In the heated lead-up to the 2024 election, Reno played host to an influx of political heavyweights. During the week of Oct. 6, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and former President Donald Trump both visited the city to energize their respective supporters.
Adding to the political excitement was the arrival of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA—a group that advocates for conservative politics at U.S. high schools and colleges—whose “You’re Being Brainwashed” tour has been hitting college campuses across swing states, addressing controversial issues at the forefront of the national debate like abortion, immigration and the economy.
On Oct. 8, Kirk made his way to the University of Nevada, Reno. (A Turning Point UNR Instagram post put the crowd count at 2,000). Kirk has gained prominence, particularly among younger audiences, through his online debates, including his viral appearance on Jubilee (a digital media company that discusses social issues) where he debated liberal college students. His ability to engage both supporters and critics has made him a highly polarizing figure.
Turning Point USA was out in full force on the UNR campus, handing out merchandise including “Make America Great Again” hats and “Socialism Sucks” pins. The crowd gathered outside of the student union, with an energetic atmosphere buzzing as students reached for the free merchandise.
Though Kirk’s views have sparked protests at many campuses in the past, this event was strikingly different. Unlike his 2019 visit to UNR, which was met with protests, the 2024 event drew no large-scale protest—though many students (from my vantage point, at least several dozen) expressed silent disapproval by wearing shirts supporting reproductive rights and other progressive causes.
Still, the absence of mass protests didn’t mean that Kirk’s rhetoric went unchallenged. Many students turned up specifically to debate him on the key issues of the day. Some students cheered on Kirk as he debated, while others challenged his positions on issues like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and immigration policy.
Abortion was a focal point of the discussion, especially in light of the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Kirk’s stance against abortion elicited strong reactions from people on both sides of the issue.
Some attendees, like Sydney Wethern, a 15-year-old high school student, expressed their alignment with Kirk’s conservative views. “I’ve seen his videos on, like, YouTube, and I agree with them a lot,” said Wethern. “Even though I’m, like, younger, I try to do a lot of political stuff.”
On the other hand, students like Grayson Ramirez-Gartner, 18, attended the event to challenge Kirk’s ideology. Gartner noted that while he wore a MAGA hat to fit in, his actual opinions were far from Kirk’s positions. “I don’t support (Kirk’s messages) at all,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t really like his stances on women’s rights, abortion rights, and, you know, Trump being president.”
Immigration and the economy also took center stage during the event, with Kirk advocating for stricter immigration controls and promoting conservative economic policies aimed at limiting government intervention in the free market. These positions resonate with a segment of the younger conservative base, but Bailey Plimpton, 18, when asked whether Kirk’s messages resonated with his generation, replied, “I think a lot of his ideas are pretty conservative, of older generations, or different things than I believe.”
Kirk invited students to step up to the microphone and voice their disagreements, creating a dynamic and, at times, tense dialogue.
Despite the disagreements, the event didn’t devolve into chaos. Some students, like Charles Yaley, 18, who said he was raised as a Republican, appreciated the opportunity to see Kirk in person. “I really just like watching him talk to people,” said Yaley. “I think he stands for what a country is supposed to be. It’s hard to resonate with Gen Z because of, you know, social media and how the world is today. But, you know, if you really read and understand politics, I think Charlie Kirk 100 percent aligns with Gen Z’s morals.”
A recent NBC news poll showed that 50% Gen Z voters would vote for Kamala Harris for president, compared to 34 percent for Donald Trump. However, Kirk’s presence on college campuses shows that conservative values still resonate with a significant portion of Generation Z.
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