Conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk addressed a full house at the University of Wyoming on Thursday, April 24, as part of his nationwide “American Comeback Tour,” celebrating the re-election of Donald Trump. The event attracted nearly 1,800 students, some excited to be there, others in attendance simply to see what he had to say, or to protest the event itself. His speech was held inside the Arts and Sciences Auditorium
Kirk’s visit was facilitated by the University of Wyoming’s Chapter of Turning Point USA, which is currently led by Gabe Saint. When asked for his thoughts on Charlie Kirk coming to Campus, Saint stated, “Bringing Charlie Kirk, really, that’s . . . for the students who have supported us for so many years and for the people around the state that have supported us.”
During Kirk’s speech, he went into a wide variety of topics, but heavily emphasized four areas of discussion that President Trump has recently signed executive orders in regards to. Kirk stated, “I want to focus on four things that President Trump has done that is going to make America a more competitive country . . . You might have heard these terms before, but they’re very important, and they’re executive orders that President Trump has signed regarding Critical Race Theory, Affirmative Action, Disparate Impact, and the backbone of all of them . . . DEI.”
Kirk went on to elaborate on the actions that President Trump has taken in eliminating these practices. He elaborated that eliminating these practices was a good thing, stating, “We believe that when you hire somebody you should hire based on skill and character, not on skin colors . . . Can they do the job? Are they competent? Are they qualified? . . . We’ve seen a little bit of a slippage into mediocrity when meritocracy is not prioritized.”
In the second half of the event, Kirk went on to answer questions from students, some positive and some negative. The first question was regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Kirk expressed his support for the deportation in a back-and-forth debate with the student who asked the question, eventually stating, “We admit that it was an administrative error, but what we will not admit is that it was a moral error. There’s nothing morally wrong with scooping someone up who’s been warned for deportation that broke into our country, who’s already had due process . . . there’s nothing wrong with doing that.”
When asked what he thought could be done to combat bias in the media, Kirk said, “The reader should never know your politics . . . if the reader is left in mystery in how you vote, you’re a good journalist.”
Kirk’s visit to the University of Wyoming showed how sharp the country’s political divide remains. His talk drew cheers and pushback, but also real debate, something the university says it wants more of. As the “American Comeback Tour” rolls on, Kirk’s focus on culture, education, and media bias is likely to keep stirring the pot on campuses across the country.
