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