Turning Point Tour Continues Amid High School Protests

Founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in September, but Turning Point USA’s national campus tour is proceeding, with a fall stop at Auburn University on Nov. 5 featuring speakers including Eric and Lara Trump, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Erika Kirk, Benny Johnson and other scheduled guests such as JD Vance and Megyn Kelly; tickets are listed as free for students and general admission. Attorney General Ken Paxton is slated to speak at a Turning Point event at the University of Texas at Austin on Nov. 3, open to the public with preferred seating for students. Kirk’s death has reinvigorated many chapters and recruitment efforts, with University of West Georgia students reporting a surge in attendance and activism. The organization’s push into high schools has provoked protests and community backlash, notably a daylong student demonstration at Royal Oak High School in Michigan and large on- and off-campus rallies at David Douglas High School in Portland that led organizers to postpone meetings amid safety concerns. School officials say they must allow formation of student clubs under federal law while trying to maintain a safe, inclusive learning environment.