Turning Point USA draws 2,000 at first tour event since Kirk's assassination

More than 2,000 people packed into an auditorium at the University of Minnesota for the first Turning Point USA event in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, a report said. 

The stop for the "This is the Turning Point" tour, which came after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, was hosted by conservative commentator and author Michael Knowles, according to MPR News. 

"Charlie accomplished more in his 31 years than most people could accomplish in many lifetimes," Knowles said in his opening remarks. "His most public accomplishments were political. His most important were religious. He wanted to be remembered for his faith." 

Knowles later took questions from audience members on topics including women’s suffrage and media bias, MPR News reported. Turning Point USA posted a video on X of attendees chanting "Charlie! Charlie!" 

YEARS OF CAMPUS ATTACKS ON CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS RESURFACE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER 

Attendees hold up posters of Charlie Kirk during a Turning Point USA event at Northrop Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minn.  (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

The station said a line formed to get into the Northrop Auditorium an hour and a half before doors opened for students. 

"Charlie was an inspiration for me to speak out and be confident in what I believe in. He started Turning Point USA when he was 18 years old," Keane Pfeifer, a high school senior taking classes at the University of Minnesota, told MPR News outside the event.  

Political commentator Michael Knowles fields questions during the Turning Point USA event on the University of Minnesota campus on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

"It has shown that youth can make a difference … if we come together and work together," he added. 

‘FEARLESS’ TOUR TAKES CHARLIE KIRK’S FREE SPEECH MISSION TO COLLEGES NATIONWIDE 

Around 50 demonstrators held a protest near the auditorium, holding signs that had messages including "Say No to Hate," according to MPR News. 

"Although we do not condone in any way the actions that led to his death, we also do not condone the things he said in life," protester Trey Brumley told the station. 

"The American Comeback Tour" began on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot by alleged assassin Tyler Robinson. The second stop of the tour was last Thursday at Colorado State University, where a vigil was held instead.

Attendees line up to attend Monday's event at the University of Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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The renamed tour’s next stop is Wednesday night at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. On the tour’s official website, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is listed among the speakers.