Tensions ran high at CSUN’s Matador Square on Thursday, March 6, as an aggressive crowd swarmed conservative activist and media personality Charlie Kirk’s tent, with security stepping in amid loud confrontations and shoving.
The event, hosted by the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) organization and CSUN’s TPUSA Chapter, was intended to welcome the community and those with opposing views to engage in Q&A and debate with Kirk.
Kirk sat in his tent, which read, “Prove me wrong,” at Matador Square, welcoming students to approach a microphone that stood before him to ask their questions.
However, the atmosphere quickly grew tense as protestors and counter-protestors surrounded the area and held signs as they chanted. Protestors shouted, ‘Charlie Kirk has got to go!’ and ‘Shut it down!’ while Kirk supporters screamed, ‘MAGA!’ and ‘USA!’ as the crowds grew restless.
The Los Angeles branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation organized a counter-protest at the event from 11 a.m., where they passed around counter-protest signs reading “No Hate! No Fear! Kirk is not welcome here!” and “Money for jobs and education, not mass deportation!”
The San Fernando Valley community also came out to protest against Kirk’s ideas. Among the student protestors were staff from The Midnight Hour, a record store in San Fernando. Their storefront had a sign that read, “Fighting fascists at CSUN, will open up at 2 p.m.”
Security personnel intervened dozens of times as crowd members exchanged heated words. Some altercations became physical, with attendees pushing and grabbing one another. Individuals who did not comply with the event’s security personnel were escorted off the premises by campus police.
TPUSA is a non-profit conservative youth organization guided by American exceptionalism. It operates on over 3,500 high school and college campuses. It aims to guide Americans “so they can meaningfully engage in their communities to restore traditional American values like patriotism, respect for life, liberty, family and fiscal responsibility.” In February 2025, the organization launched “The American Comeback Tour,” visiting college campuses nationwide to debate students, with CSUN as its fourth stop.
Charlie Kirk, founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, leads the tour. Kirk’s debates first gained popularity from a video posted to the Jubilee YouTube channel in September 2024, where he debated 25 left-leaning college students. Five months following the viral video, TPUSA announced their college tour in a press release, with Kirk commenting, “If you’re a progressive, you get to come to the front of the line and make your best argument, and I’ll make mine, as TPUSA celebrates the free exchange of ideas, open and honest debate, and the American comeback in our newest campus tour.”
While Kirk engaged in peaceful debates with some students, with others, his demeanor changed completely.
When a Deaf student using American Sign Language interpreters attempted to ask Kirk about his past comments advocating for the removal of interpreters during emergency briefings, Kirk interrupted to ask the interpreter’s name. The interpreter remained silent and continued signing for the student. Kirk then dismissed the student, saying, “I’m not gonna answer this question. Next question—she’s (interpreter) being a jerk.”
The response sparked outrage among the already angered Alpha Sigma Theta sorority (AST), the only Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing inclusive sorority on campus.
Students waved signs that read “Deaf rights are human rights” and, “Is my ASL distracting?”
During the recent Palisades and Eaton wildfires, Kirk advocated for the removal of ASL interpreters, saying, “I have nothing against, obviously, people that cannot hear, but there’s closed captioning… we gotta get back to how it used to be.” This comment drew criticism among the Deaf community during the disasters.
In collaboration with Deaf CSUNians and the Deaf Studies Association, the sorority organized a protest against Kirk’s presence on campus prior to his arrival.
After the event, the organizations gathered as several Deaf students debriefed and shared their message. “As you can see– he (Kirk) left, but we’re still here… And we’re going to continue with protesting. We’re not done– this is not just a one-time thing. Our community will continue to fight… we’re not going anywhere,” said AST President Mayte Ceballos.
Despite Kirk’s opposition to interpreters, the CSUN Chapter of TPUSA requested interpreters through the National Center on Deafness to accommodate Deaf and Hard of Hearing attendees. The chapter’s members guided NCOD students through crowds to the interpreters, ensuring they had access.
The event also reignited the conversation about global affairs, domestic policies and religion.
One student asked “What do you think of the Azerbaijan and Armenia situation?” Kirk replied, “I’m on Armenia’s side.”
Addressing questions about Gaza, he expressed doubt. “I have never been more pessimistic that this problem will ever be solved… There’s just two different realities when it comes to this. And you cannot solve a problem when one side has a completely different telling of history than the other.”
The conversation turned to domestic issues, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and affirmative action. Kirk argued against them, saying, “It is not the goal of the institution to try to open the door to as many people as possible.”
According to equity plans created during the Biden Presidency, now in the White House archives, DEI was recognized as a need to confront systemic issues and discrimination of underserved communities, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, disabled communities, women and poverty-impacted individuals.
However, as of January 2025 under Trump, the U.S. Department of Education website referred to DEI initiatives as harmful and discriminatory and followed President Trump’s executive orders to remove or archive hundreds of documents, reports and materials that mentioned DEI.
Kirk suggested that those who benefit from DEI and affirmative action, as they ‘may not have the same opportunities as others growing up, should follow his rule: “If you want to stay out of poverty–it’s not hard in America, by the way… don’t commit crimes, get married before you have kids, get a job and be not-awful with money.”
He also said he believed the Black community statistically commits more crimes than other races, resulting in poverty, while he connected it to family dynamics.
“It’s easy to say ‘systemic racism,’ ‘redlining…’ all this you can say. Maybe it’s because dads aren’t around, because dads being with their spouses is not a value in the black community anymore… There’s a lot of evidence that for children, if two parents are present in the household, they have a higher chance of succeeding,” said Kirk.
Despite Kirk’s comments, a study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) showed that Black fathers are more likely to be involved in and present in their children’s lives than fathers of other races. Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson acknowledged this study in a press release in June 2024.
“And let’s not forget the problems that face all Black Americans, including gaps in education, jobs, health and so much more, also affect our Black fathers. Only by addressing these issues can we start to break down the generational struggles Black boys face growing up,” said Wilson.
Protestors urged students to avoid asking questions as they held up signs calling the event rage-bait and chanted over questions and answers.
Although many who took to the microphone before Kirk had opposing views, some fans took the opportunity to ask for advice.
One fan, who is also a mother, asked for advice on raising Christian children. “First off, don’t send your kids to government schools,” said Kirk.
“And also, marry a godly man that is willing to defend your kids… I don’t wanna say leave California, but it’s getting worse around the cultural poisons and toxins that are out there. It is so dreadful; it is so heavy… And if you are called to be a stay-at-home mom, that is a beautiful thing. You don’t have to go into the workforce to be a godly woman. In fact, I recommend being a stay-at-home mom.”
Many fans wore white caps that read “47” (representing the 47th president) and “MAGA.” During the debates, Kirk autographed merchandise handed to him by security, which was then returned to fans over the barricades.
Eugene Kacherov, the former president of the TPUSA CSUN Chapter, who created the club on campus in Fall 2022, praised the chapter’s current President, Aurora Coulombe, for her organizational skills and ability to improve engagement.
“I think it [the event] was awesome. So many people who disagreed [and] agreed….” Kacherov said. “There were probably more protestors than Trump supporters. Still, a huge turnout and I am very proud.”
Although he is no longer chapter president, Kacherov says he is still involved in the club and attends meetings.
“I think it’s good our campus is getting generally more involved,” he said. “For Turning Point USA, the organization’s been blowing up… I think it’s good, because for a long time, as a young person who was very demonized and never had space to be conservative– and [then] now having that network and that infrastructure for conservative students on campus is very important.”
Kacherov encouraged students to engage in civil discussions.
“Be open-minded, let’s have open-dialogue, and let’s use our free speech to communicate with each other,” he said.
Current TPUSA chapter officers declined to comment.
“The American Comeback Tour” next visit will be at the University of Tennessee on March 13.
