A Texas man has been charged after authorities say he posted and emailed threats aimed at an upcoming Turning Point USA event and Erika Kirk, the chief executive of the conservative nonprofit. Jacob Wenske, 26, faces a third-degree felony count of making a terroristic threat involving public fear of serious bodily injury or public disruption.
The investigation began after a local newspaper published a Facebook post promoting the TPUSA Women’s Leadership Summit, scheduled for June 5–7 at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk. Prosecutors say Wenske replied, “I know exactly where to bomb,” and later wrote, “I can’t wait to be the valet for her escort,” in the same thread.
In a separate email, authorities say, Wenske escalated the threats further. He allegedly wrote, “Death to Erika Kirk and every single speaker there!! America will live on without those scum on this earth. Every Christian nationalist shall perish in the bombing that will take place at every single Turning Point rally and event,” according to the allegations.
TPUSA said it takes threats seriously and that its events include added protections. “The safety of our attendees, speakers, and staff is always our top priority. All TPUSA events include enhanced, multi-layered security measures enforced by both private security and local police,” a spokesperson said. The organization also said, “We refuse to let threats silence us. We look forward to a successful and inspiring gathering June 5–7 in San Antonio for 2,500+ ladies attending the Women’s Leadership Summit!”
The threats land at a fraught moment for Erika Kirk, who took over leadership of TPUSA after the public assassination of her husband and co-founder, Charlie Kirk, at a TPUSA event in Utah last year. In April, she canceled a planned appearance at a TPUSA event at the University of Georgia after what organizers described as very serious threats, underscoring how often security has become part of the story around her appearances.
That is the tension surrounding this case: the June summit is still on the calendar, but the organization is already operating with the expectation that threats may follow its chief executive wherever she goes. For Wenske, the next step is the criminal case now filed against him; for TPUSA, the test is whether it can hold a large public gathering in San Antonio while keeping the risk under control.
