Conservative activist and radio talk show host Charles J. Kirk is an American. He co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 and has served as its executive director ever since. The organization promotes conservative politics in college campuses by engaging peers who don’t identify as conservatives. The group’s goal is to increase the number of college conservatives.
TPUSA founder charlie kirk has no formal college education
Turning Point USA, or TPUSA, is a conservative activist group with chapters on college and high school campuses across the country. The organization is run by Charlie Kirk, who is only 26 years old. He has spent years fanning the flames of division, including serving as the chairman of Students for Trump. He has also worked for the Trump campaign as a youth outreach specialist. His media presence and strident defense of President Trump are well-documented, including his appearances on Fox News.
Though Kirk attended Harper College, he never obtained a traditional degree. He was also rejected from the United States Military Academy at West Point because he lacked a traditional college education. Kirk has since said that the spot went to a less-qualified candidate with different political views. Despite the lack of a college education, TPUSA’s founder has received an Honorary Doctorate from Liberty University, an evangelical Christian college.
TPUSA funnels money to conservative ‘dark money’ organizations
While many of these groups are openly conservative, others are less open. One such group is TPUSA. While TPUSA does support limited government and free markets, its methods are a little more complex. Its methods are designed to keep its members out of the public eye.
TPUSA funnels money to conservative – but not always obvious – organizations. Many of the groups TPUSA funds are backed by mega-donors such as Richard Uihlein and conservative politicians such as Bruce Rauner. One of the organizations TPUSA supports is the David Horowitz Freedom Center.
TPUSA promotes conservative politics on college campuses
TPUSA is a group that sponsors conferences and events in order to promote conservative politics on college campuses. It is largely funded by conservative donors, foundations, and politicians. Between July 2016 and June 2017, the group raised over $8 million. These funds were funneled into student governments to elect conservative candidates.
TPUSA has been under fire for violating campaign finance rules and channeling large amounts of money into student elections. It also violated university spending caps and requirements for transparency. Student leaders backed by TPUSA are expected to oppose progressive groups on campus, promote “American Exceptionalism,” and support policies that weed out hate speech. The group has also faced allegations that it creates a hostile environment for students of color.
TPUSA’s network of activists engage peers who don’t identify as conservative
The network of activists at Turning Point USA engages peers who don’t identify as conservative in face-to-face conversations about pressing issues. This group boasts a combined following of 65 million on social media. The group’s mission is to “rebrand conservative values and principles.” Turning Point USA recruits and trains student leaders who are devoted to conservatism and free markets.
TPUSA’s network of activists is growing nationwide. The network of activists comes from a diverse array of backgrounds and has a diverse audience that is eager to spread conservative ideals. The network has identified over 50,000 young conservatives and registers thousands of new voters nationwide.