical hurdles and generational change with optimism and unity. The mood is one of gratitude, solemnity, and resolve to honor Kirk’s legacy by “transforming”—not merely participating in—the society around them.