Logan campus hosts first Turning Point event since death of Charlie Kirk
Thousands gathered in the Utah State University Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Sept. 30 for what is now titled the “This is the Turning Point Tour,” formerly known as the “American Comeback Tour,” since the death of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
Attendees of the event were adorned in red and white. Many wore “Make America Great Again” hats or white hats with a gold 47 Charlie Kirk was known for wearing. They also brought flags and signs, and for those who were empty-handed, Turning Point USA provided posters of Charlie Kirk on each of the chairs for attendants to hold up.
Prior to the speakers, there was a highlight reel of Kirk’s message, as well as the USU Turning Point USA President Kaitlin Griffiths, who spoke on the safety of the event and getting involved with TPUSA.
“Our chapter has just been absolutely blown away by the response from the community for this event,” Griffiths said.
After which, the event held notable speakers, including podcast host of “Culture Apothecary” and media personality Alex Clark, a virtual visit from Sen. Mike Lee, a panel of Republican politicians affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Gov. Spencer Cox, who received a bout of boos upon entry.
Clark noted this event was the largest turnout of a TPUSA event ever, claiming there were over 6,500 people in attendance.
“I’m not here to eulogize Charlie Kirk. I am here to pass the torch on to every single one of you tonight. Each of us certainly feels the weight of this loss. But what we don’t do, what we refuse to do, is bow to despair,” Clark said.
Clark brought up to the stage Caleb Chilcutt, UVU TPUSA chapter president, to honor him and those present at the UVU event on the day of Kirk’s death.
After Clark, a pre-recorded video of Lee, who was unable to attend in person, was played.
“It really is an honor and a pleasure to be asked to pay tribute to my friend Charlie Kirk,” Lee said. “I still can’t believe he’s gone.”
Following Lee, a panel including former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, and Cox spoke as well as answered questions from students and other attendees.
Cox shared his experience on the day of Kirk’s death. He spoke about being on the phone with President Donald Trump as well as his initial reactions when he first heard of the shooting.
“I wish I hadn’t seen that video. I can’t unsee it,” Cox said about being shown a video of Kirk right after he had been shot.
The panel also discussed topics including the recent shooting of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church building in Michigan, freedom of speech and nihilism. The panel was live-streamed and is available on YouTube through several media outlets.
The tour’s next stop is Montana State University. It is listed as an evening event. More information on the tour can be found on its website theturningpointtour.com.