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Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens Discuss Turning Point USA's Mission to Save America from Marxist Indoctrination

Categories: Interviews
August 25, 2018

Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens sit down for an exclusive interview at the 2018 Alabama GOP Summer Dinner to discuss Turning Point USA's mission. Kirk, the founder and president of Turning Point USA, explains how the organization has grown to 1,300 college and high school campuses nationwide, fighting back against Marxist indoctrination in education. Owens, director of communications at Turning Point USA, shares her focus on reaching the black community and helping them understand they have alternatives beyond the Democratic Party. Together, they discuss President Trump's accomplishments, the Russia investigation hoax, media bias, and their advice for young conservatives who want to get involved in politics and make a difference in America.

Introducing Turning Point USA's Mission

Charlie Kirk founded Turning Point USA with a clear mission: to combat the Marxist indoctrination happening across American college and high school campuses. The organization has grown to become the nation's largest young conservative libertarian organization, with 1,300 chapters on campuses across the country. Kirk started the organization at just 18 years old, and six years later, it has become a force in American conservative politics.

Kirk emphasizes that the organization's success is evident in the attacks it receives. "When they're taking flak, that's how you know you're over the target," he explains. The organization is uniquely American in its mission to save America, and Kirk sees it as a blessing to live in the greatest country at the greatest time with this opportunity.

Candace Owens' Focus on the Black Community

Candace Owens joined Turning Point USA with a specific focus on the black community. She believes the black community is going through a necessary awakening, understanding that the Democratic Party offers them very little. Owens' personal journey involved realizing she didn't have to be a liberal or a Democrat, and she works to help others reach the same conclusion.

The key to reaching young people, Owens explains, is through the education system. Since conservative ideas and beliefs are not being taught on college campuses, Turning Point USA fills that gap, providing students with alternative perspectives and encouraging critical thinking about political ideology.

The Russia Investigation Hoax

When asked about the media's claims that Russian hackers helped President Trump win office, both Kirk and Owens are unequivocal in their assessment: it's a hoax and a conspiracy theory. Owens characterizes it as a desperate attempt by Democrats who don't know how to deal with the fact that they lost and are losing power. She notes that despite 18 months of investigation, there is nothing there.

Kirk points out the irony that if anyone colluded with Russians, it was the Democrats. He cites the Steele dossier, paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign using GPS Fusion and foreign agents. He argues that President Trump has accomplished an amazing amount despite the constant onslaught from the media, Democrats, and Special Counsel Mueller. Kirk believes the investigation should be immediately defunded and Mueller should be fired, as all the findings have nothing to do with Russian collusion.

Kirk also points out that the Russians didn't force Hillary Clinton not to campaign in Wisconsin or Michigan in the final 22 months of the campaign, nor did they make her call Americans "deplorables." These were her own campaign decisions that contributed to her loss.

President Trump's Success and Rising Approval

Both Kirk and Owens believe President Trump's popularity is even higher than public polls suggest, with Kirk estimating it at 55 to 60 percent and rising. Kirk describes Trump as an unbelievably successful president, possibly one of the most successful in American history, citing his judicial appointments, deregulation efforts, tax cuts, and foreign policy achievements.

The president's success comes from not sticking to a traditional party agenda, Kirk explains. He believes Trump will be convincingly reelected and that anyone who dares oppose this president or his agenda is on the wrong side of history.

How Turning Point USA Grew Under Trump

The rise of Turning Point USA has coincided with the Trump presidency, but not by accident. Owens explains that the organization did things differently from traditional conservative movements. Prior to Turning Point's existence, the conservative movement and Republicans were considered very boring and old. The left was very good at being the youth movement, engaging young people through late-night hosts and comedy that consciously spread leftist ideas through jokes.

Turning Point changed the game by making conservatism fun and engaging. "We have fun, we have slogans, we use hashtags, and we still talk about the really important core tenets of conservatism," Owens explains. This approach has been a big difference maker in reaching young Americans and growing the conservative movement.

Social Media and Bypassing Mainstream Media

Both Kirk and Owens recognize that Americans no longer have to rely on mainstream media for information. Social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are where people are engaged and getting their ideas. This democratization of media allows everyone to have a platform and compete in the marketplace of ideas.

Owens notes that her videos have gotten more views than CNN's, with one early video receiving 29 million views worldwide and being dubbed in three different languages. This demonstrates that conservatives can enter the media space and the mainstream media can't compete when they no longer have a monopoly on ideas.

Kirk agrees, noting that because everyone now has a supercomputer in their right-hand pocket, conservatives can go around the fake news media. The bigger enemy than the fake news media, however, is the technology companies themselves.

The Threat of Tech Company Censorship

Kirk uses an analogy to explain the threat posed by tech companies: imagine if American Airlines, United, and Delta said that anyone who carries the Wall Street Journal under their arm can't fly on their planes. They would have the right to do that as private companies, but it would also massively restrict access to that publication. The same thing applies when Twitter, Facebook, and Google collude together to censor conservative voices.

Kirk watched an interview of Brian Stelter with Jack Dorsey where they were pressing Twitter to embark on a path of censorship, possibly because they realized that President Trump's success came from getting around the mainstream media. The same is true for Turning Point USA. If tech companies can stop conservatives from using these platforms, it will be problematic for the conservative movement.

As Owens succinctly puts it: "They don't censor you because you're offensive, they censor you because you're effective."

Grace and Love in Dealing with Protesters

When asked about recent protests they faced and whether they could find common ground with their attackers, Kirk approaches the question from a position of grace and love. He says he wasn't angry before, during, or after the protests and would love to sit down with the protesters to see where their lives went wrong.

Kirk questions what sequence of choices led someone to interrupt a peaceful breakfast on a Monday morning. Owens adds that she would start with basic groundwork, like understanding why someone would accuse a black woman of white supremacy. She believes laying down some elementary foundations would be a good start.

Both emphasize that they believe in productive dialogue and peaceful dialogue. They see themselves as people with the best ideas, not as people with the loudest bullhorn.

Advice for Young People Getting Involved in Politics

Kirk and Owens offer practical advice for young people interested in getting involved in politics. Owens emphasizes that young people shouldn't feel like they need the blessing of a big network to do what they want to do. "We live in an environment where you can be a self-starter," she explains. If you're motivated, you will get your foot in the door.

Kirk's advice is simple: if you see a problem, do something about it. Don't complain about it. He criticizes what he calls the "professional complaining class" in media who get paid to complain. Instead, if you see a problem with your teacher or school, start a Turning Point chapter or organize something yourself.

The most important controllable factors, according to Kirk, are your attitude and your work ethic. These are two things you can always control. Kirk and Owens both emphasize that they work incredibly hard, sometimes until 2 o'clock in the morning, while their opponents are sleeping. When their opponents are consistent, Kirk and Owens are relentless.

"There's an immense amount of satisfaction because if we don't work hard, we don't win," Kirk explains. He encourages young people to focus on what victory looks like and work harder than the day before. Don't be too hard on yourself, but if you're better and work harder than the day before, you will be successful.

The Future of Youth Engagement in Politics

Looking ahead to 2020 and 2030, both Kirk and Owens believe there will be increased youth engagement in voting. Owens thinks people are naturally more engaged because of all the drama surrounding the Trump presidency, and engagement can be a good thing. She sees on the ground, especially in the minority community, that people are really starting to realize how much politics affects their lives in ways they hadn't realized before.

Kirk agrees completely, seeing the growth of Turning Point USA and the engagement of young conservatives as evidence that the future is bright for the conservative movement and for America.

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Video Transcript

[00:04] hello America I'm Holly and

[00:06] editor-in-chief issue Gazette and I'm

[00:08] here stay exclusively the turning point

[00:10] USA's he missed Owens and Charlie Kurt

[00:12] who may speak tonight at the 2018

[00:14] Alabama govt summer dinner thank you

[00:17] both very much for me here's their SS

[00:19] charlie kirk is the founder and

[00:21] president of turning-point USA keenest

[00:23] Owens is an American conservative

[00:25] commentator and activist and director of

[00:27] communications at turning-point USA

[00:28] thank you both very much

[00:30] yes our first question for today I have

[00:33] to both be are what it honored how it is

[00:35] Teddy both here but for our subscribers

[00:37] that do not know who you are what you do

[00:39] what Turning Point USA is you please

[00:41] explain that to them

[00:42] mr. Kirk your question is sure Chloe

[00:44] Charlotte um I first of all it's awesome

[00:47] what you're doing

[00:49] I got your must further another curve

[00:52] down as I got started like 14

[00:53] so you're way ahead of the game on

[00:56] turning-point I said we're at the

[00:58] nation's largest young conservative

[01:00] libertarian organization on 1300 Calvin

[01:02] high school campus is not across the

[01:04] country star chapters on on campuses

[01:08] fight back against the Marxist

[01:10] indoctrination that's happening all

[01:12] across the country and we are bringing

[01:15] it to the left and you know you're

[01:16] succeeding when you're taking a lot of

[01:18] income right and this a little bit when

[01:23] the here's a good quote for you don't

[01:24] forget this when they're taking flak

[01:25] that's how you hear of the target and so

[01:27] no one's small dear but we're doing

[01:29] right and it's such a blessing to live

[01:32] in the greatest country at the greatest

[01:34] time with this opportunity this

[01:35] organization is only possible in America

[01:38] to save America which is one of the

[01:40] coolest things about that song so it

[01:44] about turning point I saw

[01:46] that Alliance Charlie back in November

[01:48] of last year

[01:49] meaning hyper focused on this weekend

[01:52] that I think the black community is

[01:54] going through and should have been going

[01:56] through much earlier and understanding

[01:58] that there's not much for us on the left

[02:00] not much for us being offered by the

[02:02] Democratic Party and just trying to

[02:04] react to keep them and I think primarily

[02:06] trying to understand how I thought I

[02:09] have to be a liberal thought I had to be

[02:11] a Democrat and trying to reverse that

[02:12] and imagine where you can do that

[02:14] through the education system since

[02:16] conservative ideas and beliefs are not

[02:18] being taught college campuses so our

[02:21] strength question the fifties media says

[02:23] that Russian hackers help you try an

[02:25] office but the overflowing stadiums fill

[02:27] the Trump supporters and is how approval

[02:29] rating to prove otherwise what are your

[02:30] thoughts on this Messiah chair first

[02:32] it's a hoax it is a conspiracy theory

[02:35] look I think they don't know how to deal

[02:37] with the fact that they lost that's the

[02:39] first thing the second thing is they

[02:40] don't know how to deal with the fact

[02:41] that they are losing power and this is

[02:44] their reaction to it it's a desperate

[02:46] attempt you can hear the desperation in

[02:47] their voices as they keep trying to

[02:49] pitch this hoax but if you look at just

[02:51] the ratings of the network's to talk

[02:53] about the most their family Fox News is

[02:55] number one there they are behind this

[02:57] president they have been presenting the

[03:00] the non facts of this case I should say

[03:03] because there are no facts on this case

[03:04] and it's a way to just tarnish the

[03:06] president what made it a very difficult

[03:08] first year for him that were at 18

[03:10] months and there's nothing there so it

[03:13] is a Martian hoax thank you miss mr.

[03:16] it's amazing what he's accomplishing

[03:17] despite all this onslaught from the

[03:19] media and the Democrats and Muller

[03:21] Motors had never been approved it's a

[03:22] total disaster

[03:23] the only be like colluded with the

[03:25] Russians are the Democrats those two

[03:26] people a co she want Russian collusion

[03:29] for the Hillary Clinton campaign go to

[03:31] using GPS using a foreign agents a fake

[03:34] meeting of Donald Trump jr. that he

[03:35] rejected

[03:36] there is no following transfer

[03:37] information that's their big mention to

[03:40] disaster so they say that Hilary lost

[03:42] because the Russians the Russians forced

[03:44] her not to go to Wisconsin Michigan 22

[03:46] months the campaign to though that the

[03:49] Russians said we're never - you know

[03:50] campaign or - just call it in her speech

[03:58] and add were deplorable Zinn look

[04:08] America movie and the investigation

[04:11] immediately defunded Muller should be

[04:13] fired and all these findings man for

[04:16] coming nothing to do with Russian

[04:17] collusion it's just trying to stir up

[04:19] and there it that there's criminality or

[04:21] Trump and there isn't and that's why

[04:24] it's been bad for us to continue to tell

[04:25] the story that she was going on in DC I

[04:28] watched some organizations popularity

[04:31] has grown over the years how do you

[04:33] believe Turning Point USA was wrong even

[04:34] more since President Trump has been

[04:36] elected do you believe the conservative

[04:38] movement is on the rise is this

[04:40] surprising despite what you see in the

[04:41] media it's sugar

[04:44] so I look I think this popular is even

[04:46] higher than what it is in the public

[04:47] polls

[04:47] I think he's 55 60 % things only in to

[04:51] walk from there he's an unbelievably

[04:53] successful president if not one of the

[04:54] most successful American history from

[04:56] the judges the deregulation the tax cuts

[04:58] what he's doing foreign policy wise

[05:00] because he's not us to come to a party

[05:01] agenda and I think he's in convincing we

[05:04] get reelected and one who dares oppose

[05:07] this president of this administration or

[05:09] his agenda they're going on the wrong

[05:10] side of history couldn't agree more and

[05:13] I would say I think rhetoric what you

[05:15] were saying like we've been able to grow

[05:16] so tremendously is that we did things

[05:18] differently I always say Charlie's like

[05:22] prior to I think turning points

[05:25] existence the conservative movement and

[05:26] the Republicans in general were

[05:28] considered very boring very old and the

[05:30] left was very good at being the though

[05:32] youth smoothly they were good at

[05:34] engaging the youth

[05:35] that's why somebody's late night host

[05:37] center they're all leftist and they're

[05:39] consciously through joke sent I think

[05:41] because of that sincerity conservatives

[05:43] were losing we have engage the youth we

[05:45] can we have fun we have slogans we use

[05:47] hashtags and we still talk about the

[05:49] really important core tenets of

[05:50] conservatism I think that is a big

[05:52] difference maker the favored use medium

[05:54] is growing significantly since President

[05:56] Trump was elected how do you think

[05:58] conservative organizations like

[05:59] turning-point USA can work to return the

[06:01] media to being based on facts and

[06:02] providing information to Americans

[06:04] servants obviously I always say is that

[06:06] we were no longer in a time where we

[06:08] have to rely on the mainstream media

[06:10] obviously you know I got may start on

[06:12] YouTube you're starting your own thing

[06:14] right now due to the fact that we live

[06:15] in a time where social media is where

[06:17] people are engaged twitter facebook

[06:19] instagram that's really where you to pay

[06:21] attention to and that's where people are

[06:22] getting their ideas so it allows all of

[06:24] us have a platform allows all of us to

[06:26] compete in that space you know our video

[06:28] star reviews and cnn's and and that's

[06:31] tremendous that I did a video when I

[06:33] started off that got 29 million views

[06:35] worldwide and was dubbed in three

[06:37] different languages so that lets us know

[06:38] that others are wrong that we can enter

[06:40] and they can't compete with it they no

[06:42] longer have a monopoly on ideas it's

[06:44] exactly right so because of new

[06:46] technology and the fact that I've run as

[06:47] a supercomputer in the right hand pocket

[06:49] we can go around the fake news media now

[06:51] the bigger and even thick news media's

[06:54] the technologies that's what we have to

[06:56] focus on technologies Candice desires

[06:58] we're going through a many week

[07:00] reflection of how to properly to Joseph

[07:02] Simon know if I have the answer but CNN

[07:06] New York Times Terrier fail forget about

[07:08] their disaster but here's the analogy I

[07:11] use okay this is from Dennis Prager

[07:15] imagine if American Airlines United and

[07:19] Delta 3 big Airlines said that anyone

[07:22] who carries the Wall Street Journal

[07:24] under our planes can't fly now they have

[07:27] the right to do that as a private

[07:28] company but also make it restrict you

[07:31] know assets right there's like no way to

[07:33] get to those in Montana we just can't do

[07:38] it and that's the same thing that

[07:39] Twitter Facebook and Google collude

[07:42] together they've got no other options to

[07:44] get your message out I mean there are

[07:46] options but it's really really tough and

[07:47] so the tech companies that's the problem

[07:49] the media they will sort themselves out

[07:51] with a broad industry their ratings are

[07:53] down the viewing the sound alone

[07:54] respects the tech companies they're the

[07:56] enemy we gotta figure out ok watching

[07:58] that interview of brian Stelter with

[08:00] jack dorsey couple weeks ago they were

[08:01] pressing Twitter now to sort of against

[08:05] embark on this path of censorship maybe

[08:07] because they realized the reason Trump's

[08:09] able to be successful is he got around

[08:10] the main tree the reason that

[08:12] turning-point is so successful is

[08:13] because we got around the mainstream

[08:15] media really cares will be proud of

[08:16] Adelson war we see if they stop that

[08:19] path while we're able to get around it

[08:21] mainstreaming yet it's going to be

[08:23] problematic

[08:23] they don't censor you because you're

[08:25] offensive they sense you because you're

[08:27] attractive

[08:27] correct well eat breakfast recently both

[08:31] of you were excited by protests and you

[08:36] were able to sit down the people who

[08:38] attacked you recently what messages

[08:40] would you want to convey to them do you

[08:41] think you'd be able to agree on any

[08:43] topics or your message is really that

[08:45] different mr. Herk look I come from a

[08:49] position of grace and love I actually

[08:51] was an angry during before or after I

[08:56] would love to sit down with them and see

[08:58] where their life went wrong because the

[09:02] Pergamon policy that a lot of the state

[09:04] listen we're in your life what decision

[09:09] do you think you made that made it where

[09:11] you now need to go into a quiet

[09:13] establishing that ATM on Monday morning

[09:15] and interrupts on one's peaceful

[09:16] practice like what sequence of choices

[09:19] led you to this like on a blood thinner

[09:22] highlight like three big moments and

[09:57] white supremacy to a black woman so I

[10:00] think just a a lot of that beast laying

[10:03] down some basic groundwork pretty school

[10:05] elementary things would be a good start

[10:08] but no they obviously have nothing in

[10:10] common because we believe in productive

[10:11] dialogue we believe in peaceful dialogue

[10:13] we remain the people with the best ideas

[10:15] with other people with the loudest the

[10:17] biggest bull horn so our last question

[10:22] for today Turning Point USA works with

[10:25] young adults interested in getting

[10:26] involved in politics what advice would

[10:28] you give young people like me who are

[10:29] interested in getting involved in

[10:30] politics

[10:38] few years so you are you are doing every

[10:42] piece of advice and I would say getting

[10:43] calls don't feel like you need to have

[10:46] the blessing or big network between what

[10:48] you want to do we live in an environment

[10:49] where you can be a self-starter if

[10:51] you're motivating you will get your foot

[10:52] in the door so we should be taking

[10:54] lessons from you on how you were able to

[10:56] get engaged that young you should be

[10:58] giving advice to people at your age

[11:00] there's no excuse not to do what you

[11:02] love and you're a great example of this

[11:03] right I started that I started

[11:07] organization through six years ahead in

[11:11] this entire decade so but look the

[11:17] advice I have more generally is that if

[11:21] you see a problem do something about it

[11:23] don't complain about it this is what

[11:25] while Candice Candice all comma black

[11:27] community it's very easy there's a

[11:29] professional complaining class in media

[11:31] they're really really good and those

[11:33] here's their professional complainers

[11:34] they get paid to complain and I'm not

[11:36] gonna say any means where you could

[11:37] guess and mostly them a lot person on

[11:39] the right they can decide never be part

[11:42] of that professional compounded reducing

[11:44] so if you see a problem on my teacher so

[11:46] they're both listening line across his

[11:48] head and then start to week when chapter

[11:49] serve organization Venus are you to him

[11:51] you see a problem you fix it us we've

[11:53] done a turning point so Candace sit down

[11:54] with the black community and that's just

[11:56] me in America can attend your greatest

[11:58] country ever to existence we have people

[11:59] that see problems and a solid -

[12:01] complaint it also focus know who your

[12:04] enemies are focus on what you want

[12:06] to destroy their Charlie's with spend

[12:09] every day you're not going to be perfect

[12:11] every day but if you're better you work

[12:13] harder than they before don't be too

[12:15] hard on yourself you will be successful

[12:17] be by work our care plan is reminiscent

[12:20] in canvas and I try to do every single

[12:22] debits when we never mind

[12:25] when we are working at 2:00 o'clock

[12:27] morning our opponents are sleeping and

[12:29] when they're consistent immense amount

[12:31] of satisfaction because if we don't we

[12:34] don't win whatever we need most cited we

[12:36] have you no idea what victory looks like

[12:38] reading a black vote 50% on that it will

[12:40] not because it might work us and that's

[12:43] one of the things you can control your

[12:44] attitude and your work ethic those are

[12:46] two things you can control

[12:47] there's other things being on time and

[12:48] all this or stuff but your attitude and

[12:50] your work ethic and the work ethic so

[12:51] important that didn't you talk about

[12:53] enough so easy to pinpoint so easy to

[12:55] you know want to take a nap and above a

[12:57] keishon of sleeping but work ethic is

[12:59] everything in from y'all helping young

[13:02] adults do you believe that we increase

[13:04] in butter to help and 20 2300 oats I do

[13:08] sound I definitely think there will be I

[13:11] think people are naturally more engaged

[13:12] just because of all the drama strategies

[13:15] presidency and engagement can be a good

[13:17] thing and I definitely think especially

[13:19] in the minority community I just I see

[13:21] on the ground that people are really

[13:23] starting to realize how much politics

[13:24] effect that affects their lives in ways

[13:26] that they hadn't realized that before so

[13:29] I agree completely

[13:30] well thank you so very much for sending

[13:32] L me it's been honored to get to meet

[13:34] you and do this interview this is

[13:36] hands-down my favorite interviewer done

[13:38] sir

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