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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 Explains Why America Is So Divided at Washington State University Event
Charlie Kirk addresses a student's question about America's political division at Washington State University, arguing that suppression of conservative viewpoints on campus is a major factor. Kirk highlights how conservative students face grading discrimination and shares the story of Jay, a student who was physically assaulted by a professor for wearing a MAGA hat. Kirk contends that while conservatives seek common ground and healing, they face hostility and violence on college campuses, creating an environment where open dialogue becomes impossible.
At a Washington State University event, a student approached Charlie Kirk with what they described as possibly a "dumb question" about America's deep political divide. The student noted the visible split between Republicans and Democrats, pointing out a protest happening nearby. Kirk immediately validated the question, calling it important rather than stupid, and proceeded to offer his perspective on why the nation has become so polarized.
Freedom of Speech as the Dividing Line
Kirk framed his answer around a fundamental principle: freedom of speech. He argued that the side defending free speech stands on the right side of history. To prove his point, Kirk posed a question to the assembled students: had there ever been an instance where a liberal held an open mic on campus where conservative students could ask questions and feel respected? The silence from the crowd spoke volumes.
Kirk then asked conservative students on campus to raise their hands if they felt they were graded down for coming out as Trump supporters or conservatives. Looking around at the raised hands, Kirk emphasized his central thesis: "This is why we're so divided. Look around. And I hope the professor is still here to look at this. It is not because of conservatives."
The Conservative Experience on Campus
According to Kirk, conservatives seek to heal the country and find common ground, viewing each other as fellow citizens. However, he contends that conservative students on campuses are treated terribly, creating an environment of fear and suppression rather than open dialogue and mutual respect.
A Violent Assault on Campus
To illustrate his point, Kirk invited a student named Jay to the stage. Jay had been physically assaulted by a professor at Washington State University for wearing a MAGA hat. Kirk asked Jay to share his story with the audience.
Jay recounted walking to Valhalla to get food when PhD student Patrick Mahoney and his accomplice Gerald Hoff noticed his hat. Without making eye contact with them, Jay was suddenly attacked. Mahoney ripped the hat off Jay's head and crumbled it. When Jay confronted him to retrieve his hat, the situation escalated.
Mahoney leaned toward Jay aggressively. Feeling threatened, Jay threw his food at Mahoney's face. What happened next was shocking: Mahoney charged at Jay while Gerald Hoff grabbed Jay's leg, causing him to fall. Patrick Mahoney grabbed Jay's chest and slammed him onto the road pavement, then grabbed his head and slammed it against the pavement as well.
Jay mentioned that on far-left Reddit forums and Discord servers, he had seen messages encouraging people to "crush the heads of your opposition, crush the heads of your fascist." The professor involved was teaching a 103-level course at the university.
A Double Standard in Media Coverage
Kirk highlighted what he sees as a stark double standard in how such incidents are covered. He argued that if a conservative professor had hunted down and assaulted a student wearing Kamala Harris gear, it would have been labeled a hate crime and become the number one news story in the country. Instead, the assault on Jay barely received attention despite being perpetrated by a professor against a student at Washington State University.
Who Is Really Dividing America?
Kirk concluded by reiterating his main point: "They're the ones dividing the country. We're the ones trying to heal it." In his view, the suppression of conservative speech, the intimidation of conservative students, and the violent attacks on those who express conservative viewpoints are the primary drivers of America's political division, not the actions of conservatives themselves.
