Latest news with #AmericanComebackTour
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Charlie Kirk's visit proves conservatism is loud and proud at the University of Tennessee
If there's strength in numbers, the state of the conservative movement at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is strong. MAGA leader Charlie Kirk's visit to Knoxville on March 13 was a celebration for college conservatives asserting their influence at UT and campuses across the country. Students who showed up to hear Kirk told Knox News they once felt ostracized for their beliefs, even in decidedly Republican Tennessee. "I feel like conservatives feel like they can voice their opinions now more than ever just because of the real red wave that happened in the election," UT student Ella Williams, a freshman from Memphis, told Knox News. The University of Tennessee Humanities amphitheater served as an arena for thousands of students to cheer on Kirk, especially as he took on challengers as part of a public debate he incorporates into all his campus appearances. Students lined the benches to hear Kirk speak and debate. Dozens of students who disagreed with him took the bait. They walked away with varying levels of satisfaction. The "ask me anything" event is part of the his American Comeback Tour. Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA, is going to five other universities this year, and it's expected to announce more soon. Kirk's entrance into the outdoor amphitheater resembled that of a rock star. Men in fraternity gear worked their way to the front to be near him while women in MAGA hats gushed and took videos as he passed by. Both liberal and conservative voters told Knox News before the November election they want a fighter to speak for them, and conservative students have found their champion in Kirk. Dozens of dissenters lined up to pose questions to Kirk about topics from abortion to DEI to homelessness in Knoxville, and the audience of Kirk's likeminded thinkers "boo'd" and heckled them as they made their points. Camps of students protesting Kirk came and went around the open lawn, though none held a candle to Kirk's supporters. The goal was to challenge the notion that college campuses are liberal, and UT students used Kirk, who frequently takes aim at the country's higher education system, to do it. "Obviously, you're going to have people on either side that are loudly voicing their opinions, but there's definitely a lot more conservative ideation and values than is talked about at major universities," said Williams, the freshman from Memphis. Student Nico Comstock, who attended the event but stood off to the side, was quick to clarify to Knox News that he doesn't like Kirk. Comstock showed up to prove you can disagree with someone but stand up respectfully for your views. "I think that (Kirk) has a lot of influence on campus and a lot of influence with the public," Comstock said. "I wanted to show that there are people on campus that weren't influenced by him that were able to show up to something, that were able to see something and listen to something like this, and not be drawn into it. To have your own convictions and stand for it." Emma Arns, a junior from Chicago who's a leader in UT's chapter of Turning Point USA, said members put hours of work into the event. Organizers spread the news through word of mouth among friends and by setting up tables in public spaces on campus. "We want to have some discourse on campus and some debate. What people here want to see is him give his perspective and help other people come up with arguments on how to debate the left," Arns said. The students who debated Kirk, such as T'Lise Fuller, a global studies student from Washington, felt like it didn't matter what arguments were made. Kirk would disagree no matter what, and the crowd would follow. Fuller spoke to Kirk about her views on diversity, equity and inclusion. She found common ground with Kirk (and his audience) when it came to Christianity, but only when it suited their perspective, she told Knox News. "When I brought views about faith, they clapped. However, they didn't clap when I brought about views that Jesus sat with sinners and learned about people with different backgrounds," Fuller said. "You clap when you know something, but are you receptive when the opposing side brings about the same facts?" One topic of conversation hit closer to home in Knoxville than others. Savannah Smith, a junior at UT and daughter of blue-collar workers worried about President Donald Trump's tariffs, quizzed Kirk about homelessness. Smith works for homeless shelters in Knoxville and told Kirk most of her clients are homeless because of the city's affordable housing crisis. Kirk told her she's wrong, and that every homeless person has a choice. "(If someone's homeless) it's because they have mental issues, they have drug issues or it's by choice," Kirk said. The vast majority of Knox County's homeless population can't find affordable housing, according to the Knoxville Homelessness Management Information System, "I know (Kirk's) intention was never to have his mind changed," Smith told Knox News. "My intention getting up there was to put (my views) in the minds of people listening and have them think, 'Oh, I hadn't thought of that before. Maybe I should have.'" Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Charlie Kirk turned out thousands of conservative UT students
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Hostile and unsafe': NAACP chapter calls FSU out ahead of Charlie Kirk's campus visit
Hard-right commentator Charlie Kirk's scheduled presence on Florida State University's campus is already stirring up controversy and backlash from students. The FSU Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) released a statement Tuesday ahead of the MAGA star's "American Comeback Tour" visit at noon Friday on Landis Green, where it calls FSU out for having a history of "elevating controversial speakers while cracking down on progressive student activism.' 'Kirk's history of racist, homophobic and transphobic rhetoric stands in direct opposition to FSU's stated values of diversity, equity and inclusion,' NAACP's FSU Chapter President Alysha Dorcely said in the statement. 'His presence at FSU creates a hostile and unsafe environment for Black students, LGBTQ+ students and all marginalized communities.' In response to the statement, Republican Party of Florida chair Evan Power released one of his own, where he says the NAACP is 'trying to suppress freedom of speech through fear mongering.' 'FSU must continue to embrace diverse thought on campus and not allow the Left to fear monger, with NAACP demanding they do not enforce school protesting policies,' Power said in the Wednesday statement. Kirk is the founder of Turning Point USA, which promotes conservative values and aims to energize younger voters, especially on college campuses. His speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention helped introduce him to a national audience. Related news: Who is Charlie Kirk? Conservative firebrand coming to these Florida universities According to the group's website, he will "debate conventional narratives promoted by leftist academia,' and "in the spirit of open inquiry, debate and free speech, the tour will provide students of all viewpoints the opportunity to discuss important subjects ...." Kirk travels to campuses and records debates with various students who challenge him at an open mic, where his last visit to FSU was in May 2023 as part of his "Live Free" Tour. "As a public institution and member of the State University System, Florida State University has an open campus, and speakers can come to campus to share their messages," FSU said in a statement sent to the Tallahassee Democrat Thursday. "A speaker's viewpoint is protected by the First Amendment. The university welcomes the exchange of views as part of the educational process but does not endorse specific speakers or viewpoints." Kirk's stop on FSU's campus Friday will follow his visit to the University of Florida's campus Thursday. The FSU NAACP chapter's opposition comes during a time where DEI is a critical concern in Florida as activities related to it have been dismantled from colleges and universities across the state, which led to several protests on the campuses. What has long been a particular target for Gov. Ron DeSantis is now also one of the main components of President Donald Trump's recent executive orders, which include 'Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.' In the NAACP statement, the FSU chapter also expressed how the university has provided financial support to individuals like Kirk and Ben Shapiro, another staunchly conservative commentator, in the past. But because the Kirk event is being coordinated by the student organization Turning Point USA, no university funding or activity and service fees were used to bring him to campus, according to a university spokesperson. "This event is yet another instance where FSU has failed to take a stand against bigotry and instead enabled the normalization of hate speech under the guise of 'free speech,'" the NAACP's Dorcely said in the statement. 'FSU cannot claim to be a university that values diversity while continuing to welcome individuals who actively work against civil rights, gender equality, and racial justice." Tarah Jean is a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can reached at tjean@ and follow her on X: @tarahjean_. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU chapter of NAACP releases statement ahead of Charlie Kirk's visit
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is Charlie Kirk? Conservative firebrand coming to these Florida universities
MAGA star Charlie Kirk is taking his "American Comeback Tour" to universities across Florida. The first stop was at the University of South Florida in Tampa on Thursday. Next up is the University of Florida in Gainesville on Thursday, Feb. 27, and then Florida State University on Friday, Feb. 28. At his campus stops, Kirk, conservative activist, author, radio talk show host and cofounder and chief of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA, debates students who challenge him at an open mic. 'America's students are still only given one side of the story, the leftwing side, so we intend to continue balancing the scales and equipping local students to fight for their values,' he said in a statement. 'If you're a progressive, you get to come to the front of the line and make your best argument, and I'll make mine.' In 17 Politico fact-checks over Kirk's statements, 87% were found to be at least "Mostly False" with 17% coming in as "Pants on Fire." Kirk has been a powerful fundraising force in the GOP and is regularly name-dropped by President Donald Trump, who invited him to speak at a viewing event at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. following the inauguration. According to an Arizona Republic story last year, Turning Point "and its allies have become the conservative movement's youth mobilizers-in-chief and, in some states, top enforcers of loyalty to former President Donald Trump. Plus, adds its spokesperson Andrew Kolvet, 'We're fun.' ' In January, Kirk accompanied Donald Trump Jr. on a trip to Greenland after the president had talked about acquiring the Arctic island. Tickets are available at Illinois native Charles James Kirk, 31, cofounded the nonprofit Turning Point USA in 2012 when he was 18. The organization's stated goal is to "build the most organized, active, and powerful conservative grassroots activist network on high school and college campuses across the country." TPUSA claims to be on over 3,500 campuses and has spawned other activist measures, including, among others, an online academy, Turning Point Faith, and Turning Point Action, a political advocacy group that heavily involved itself, without results, in the 2022 cycle in Arizona and other swing states. Among Turning Point USA's first initiatives was creating a professor watchlist, a listing of those it said advanced 'leftist propaganda' or were hostile to conservative students. Turning Point USA had its own turning point in 2016 when it began enthusiastically promoting Trump's 2016 campaign and Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr. Kirk's compensation soared from $27,000 in 2016 to more than $407,000 by 2021, according to the Associated Press, while other Turning Point officials collected large salaries and enjoyed lavish perks. A 2020 ProPublica investigation found irregularities with TPUSA's auditor and how the group is run, and in 2017 The New Yorker exposed racial text messages from the group's former field director. Kirk also hosts "The Charlie Kirk Show" on Salem Media's "The Answer" radio channel. In 2021, it was ranked as the 21st most popular podcast on Apple podcasts. Apple currently lists it as No. 15 for U.S. news podcasts, just above NPR. Kirk has spoken out against the validity of the 2020 election and said he didn't think Black History Month deserved a whole month and that only married heterosexual couples should be able to adopt children. Kirk has called for an immediate end to immigration and abortion, spread misinformation on COVID, suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had issued a 'stand-down order' when Hamas militants attacked in 2023 to justify an assault on Gaza, and does not consider climate change to be a real threat. Kirk and TPUSA focus on removing what he calls critical race theory and DEI, programs. Earlier last year Kirk kicked off more outrage when he focused on DEI in commercial flying, saying, "If I see a Black pilot, I'm going to be like, 'Boy, I hope he's qualified.'" In April, Kirk declared that women in their 30s were past their prime and blamed birth control for making them "angry and bitter." "And birth control like really screws up female brains, by the way," he said, according to "Every single one of you need to make sure that your loved ones are not on birth control." In 2024, AP reported that Kirk owned three properties, including a Spanish-style mansion near Phoenix, Arizona (although he put it up for sale), a nearby apartment and a two-bedroom, two-bath beachside condo on Longboat Key on the Gulf Coast of Florida he bought for $855,000, according to property records. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA CEO, speaking at Florida universities
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Don't call it a 'comeback': Charlie Kirk returning to Florida State University
The conservative firebrand that progressives love to hate is coming to Tallahassee. MAGA star Charlie Kirk is bringing his "American Comeback Tour" to the campus of Florida State University on Friday, Feb. 28, according to a recent Facebook post. Fans were ecstatic in the comments. "Awesome love to see you coming to my hometown! Will be there with full support," said one person. Another wrote: "Wish I could be there! I work at FSU and believe me, this school needs you there!!" Kirk is the founder of Turning Point USA, which promotes conservative values and aims to energize younger voters, especially on college campuses. His speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention helped introduce him to a national audience. Kirk will "debate conventional narratives promoted by leftist academia," the group's website says. "In the spirit of open inquiry, debate, and free speech, the tour will provide students of all viewpoints the opportunity to discuss important subjects ...." Kirk travels to campuses and records debates with various students who challenge him at an open mic. He last visited FSU in May 2023 as part of his "Live Free" Tour. 'America's students are still only given one side of the story, the leftwing side, so we intend to continue balancing the scales and equipping local students to fight for their values,' he said in a statement. 'If you're a progressive, you get to come to the front of the line and make your best argument, and I'll make mine.' According to a USA TODAY story last year, Turning Point "and its allies have become the conservative movement's youth mobilizers-in-chief and, in some states, top enforcers of loyalty to former President Donald Trump. Plus, adds its spokesperson Andrew Kolvet, 'We're fun.' ' Tickets are available at From USA TODAY: Trailing MAGA acolytes and enemies, Turning Point ascendant in national GOP politics This story contains previously published material. Jim Rosica is a member of the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jrosica@ Follow him on X: @JimRosicaFL. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Conservative icon Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA coming to FSU
