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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 on Trump's Repeal of LBJ's Affirmative Action Order: The Bravest Presidential Move in Half a Century
Charlie Kirk calls President Trump's repeal of Executive Order 11246, Lyndon Baines Johnson's 1965 affirmative action mandate, one of the most significant accomplishments by a Republican president in 50 years. This order, which required racial preferences in federal employment and contracting for over five decades, was never touched by Reagan or either Bush president. Kirk argues that Trump's move restores merit-based hiring as the law of the land and affects every college, university, and federal contractor in America. The decision forces companies like Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Google to eliminate affirmative action programs or face legal consequences. Kirk also highlights other major actions from Trump's first days in office, including the full pardon of Ross Ulbricht, who received a life sentence that Kirk fought against for years.
Trump Repeals LBJ's Affirmative Action Executive Order
Charlie Kirk describes President Trump's repeal of Executive Order 11246 as potentially the bravest move by a U.S. president in half a century or more. This executive order, signed by Lyndon Baines Johnson, mandated affirmative action rather than merit-based hiring in federal employment and contracting. Kirk emphasizes that this was not passed by an act of Congress, not drawn up in committee hearings, and not something the American people voted on—it was simply done by executive order, a stroke of the pen.
For more than 50 years, Kirk explains, this order has been interpreted by the government and the courts as requiring discrimination. Federal contractors were required to discriminate based on race to receive federal dollars. Kirk argues this became a total invasion of every principle that made America great and a complete violation of the Constitution's promise.
Republican Presidents Refused to Touch This Issue
Kirk points out that Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush—the three Republican presidents between Johnson and Trump—refused to touch this issue. In fact, they wouldn't even take meetings on the topic because it was considered too radical. Kirk specifically calls out George W. Bush as a coward for not addressing this and notes that even Reagan, despite being remembered as a great president, didn't have the courage to do what Trump just accomplished.
Kirk describes this as one of the greatest accomplishments by a Republican president in 50 years, achieved without major legislation, without creating new departments, and without military operations. It simply required the courage to sign an executive order making merit the law of the land.
Immediate Impact on Colleges and Federal Contractors
The repeal has immediate and far-reaching consequences. Kirk explains that every college across the country can no longer practice affirmative action, and every major federal contractor—including Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Google—must eliminate affirmative action programs or face legal action. Any business that does business with the federal government must now comply with this order.
Kirk describes the chaos currently unfolding in corporate America, with heated HR and senior legal meetings happening at every major federal contractor. General councils are trying to figure out how to comply with this executive order. Enforcement will come through the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and the Department of Education.
The Civil Rights Era as a New Constitution
Kirk frames this issue within his broader argument that during the Civil Rights era, a new constitution was effectively brought in through the Civil Rights Act and subsequent policies. He describes this as a "new founding" based on the principle that "thou shalt not be racist." While Kirk states clearly that racism is terrible and has no place in decent and advanced society, he argues that the movement of anti-racism actually goes against the core color-blind promise of the United States of America.
Kirk contends that in the 1960s and 1970s, several changes to federal laws were implemented that fundamentally altered American governance. Executive Order 11246 was one of these changes, creating a pseudo-law of the land that superseded constitutional principles. Kirk argues for a country based on merit, not race—where character, work ethic, and presentation matter more than immutable characteristics.
Other Major Trump Actions
Kirk also highlights several other significant actions President Trump took in his first days back in office:
Prohibited all use of racial discrimination or DEI at federal contractors and universities receiving taxpayer dollars
Ordered federal buildings worldwide to stop flying the pride flag, which Kirk says the left had turned into a de facto second national flag
Launched the Stargate project, a collaboration with Silicon Valley aimed at cementing America as the global leader in AI
Unleashed ICE with full authority
Granted a full and complete pardon to Ross Ulbricht, who received a life sentence from federal prosecutors
The Ross Ulbricht Pardon
Kirk expresses personal satisfaction with Ross Ulbricht's pardon, calling it one of his greatest failures of the first Trump Administration that he pushed so hard for but didn't achieve. Kirk reveals that he has a collection of letters that Ross wrote to him from prison and got to know his mother very well. He describes Ulbricht as having been treated unfairly and plans to have him on the show soon. Kirk concludes by saying this time they got it done, offering praise for the accomplishment.
Trump's Shock and Awe Strategy
Kirk argues that President Trump's rapid-fire approach on day one and two has overwhelmed the opposition and moved the Overton window so dramatically that the media isn't even emphasizing many of the policy changes being made. He mentions that his book "Right-Wing Revolution" described a strategy similar to what Trump is executing, suggesting it may have provided inspiration for this approach. Kirk describes himself walking around the previous day telling people "there's more coming," anticipating the affirmative action announcement that would follow.
