Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens on Building the Conservative Movement Through Dialogue and Youth Engagement
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Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens on Building the Conservative Movement Through Dialogue and Youth Engagement
Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens discuss the explosive growth of Turning Point USA and their vision for engaging young conservatives. Speaking at a high school leadership summit with nearly a thousand students, they share their strategy of building rather than destroying, welcoming diverse viewpoints, and expanding into underserved communities. Kirk emphasizes Reagan's 11th commandment and the importance of civil dialogue, while Owens reveals plans for launching initiatives specifically targeting the black community, including a Young Black Leadership Summit.
When nearly a thousand high school students choose to spend part of their summer learning about politics and conservative values, it signals something profound about the future of the movement. For Candace Owens, the sight is nothing short of inspiring. She reflects on her own journey, admitting she wasn't engaged in politics at that age. What makes this gathering remarkable isn't just the engagement—it's the energy and excitement these young people bring to ideas and thinkers like Dennis Prager, not rock stars or celebrities.
Charlie Kirk sees this milestone differently. For him, nearly a thousand students represents a starting point, not a finish line. His vision for the next year's event is ambitious: triple the attendance. Fill every seat in a 1,500-person auditorium. Critics might call this crazy, but Kirk embraces that label. He points to Turning Point USA's winter event in West Palm Beach as proof of concept—what started with 250 people three years ago is projected to draw between 3,000 and 5,000 attendees.
This growth mindset stems from being what Kirk calls "non-DC entrepreneurs." He can't stand Washington, D.C., believing it's where good ideas go to die. The best parts of America, he argues, happen outside the Beltway. This perspective has fueled Turning Point USA's success and continues to drive its expansion.
The Architecture of Political Movement Building
Turning Point USA's growth over the past year has exceeded expectations, expanding in directions few anticipated. Owens credits Kirk as a political architect who sees no limits. When they first met, many believed cracking the conversation in the black community was impossible. Kirk's response to her vision was simple: "Why not?" This belief in individuals and their potential has become a cornerstone of Turning Point's success.
Now that these conversations have started, Owens and Kirk are determined not to squander the opportunities. Owens is working hard on launching a project specifically aimed at the black community, set to debut within a month. The organization is also planning its first Young Black Leadership Summit for late fall in October, designed to bring different segments of the community together to hear perspectives they may never have encountered before—perspectives Owens herself didn't hear growing up in a black household in America.
Kirk's philosophy centers on believing in others because others believed in him—a uniquely American idea. He sees opportunity in people, recognizing vision in others. When he first met Owens, he describes experiencing a magnetism, an energy, a vision that was metaphysical and beyond words. These moments of recognition—which he's also experienced with people like Donald Trump Jr.—create instantaneous kinetic energy. Being part of this movement, Kirk says, has been an honor in the truest dictionary definition of the word.
Building Rather Than Destroying
When asked about Reagan's 11th commandment and how young conservatives on social media can remain united while having internal debates, Kirk offers a clear philosophy: you can do a lot more with honey than vinegar. Turning Point USA is about building, not destruction.
Kirk divides people in politics into two buckets. The first consists of those bent on destruction—typically journalists, he notes. He explains that journalists don't really create anything; they expose things, bring people down. Success for a journalist usually means someone loses their job, an organization is destroyed, or a company goes bankrupt. That kind of destruction doesn't thrill Kirk. For people at publications like The Washington Post, success would be the impeachment of a president—negative energy in the world.
The second bucket contains builders. These are people who wake up every single day asking how to make something bigger, stronger, better. Kirk and his team identify firmly with this group. The question becomes: what kind of energy are you going to put into the world? Energy determined to destroy or to build?
Kirk genuinely believes that what you put out, you take in. If you wake up every day thinking about how to destroy something, you will eventually consume that destruction yourself. Turning Point USA remains focused on having an optimistic influence in the world and inspiring students to have the same impact.
The Power of Civil Dialogue
The high school leadership summit featured an incredible lineup of speakers, but Owens identifies the debate between Mark Cuban and Charlie Kirk as particularly significant. It demonstrated something essential: Turning Point USA welcomes differing opinions. The organization refuses to create an echo chamber or a safe space. Instead, they believe it's important to have dialogues representing both sides of the spectrum, conducted respectfully and peacefully, where participants want to return.
Kirk approached the debate with Cuban from a civil place, and he has genuine respect for the entrepreneur. Cuban is worth four billion dollars, navigated an unbelievable IPO, and owns one of the most successful sports franchises. When Cuban purchased the Dallas Mavericks, people considered it a horrible buy—no one cared about the team. He completely turned it around and brought them to an NBA championship, an amazing story of management and belief. As fellow entrepreneurs, Kirk respects that journey.
Kirk believes there should be more exchanges like this. Beyond the enthusiasm and intellectual presentations, the collision of ideas is what they enjoy most. At Turning Point's college lectures, Owens always makes an announcement that doesn't get enough publicity: if you disagree with her, you go to the front of the line to ask a question. If you support her, she'll gladly take a picture later, but if you disagree, there's something to discuss.
Dialogue, Kirk insists, is what will save Western civilization. The left hates dialogue, hates discussion, hates discourse. Turning Point USA is determined to show that even at a conservative conference, they'll bring in different ideas and have those discussions. Then they'll let the best ideas win. In an era that desperately needs civility, this commitment to open exchange offers a model for political engagement that builds rather than destroys.
