Vance joins Erika Kirk at University of Mississippi for Turning Point USA event

Geoff Bennett:

Following Charlie Kirk's killing, conservative activists have stepped in to fill the void at his organization Turning Point USA and complete his tour of college campuses, while building on the movement he led.

His widow, Erika Kirk, and Vice President J.D. Vance are scheduled to speak tonight at the University of Mississippi, where our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, is now.

So, Liz, what are we expecting from the vice president tonight at Ole Miss?

Liz Landers:

Vance is joining here at Ole Miss' campus in Oxford, Mississippi, today for this event. And Erika Kirk, after Charlie Kirk was killed in September, said that she wanted to continue her husband's work of these kinds of high school and college campus events. This is the lifeblood of Turning Point USA, reaching young people, teaching them, according to TPUSA, about faith, freedom, family.

She will be here tonight joining the vice president. We are actually expecting him to take questions from the audience, like Charlie Kirk was doing the day that he was assassinated at Utah Valley University in September.

Geoff Bennett:

And, Liz, as you say, I know you have been speaking with students there all day. What have they been telling you?

Liz Landers:

Well, one young woman that we spoke with yesterday — we came in to attend the Turning Point USA meeting, their prep meeting that they did last night and talked with some of the attendees afterwards.

One young woman telling me that Kirk's assassination changed how she thought about politics.

Mary Cate Doughty, Member, Turning Point USA at Ole Miss: Before Charlie Kirk's assassination, I wasn't in Turning Point USA. Now I'm — I have joined as a member. And, I mean, I think it really puts things into perspective about how divisive things have become in our country and how important it is for people to get involved and just be proud of what they believe in.

Liz Landers:

Mary Cate was one of several young women that we spoke with on campus here. We're not seeing the gender divide that is playing out some in national polling. There are just as many conservative women, if not more women, in some of these meetings that we have seen that TPUSA is doing and the organizing that we're seeing here on campus as there are young men.

We spoke with one of the young men who's involved in TPUSA here on campus, Shaun. He's from this area. He said he grew up with liberal parents, but since he's come to Ole Miss, that he has joined a number of conservative groups.

Shaun Gussow, Member, Turning Point USA at Ole Miss: Despite everyone telling me that groups like these are full of hate and filled with people who just want to shoot you down and just racist and all the other words, ever since I have went to these meetings, it has been the complete opposite.

I have never met a more welcoming group of people who want nothing more than to share ideas and have a good time and focus on change, not just talking. We need to go out and do things.

Liz Landers:

And Shaun, like everybody else that we have spoken with while we have been here on campus in the last two days, also talked about his strong faith, Christianity, and how Charlie Kirk's message talking about faith, God, that is also a big part of why he was drawn to TPUSA, Geoff.

Geoff Bennett:

What about the college Democrats? Have they had any semblance of a presence on campus today, understanding this is Mississippi?

Liz Landers:

Yes, of course.

There's a coalition of liberal and progressive groups that is organizing around the same time that this event is scheduled to happen this evening. They're doing a Mississippi Rise Up town hall. They're going to have local elected officials as well as some national federal officials like Congressman Ro Khanna.

And their goal tonight is to show dissent against the Trump administration and Vance's participation in this event. We spoke earlier today with some of the leaders of the College Democrats here at the University of Mississippi.

Calvin Wood, University of Mississippi College Democrats: My belief is that this event hosted by TPUSA is not going to be a constructive place for dialogue and like a safe place for any of us to speak out about our beliefs and our dissent against the Trump administration. So I think this is a really fantastic opportunity for our folks to come together and speak out in a safe space.

Liz Landers:

And free speech is a big part of the Turning Point USA ethos, but there was a University of Mississippi employee who was fired in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing for social media posts that she had reposted online.

She is now suing the chancellor of the school, saying that her firing violated her First Amendment — Geoff.

Geoff Bennett:

Liz Landers in Oxford, Mississippi, for us tonight on the campus of the University of Mississippi.

Liz, our thanks to you.