When Erika Kirk took the stage at Turning Point USA’s annual convention in Phoenix, the air was thick with anticipation—and more than a little tension. Just months after the tragic assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk, Erika had inherited not just a legacy but a political movement in flux. The gathering was a crucible: debates over the boundaries of conservatism, anxieties about bigotry, and the looming question of what comes after the Trump era. Yet, in the midst of ideological crossfire, Erika Kirk’s presence was unmistakable—a new leader navigating the storm. At the 2025 summit, her endorsement of Vice President...