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Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, the largest and fastest growing conservative youth activist organization in the country with over 250,000 student members, over 150 full-time staff, and a presence on over 2,000 high school and college campuses nationwide. Charlie is also the Chairman of Students for Trump, which aims to activate one million new college voters on campuses in battleground states in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. His social media reaches over 100 million people per month and according to Axios, he is one of the "top 10 most engaged" Twitter handles in the world. He is also the host of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” which regularly ranks among the top news shows on Apple podcast charts.
Charlie Kirk Answers Questions on Faith Office, NATO, Israel, Drug Trafficking and College Education at UCLA
Charlie Kirk fields challenging questions from UCLA students on topics ranging from the White House Faith Office and America's NATO involvement to the Israel-Hamas conflict and the fentanyl crisis. Kirk defends the Faith Office by noting every administration has maintained one, argues for limiting NATO expansion to avoid antagonizing Russia, and calls for an unconditional surrender from Hamas. He addresses concerns about raising Christian children in California, advocates for dramatic restrictions on immigration, and warns students that AI will eliminate most jobs within a decade. Kirk emphasizes securing the border and implementing the death penalty for drug dealers as solutions to the fentanyl epidemic.
A student who openly disagreed with Kirk on many issues raised concerns about the White House Faith Office established in February to combat Christian discrimination, viewing it as a potential violation of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. Kirk responded by pointing out that Biden had a faith office and every administration has maintained one for the last hundred years. When the student expressed skepticism that Christian discrimination exists in America, Kirk maintained his position, and the two agreed to disagree respectfully.
NATO Expansion and Russia Relations
A Mormon student asked about Kirk's position on NATO after he suggested Turkey should be removed from the alliance. Kirk acknowledged that countries cannot simply be kicked out of NATO but expressed conditional support for the organization. He argued that NATO has generally been beneficial but criticized its continued expansion, calling it an unnecessary irritant to Russia. Kirk emphasized that America should not go out of its way to antagonize Russia and should instead focus all attention on what he considers the true enemy: the Chinese Communist Party.
When asked whether America would benefit more economically from aligning with Russia than NATO, Kirk clarified that he supports maintaining friendships with both. He noted that Russia wanted to join NATO in the early 2000s and argued that Russia is largely an unnecessary enemy created by the US Security State. Kirk pointed out that Russia is not killing Americans or poisoning American youth with fentanyl, unlike other adversaries.
Israel, Hamas and Path to Peace
An Israeli Persian Jewish student who identified as a Zionist asked how Israel can obtain peace and diplomatic ties with its neighbors. Kirk's response was unequivocal: Israel must first destroy Hamas. He emphasized a point he believes is being overlooked in current discussions—Hamas should be required to provide an unconditional surrender, similar to what occurred with Japan in World War II. Kirk stated that absent an unconditional surrender, he does not believe peace is possible. He criticized the fact that no one has mentioned the term "unconditional surrender" and called for its reintroduction into the conversation.
Raising Christian Children in Modern California
A Christian woman who has looked up to Kirk for eight or nine years expressed her concerns about starting a family in California. She described her fears about what her children might be exposed to, mentioning a six-year-old she lives with who might be influenced to become a furry or adopt other ideologies she finds troubling. Kirk provided several recommendations for preventing children from being influenced by what he considers harmful ideals while maintaining proper Christian values.
His advice included:
Don't send children to government schools
Maintain a robust church life and attend regularly
Honor God in everything you do
Marry a godly man willing to defend your children and wall off negative content
Consider leaving California due to the cultural environment
Kirk also encouraged the woman that if she is called to be a stay-at-home mom, it is a beautiful thing and she doesn't have to enter the workforce to be a godly woman. He recommended being a stay-at-home mom, calling it one of the most underappreciated elements of American life.
California's Systemic Problems
A student agreed with Kirk about tariffs and cutting government spending but expressed concern about waste within California, particularly regarding homelessness and the fires. The student noted that California has no infrastructure or system to address these issues and asked what could be done to minimize the waste. Kirk's response was direct: stop electing Democrats in the state.
Kirk listed California's problems:
Highest poverty rate
Highest homelessness
Highest wealth inequality
Highest cost of living
Second highest home prices
Highest quality of life crime in the country
He emphasized that change starts with the California Democrat Party and noted that the student needs to change who is running the state.
The Future of College Education
The same student raised concerns about dropping college enrollment rates and the state of education, noting that the university they attend promised to raise tuition by 35% over the next five years (7% annually). The student asked for recommendations on getting educated if college isn't the best path. Kirk acknowledged that the answer depends on what someone wants to do but made a stark prediction about the future.
Kirk stated that in the next ten years, colleges will become completely irrelevant. He explained that AI will take away 90% of jobs and advanced robotics will basically take over the world as we know it. His best advice for young people: find something to study and be good at that AI cannot do. He acknowledged this is a short list because AI is getting increasingly advanced.
Merit-Based Admissions Versus Context
A student asked about Kirk's stance on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, confirming his opposition to DEI based on race, religion, ideology or political beliefs. The student then asked about considering context or circumstances in admissions, using JD Vance as an example—someone who grew up in difficult circumstances and attended an underfunded school versus an applicant who went to private school with more opportunities and higher-level courses.
Kirk rejected the idea of context-based admissions, explaining that universities are trying to get around affirmative action rulings by using what they call "context cultural scores." He stated that circumstances should have no bearing on admissions because the system needs to be based on excellence. If it is not, it will discriminate against people who are otherwise very qualified. Kirk argued that the goal of institutions should not be to open doors to as many people as possible, but to be the most excellent possible institution that protects and pursues knowledge.
When pressed on what the best solution is for people without opportunities, Kirk offered general life advice: graduate high school, make the most of your life, consider two-year college or technical school. He outlined how to stay out of poverty in America:
Don't commit crimes
Get married before you have kids
Get a job, any job
Don't be awful with money
When the student reminded Kirk that he had previously said character can be part of merit, asking if someone from harder circumstances demonstrates character, Kirk agreed that character matters but noted that weighing it in the admission process is very complicated.
Trump's Tariff Policy
A student asked for Kirk's definition of a tariff and his thoughts on Trump's tariff policies. Kirk said they would need to see how the tariffs work, explaining that an equitable agreement is needed. He stated that import tariffs are necessary and the American people voted for them, supporting the idea of bringing back American manufacturing and putting American workers first. However, Kirk added a caveat: if tariffs raise prices, which they might, then they should be pulled back.
Confronting Pro-Palestinian Protests
A student who had his nose broken at a pro-Palestinian protest in the Pico Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles asked how Jewish people, Christians and Arabs should respond to protesters who want to deny Israel's right to exist and who make Jewish students uncomfortable on UCLA and other campuses. Kirk's first response was that Israel has to defend its homeland.
For Americans, Kirk said that anyone who participates in flag burning or anti-American behavior while on a student visa should be sent back to their country of origin and should not be allowed to attend school in the United States. When asked about Christians who say they're dealing with their own problems and don't want to get involved, Kirk stated that Christians should be involved in the public square, serving as salt and light and engaging in public discussion rather than being quarantined to one area.
The student also asked about the situation with Arabs and the perception that they're taking over European countries. Kirk agreed it's very disturbing and stated that America should dramatically restrict immigration.
Solving the Drug Crisis
A student asked about a legitimate fix to the drug problem in the United States, specifically mentioning heroin, fentanyl and cocaine, noting that the prohibition method hasn't been working. Kirk outlined a multi-pronged approach:
Close the southern border
Implement the death penalty for drug dealers
Impose much harsher penalties for anyone involved in drug trafficking
Go after the actual supply, which is the Mexican drug cartels
When the student compared this approach to alcohol prohibition and mentioned the organized crime that resulted, Kirk pushed back, stating that alcohol prohibition actually worked in reducing alcohol usage and that crime went down across the country. He clarified he's not advocating for banning alcohol but emphasized that people should stop acting as if heroin and alcohol are on the same level. Heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl are far worse, according to Kirk.
He reiterated that President Trump is doing the right thing by securing the southern border, implementing heavy penalties for drug traffickers, and going after the source of where drugs originate.
