Charlie Kirk’s seat on stage was left empty last night during the Turning Point Tour stop at Utah State University. Before Kirk’s death, his events often featured spirited debates with people who had vastly different viewpoints. Without him, the tour was more about preserving his memory.
Tension ran high on the USU campus before the event — fueled only in part by Kirk’s fatal shooting just weeks earlier during a similar appearance at Utah Valley University.
A few hours before doors to the event opened, USU’s Old Main building was temporarily evacuated due to a suspicious package. Authorities determined the package was not dangerous but chose to detonate it out of an abundance of caution. After the threat was cleared, the school announced that Turning Point USA, the non-profit founded by Kirk, would still have its event at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum later that evening.
Attendees lined up for the event more than two hours before it began. One student in line said he was a long-time fan of Charlie Kirk, and said watching videos of the shooting and aftermath had really shocked him.
“The next couple days definitely, I felt a heaviness," he said, "and it was very sad. Definitely affected me the most out of any public figure that's passed away.”
But he added that he was excited to get inside, listen to the speakers, and be surrounded by both like-minded and different-minded people.
On stage at the event, Kirk’s chair was draped with his signature white shirt printed with the word “freedom” across the front as USU Turning Point USA President Kaitlin Griffiths opened the event.
“Please join me in honoring Charlie Kirk by holding up those signs that you guys have on your table," she instructed the crowd. "If you don't have a sign, just give it a yell. Let's cheer it up real loud for Charlie.”
Conservative commentator and podcast host Alex Clark headlined the event, and spoke of Kirk’s legacy as the leader of a nationwide youth movement, calling him both a mentor and a friend.
“Charlie was always thinking ahead, practically, about how to grow the conservative movement. He knew the right couldn't just speak to young men and get to reach young women too," Clark said.
"Charlie and I agreed on this, and he was the only one who understood my urgency without hesitation," she continued. "Most importantly, he listened. He asked what I thought about what was resonating with undecided female voters and young women.”
Clark’s address was followed by a panel discussion led by Tyler Bowyer, COO of Turning Point USA, with panelists Rep. Andy Biggs, former Congressman Jason Chaffetz, and Gov. Spencer Cox.
Bowyer asked questions in line with Kirk’s beliefs, highlighting some of the ideological disagreements between Turning Point USA and the panel — all of whom were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“You brought up the church," Bowyer began, "is it time for the church to take mental illness a little bit more seriously, instead of identifying with inclusion politics?”
He also mentioned the recent attack on a church in Michigan, to which Cox responded, "My Church teaches that we all have agency, and everybody is responsible for their own decision. And I — look, the person who committed this horrific crime, that person is responsible for their decision — not the church, not Utah, not someone else, that person is responsible.”
Attendees trickled out of the venue as the open Q&A session began, and although the panel did at times get heated, the event lacked the kind of lively back-and-forth exchanges Kirk was known for.
Outside the building, a few protesters held signs. One held up a piece of cardboard with “Say no to fascism and political violence” written on one side, and “Charlie Kirk you bigot rot in hell” on the other.
A group of people exiting the venue confronted the protester.
“Do you think that sign brings people together? Or do you think it pulls people apart?" a woman asked. As the discussion got more heated, an officer walked over to disperse the crowd.
Deputy Chad Sorenson was one of the law enforcement officers keeping an eye on the groups converging around the protesters. He said that, while he disagreed with the protester's sign, he believed in the right to display those beliefs.
"I wear the uniform for everybody," Sorenson said. "The protection doesn't just go for those I agree with. It goes for those that I disagree with as well.”