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Andrew Kolvet on Charlie Kirk's Assassination: Turning Point USA Doubles in Size Following Tragedy
Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show and spokesperson for Turning Point USA, addresses the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination and the organization's path forward. In the wake of the tragedy, Turning Point USA has experienced breathtaking growth, with approximately 130,000 inquiries to start chapters and a doubling of both college and high school chapters in less than a month. Kolvet discusses ongoing questions about the investigation, including potential connections to a Salt Lake City armed group, while emphasizing the organization's commitment to open dialogue over violence. He rejects conspiracy theories about foreign involvement and explains why the team remains publicly silent on certain investigation details while actively coordinating with authorities behind the scenes.
The Response to Charlie Kirk's Assassination
Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA has experienced an unprecedented surge in support and engagement. Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show and spokesperson for Turning Point USA, sat down to address the numerous questions and conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk's death, while sharing how the organization plans to honor his legacy.
Kolvet expressed pride in how the Turning Point USA team has responded during this difficult time. "From top to bottom, the organization from the field team to the productions to what we do at The Charlie Kirk Show, people have thrown their whole selves behind," he said. The flush of enthusiasm following the tragedy has given the team something to focus on during their grief, providing important work that keeps them moving forward.
Unprecedented Growth in Chapter Formation
The numbers tell a remarkable story of how Kirk's assassination has galvanized young conservatives across America. Since the tragedy, Turning Point USA has received approximately 130,000 inquiries to start either college or high school chapters. Before Kirk's death, the organization had about 900 college chapters and 1,200 high school chapters. In less than a month, they have added 790 new college chapters and 1,819 new high school chapters, essentially doubling in size.
The student network has grown equally dramatically. "We have over 800,000 students in our student network that are engaged or involved in one way or another," Kolvet explained. "That number was probably around 450,000 to 500,000 before this happened. So we've essentially doubled that as well."
The enthusiasm isn't just reflected in numbers. At a recent event with Vivek Ramaswamy at Montana State, the arena was sold out and packed, with attendees chanting Charlie's name and lines extending out the door. The organization is now working to secure bigger venues to accommodate the growing crowds.
Investigation Details and Conspiracy Theories
Addressing speculation about foreign involvement in Kirk's assassination, Kolvet was direct: "No, I don't think that it was Israel. I think they have the guy that did this." However, he acknowledged that open questions remain about whether other people were involved or had knowledge beforehand.
"There seems to be indication that there were people that knew something was going to happen," Kolvet said. "There's questions about this Salt Lake City armed group and their connections and who may be financing them. That's stuff that I'm really keen to get to the bottom of."
Kolvet explained that while Turning Point USA may appear silent on certain aspects of the case, it's because they're actively working behind the scenes. "The communication has been robust with authorities, federal, state and local. We've got a great team that's coordinating and collaborating with them," he said. The organization is letting the investigation run its course without interfering or potentially compromising the case.
"A lot of times it's like you're calm on the top and your legs are going like a million miles a minute," Kolvet explained. "Just because we are maybe silent does not mean that we are complacent. It does not mean that we are not active behind the scenes."
The Mission Moving Forward
For Kolvet and the Turning Point USA team, the focus isn't just on who committed the assassination, but on what motivated it and how to counter that impulse in American society. "It was somebody, for some people potentially, that didn't believe in dialogue, that didn't believe in open debate, that had given up on that. They picked up a gun instead of what Charlie did, which is pick up a microphone," Kolvet said.
"That is not an America that I want to live in. That is not a country I want to live in. And that's not a country that Charlie believed in or that our founders believed in."
The organization's response is to double down on what Kirk stood for: open debate and dialogue. They're keeping the tours going, continuing the massive conventions and conferences, and moving forward with renewed purpose. "We're going to make sure that we honor Charlie's legacy the right way because I know that he would not want his death to result in our movement, our coalition divided or Turning Point somehow getting distracted," Kolvet said.
The team is committed to extracting every last ounce of energy from the surge of support, bringing as many people as possible into the movement. "Charlie would have been absolutely adamant that we get every last ounce of energy out of this, that we were able to bring as many people into the movement, into Turning Point USA as possible," Kolvet emphasized.
Honoring Kirk's Vision
As Kolvet concluded, the message was clear: conversation and dialogue must be part of the cure for what ails America. The principle that defined Charlie Kirk's work—choosing the microphone over the gun, choosing debate over violence—will continue to guide Turning Point USA as it grows and evolves in the wake of his death.
The organization's heroic response under incredibly difficult circumstances demonstrates that Kirk's vision will continue, amplified by the thousands of new students and chapters joining the movement to ensure that open dialogue remains central to American discourse.
Video Transcript
[00:08] A LOT OF PEOPLE
[00:09] ARE PUSHING AGENDAS AND USING
[00:10] CHARLIE KIRK'S MURDER TO DO
[00:14] SO. SO WHAT IS THE
[00:15] UNDERSTANDING OF THE PEOPLE
[00:16] WHO KNEW HIM BEST? NOT JUST
[00:19] ABOUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE, BUT
[00:20] WHAT IS RESPONSIBLE AND WHAT
[00:21] TURNING POINT USA, WE'LL DO
[00:25] WITH ALL OF THIS FLUSH OF
[00:26] ENTHUSIASM FOR THAT HAS
[00:27] HAPPENED SINCE THE
[00:28] ASSASSINATION. ANDREW COLD IS
[00:31] THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE
[00:32] CHARLIE KIRK SHOW IS NOW
[00:33] HELPING ANCHOR IT BECAUSE
[00:36] OBVIOUSLY CHARLIE IS NO LONGER
[00:37] WITH US. HE'S ALSO A
[00:39] SPOKESPERSON FOR TP U.S. A
[00:40] TURNING POINT. AND I WANTED
[00:41] ANDREW TO COME IN AND KIND OF
[00:42] HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT IS
[00:45] REAL AND WHAT ISN'T. THANK YOU
[00:46] FOR JOINING ME AGAIN. I'M I'M
[00:47] SORRY FOR WHAT YOU GUYS ARE
[00:48] DEALING WITH.
[00:51] >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON THE
[00:52] SHOW, CHRIS. YEAH, I MEAN,
[00:56] IT'S A IT'S A TRAGEDY AND
[00:56] WE'RE NAVIGATING IT AS BEST WE
[00:59] CAN. AND AND, YOU KNOW, YOU
[01:00] MENTIONED THIS FLUSH OF
[01:01] ENTHUSIASM AND I THINK YOU
[01:03] KNOW, THAT GIVES US A LOT OF
[01:04] SOLACE IN THIS TIME BECAUSE WE
[01:05] HAVE THINGS TO PUT OUR HANDS
[01:08] TO HAVE A WORK. WE HAVE WORK
[01:09] THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO.
[01:11] AND AND I'M SO PROUD OF THE
[01:14] TEAM. I JUST WILL SAY THAT. I
[01:16] MEAN, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, THE
[01:16] ORGANIZATION FROM THE FIELD
[01:17] TEAM TO THE PRODUCTIONS TO
[01:19] WHAT WE DO AT THE CHARLIE KIRK
[01:21] SHOW. PEOPLE HAVE THROWN THEIR
[01:22] THEIR WHOLE SELVES BEHIND AND
[01:23] I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHOLE
[01:24] TEAM.
[01:28] >> GIVE ME SOME SENSE OF HOW
[01:29] MUCH OUTREACH THERE HAS BEEN
[01:33] SINCE CHARLIES MURDER IN TERMS
[01:34] OF WANTING TO GROW TURNING
[01:36] POINT. JOIN TURNING POINT.
[01:38] >> YEAH. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN.
[01:42] BREATHTAKING. I THINK A FAIR
[01:43] WORD TO USE. I MEAN, ACTUALLY
[01:44] HAVE SOME NUMBERS THAT I GOT
[01:48] JUST BEFORE COMING ON WITH
[01:48] YOU. SO WE HAVE SINCE 9.10,
[01:52] WE'VE HAD ABOUT 130,000
[01:54] INQUIRIES TO START EITHER A
[01:55] COLLEGE CHAPTER OR HIGH SCHOOL
[01:58] CHAPTER AND CHAPTERS THAT WE
[01:59] HAVE ALREADY OFFICIALLY
[02:00] STARTED REMEMBER, WE HAD ABOUT
[02:03] 900 COLLEGE CHAPTERS 1200 HIGH
[02:04] SCHOOL CHAPTERS BEFORE ALL OF
[02:05] THIS. WE HAVE ADDED JUST ABOUT
[02:10] 80790 NEW COLLEGE CHAPTERS.
[02:11] AND WE HAVE ADDED 1819 NEW
[02:15] HIGH SCHOOL CHAPTERS. SO WE'VE
[02:16] ESSENTIALLY DOUBLE DOUBLE.
[02:20] YEAH. DOUBLED IN SIZE IN LESS
[02:21] THAN A MONTH. ALRIGHT, IN LESS
[02:21] THAN A MONTH. AND THESE
[02:24] NUMBERS ARE GROWING EVERY
[02:25] SINGLE DAY. I'LL HAVE TO
[02:27] UPDATE THEM AND ANOTHER COUPLE
[02:27] OF DAYS BECAUSE WILL BE
[02:28] SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER. WE HAVE
[02:29] OVER 800,000 STUDENTS. IN OUR
[02:33] STUDENT NETWORK THAT ENGAGED
[02:34] OR INVOLVED IN ONE WAY OR
[02:35] ANOTHER. SO THAT NUMBER WAS
[02:37] PROBABLY AROUND 450,500 1000
[02:40] BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. SO
[02:41] ESSENTIALLY DOUBLED THAT AS
[02:41] WELL. IT'S SO SO THE RESPONSE,
[02:47] THE ENTHUSIASM HAS BEEN
[02:48] OVERWHELMING BREATH TAKING AND
[02:50] IT JUST KEEPS GROWING EVERY
[02:52] DAY. CHRISTINE, YOU SEE THIS.
[02:53] WE JUST DIDN'T EVENT WITH THE
[02:53] VAGUE RAMASWAMY AT MONTANA
[02:57] STATE AND THAT WAS SOLD OUT.
[03:00] PACKED ARENA AND THEY'RE
[03:03] CHANTING CHARLIE'S NAME.
[03:04] THEY'RE FIRED UP. JUST
[03:07] ABSOLUTELY LINE OUT OUT THE
[03:09] DOOR AND WE COULDN'T FIT
[03:10] EVERYBODY IN. WE'RE TRYING OUR
[03:11] BEST TO GET BIGGER AND BIGGER
[03:12] VENUES IT'S HEARTENING. IT'S
[03:15] HEARTENING BECAUSE AS YOU
[03:17] SAID, PEOPLE WILL TAKE THIS
[03:18] AND THEY'LL MAKE TAKE IT THE
[03:19] WAY THEY WANT TO. BUT I KNOW
[03:20] THAT CHARLIE WOULD HAVE BEEN
[03:24] ABSOLUTELY ADAMANT THAT WE GET
[03:25] EVERY LAST OUNCE OF ENERGY OUT
[03:27] OF THIS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO
[03:31] BRING AS MANY PEOPLE INTO THE
[03:33] MOVEMENT INTO TURNING POINT
[03:34] USA AS POSSIBLE. AND I THINK
[03:35] THE TEAM HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO
[03:36] THAT MISSION THERE HONORING
[03:38] HIS LEGACY. LIKE I SAID, I'M
[03:40] EXTRAORDINARILY PROUD OF AND
[03:41] THE HEROIC WORK THAT THEY HAVE
[03:43] DONE UNDER INCREDIBLY
[03:43] DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.
[03:46] >> NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF
[03:47] DISTRACTION BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE
[03:50] SEEING OPPORTUNITY AND HIS
[03:52] ASSASSINATION. AND I WANTED TO
[03:55] KNOW AS SOMEONE WHO WAS CLOSE
[03:56] WITH CHARLIE AND OBVIOIOUSLY
[03:56] CLOSE TO THE INVESTIGATION,
[03:58] WHAT'S HAPPENING? DO YOU
[04:01] BELIEVE THAT THE AUTHORITIES
[04:05] HAVE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
[04:06] CHARLIE KIRK'S ASSASSINATION
[04:06] OR DO YOU THINK IT WAS ISRAEL?
[04:12] >> NO, I DON'T THINK THAT IT
[04:12] WAS ISRAEL. I THINK I THINK
[04:14] THEY HAVE THE GUY THAT DID
[04:16] THIS. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I
[04:19] DON'T HAVE OPEN QUESTIONS
[04:20] ABOUT WHETHER OTHER PEOPLE
[04:21] INVOLVED. WERE THERE OTHER
[04:22] PEOPLE THAT KNEW BEFOREHAND?
[04:24] THERE SEEMS TO BE INDICATION
[04:25] THAT THERE WAS PEOPLE THAT
[04:26] KNEW SOMETHING. WHAT'S GOING
[04:28] TO HAPPEN. AND, YOU KNOW,
[04:30] THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
[04:33] SALT LAKE CITY ARMED GROUP AND
[04:35] THEIR CONNECTIONS AND WHO MAY
[04:37] BE FINANCED THEM. AND THAT
[04:37] STUFF THAT I'M REALLY KEEN TO
[04:41] GET TO THE BOTTOM OF. AND I
[04:42] KNOW THAT EVERYBODY THAT'S
[04:43] CLOSEST TO CHARLIE CLOSE IS
[04:44] TURNING POINT USA HAS THE SAME
[04:46] QUESTIONS AND WHAT I CAN TELL
[04:47] YOU IS THAT THERE'S A TEAM
[04:50] THAT'S WORKING ON IT AND
[04:51] COORDINATING WITH THE
[04:51] AUTHORITIES AND IT'S AN ACTIVE
[04:53] INVESTIGATION. WE'RE GOING TO
[04:54] LET THAT PLAY OUT. WE THINK
[04:56] THAT'S THE REASONABLE THING TO
[04:57] DO. THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO
[04:58] DO. AND SOMETIMES WE'RE NOT
[05:01] ABLE TO SPEAK DIFFERENT
[05:02] ASPECTS OF THE CASE BECAUSE
[05:05] IT'S AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION.
[05:06] WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO
[05:07] NEGATIVELY IMPACT THAT. AND SO
[05:08] SOMETIMES IN THAT SILENCE,
[05:10] OTHER VOICES COME IN. AND I'M
[05:12] JUST HERE TO SAY THAT, YOU
[05:13] KNOW, WE HAVE WE'VE BEEN THE
[05:16] COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN ROBUST
[05:17] WITH AUTHORITIES RUHL, STATE
[05:19] AND LOCAL. AND WE'VE GOT A
[05:21] GREAT TEAM THAT'S COORDINATING
[05:23] AND COLLABORATING WORKING WITH
[05:25] THEM. AND YEAH, WE FEEL LIKE
[05:25] THEY'VE GOT AN AMAZING CASE
[05:27] AND WE'RE JUST GOING SIT AND
[05:30] LET THE PROCESS RUN ITS
[05:32] COURSE. BUT JUST BECAUSE WE
[05:34] ARE MAYBE SILENT, I JUST WANT
[05:35] TO REITERATE DOES NOT MEAN
[05:36] THAT WE ARE COMPLACENT. DOES
[05:37] NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE NOT
[05:38] ACTIVE BEHIND THE SCENES. A
[05:40] LOT TIMES OF THE STUFF. IT'S
[05:41] YOUR COM ON THE TOP AND YOUR
[05:42] LEGS ARE GOING LIKE A MILLION
[05:42] MILES A MINUTE. AND I THINK
[05:45] THAT'S A GOOD PICTURE OF
[05:46] WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING.
[05:50] >> AND ONE WAY, IT'S NOT AS
[05:51] MUCH FOR YOU ABOUT WHO AS IT
[05:51] IS ABOUT WHAT WAS MOTIVATING
[05:55] OUR CHARLIE KIRK'S
[05:56] ASSASSINATION AND HOW TO HEAL
[05:58] THAT WITH TURNING POINT, HOW
[06:01] DOES THAT FOCUS THE MISSION
[06:01] GOING FORWARD? IF YOU CAN GIVE
[06:02] ME A QUICK TAKE ON THAT.
[06:05] >> YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT
[06:06] WAY TO SAY IT. THE WHO I
[06:08] THINK, YOU KNOW, IS GOING TO
[06:09] PLAY ITSELF OUT HERE AT THE
[06:10] WHAT WE KNOW WHAT THE WHAT IS.
[06:12] IT WAS SOMEBODY THAT FOR SOME
[06:14] PEOPLE POTENTIALLY THAT DIDN'T
[06:16] BELIEVE IN DIALOGUE THAT
[06:17] DIDN'T BELIEVE IN OPEN DEBATE
[06:18] THAT HAD GIVEN UP ON THAT.
[06:19] THEY PICKED UP A GUN INSTEAD
[06:20] OF WHAT CHARLIE DID, WHICH IS
[06:21] PICK UP A MICROPHONE AND THAT
[06:24] IS NOT AN AMERICA THAT I WANT
[06:25] TO LIVE IN. THAT IS NOT A
[06:26] COUNTRY I WANT TO LIVE IN. AND
[06:28] THAT'S NOT A COUNTRY THAT
[06:29] CHARLIE BELIEVED IN OR THAT
[06:30] OUR FOUNDERS BELIEVED IN. AND
[06:31] SO WE WANT TO RESTORE OPEN
[06:33] DEBATE, OPEN DIALOGUE. THAT'S
[06:34] WHY WE KEEP THE TOUR IS GOING.
[06:34] THAT'S WHY WE KEEP THE THE
[06:38] MASSIVE CONVENTIONS AND
[06:38] CONFERENCES GOING. THAT'S WHY
[06:39] WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. AND
[06:41] WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE
[06:42] HONOR CHARLIE'S LEGACY THE
[06:43] RIGHT WAY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT
[06:43] HE WOULD NOT WANT HIS DEATH
[06:47] RESULT OUR MOVEMENT. OUR
[06:49] COALITION DIVIDED OR TURNING
[06:50] POINT SOMEHOW GETTING
[06:51] DISTRACTED. WE'RE GOING TO
[06:51] STAY FOCUSED AND KEEP THE MAIN
[06:52] THING. THE MAIN THING AND LIKE
[06:55] I SAID, THE TEAM IS DOING THAT
[06:56] HEROICALLY RIGHT NOW. WE WILL
[06:57] CONTINUE TO DO THAT. WELL,
[07:01] ANDREW, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE
[07:02] A BIG PLACE IN THE
[07:03] CONVERSATION. THAT'S WHY I'M
[07:04] HAPPY. YOU WANT TO COME TO THE
[07:04] TOWN HALL. IT'LL BE GOOD TO
[07:05] SEE YOU THERE.
[07:06] >> AND YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME
[07:08] HERE TO MAKE THE THAT TO MAKE
[07:11] THE CASE. BECAUSE CONVERSATION
[07:12] HAS TO BE PART OF THE CURE.
[07:13] AND I LOVE THAT LINE. YOU
[07:15] DON'T PICK UP A GUN, PICK UP A
[07:19] MICROPHONE AND RAUL, SEE YOU
[07:19] SOON. AND I APPRECIATE YOU
[07:20] COMING ON TONIGHT. PLEASE SEND
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