Leaders at Turning Point USA publicly celebrated what they framed as a cultural victory on Super Bowl Sunday, after the organization’s alternative halftime show garnered nearly 20 million YouTube views.
The performance, positioned as a rebuttal to Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language halftime spectacle, quickly gained traction among conservative audiences.
Highlights
- TPUSA insiders say the organization is fracturing from internal leaks and ideological clashes.
- PR staffer Aubrey Laitsch says she was fired for questioning the narrative around Charlie Kirk’s passing.
- Candace Owens is accused of destabilizing the group by pushing conspiracy theories and airing private footage.
But behind the celebratory tone, sources say TPUSA has been consumed by an internal crisis that erupted in the aftermath of founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September, one now resulting in firings and alleged growing mistrust inside the organization.
Insiders claim the organization has been infiltrated by individuals who seek to dismantle it, leaking information to fuel conspiracy theories.
Sources said Turning Point USA is facing an internal crisis as it faces leaks and conspiracy theories
Image credits: Caylo Seals/Getty Images
According to the Daily Mail, multiple sources they described as “well-placed” inside and outside TPUSA say leadership has identified what they believe to be internal leakers funneling sensitive material to outside figures hostile to the group.
While online speculation claimed that dozens of employees were terminated, one insider pushed back.
“Online rumors that 30–40 employees were fired are laughably untrue and false,” the source said. “It’s more like 3–4.”
One of those dismissed was PR staffer Aubrey Laitsch, who released a nearly 13-minute video on X after being fired for allegedly criticizing her bosses to an Uber driver – an accusation she denied.
“I have a gut feeling that I was terminated from Turning Point because I am questioning the narrative of what happened to my role model and CEO, Charlie Kirk, on the day of his assassination,” Laitsch said.
Image credits: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation
Within minutes, her claims were amplified by influencer Candace Owens, who wrote, “One of the fired employees from Turning Point USA speaks out about the organization’s new direction!”
Owens has repeatedly clashed with TPUSA since Kirk’s passing, promoting conspiratorial theories suggesting internal and international coordination behind the incident.
Influencer Candace Owens has been instrumental in the dissemination of theories that seek to harm Kirk’s movement
Image credits: turningpointusa
Following Kirk’s assassination, his widow, Erika Kirk, was overwhelmingly voted in as CEO to guide the organization through its transition. According to insiders, Owens immediately began positioning herself as a destabilizing force, questioning Erika’s leadership and circulating inflammatory narratives.
Image credits: turningpointusa
In mid-December, the two women held a four-hour private meeting that was initially described as productive.
That truce collapsed days later when Owens publicized a leaked Zoom recording showing Erika addressing distraught TPUSA staff shortly after her husband’s homicide.
Owens characterized the video as proof of what she had been saying, describing Erika as “giddy” and mocking her reference to Charlie Kirk’s public funeral as “the event of the century.”
Image credits: turningpointusa
An internal source confirmed the recording was authentic and believed it was deliberately leaked after the recent firings.
“The leaks have been confirmed and verified,” the source said. “The presumption is that they didn’t share it before they were fired because they knew it looks really bad to attack a widow for thanking her team.”
No formal misconduct allegations were leveled against Laitsch, but insiders believe the firings were directly tied to concerns over loyalty and information security.
TPUSA is allegedly under attack from an internal faction that believes the organization is compromised
This was not the first internal leak linked to Owens. Days after Kirk’s passing, a private text message exchange surfaced showing him venting about donors threatening to pull a $2 million contribution over his stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
“I cannot and will not be bullied this week,” Kirk wrote.
Image credits: NFL
Turning Point confirmed the messages were authentic and said they were handed over to the Justice Department as part of the homicide investigation. How they later reached Owens remains unexplained.
A source claiming to be a close confidante of Kirk believes the leaks point to deeper ideological fractures within TPUSA itself.
“It absolutely seems to me that Candace Owens has numerous close sources inside TPUSA,” the associate told the Daily Mail.
“This is hardly surprising, as Groyper ideology has unfortunately seeped in and influenced much of TPUSA in recent years.”
Image credits: SwordTruth
The term Groypers refers to a set of political beliefs that criticize the perceived prevalence of what they call “Jewish influence” in media, finance, foreign policy, and conservative institutions.
For this reason, Groypers are critical of mainstream conservatism, labeling them “controlled opposition.”
The associate warned that the organization is approaching a breaking point.
“Bottom line: TPUSA is in real trouble following Charlie’s assassination,” they said. “They need to figure out and clarify who exactly they now are and what exactly they now stand for.”
"Grifting." Netizens took to social media to share their thoughts on TPUSA's situation
