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LOGAN, Utah – Turning Point USA returned to Utah Tuesday night for its first event in the Beehive State since the conservative campus organization’s founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated at a college speaking event earlier this month.
Kirk was scheduled to appear on campus at Utah State University in Logan as part of his speaking tour, but a revamped cast of speakers includes Gov. Spencer Cox, Rep. Andy Biggs and former Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
Cox received a mix of boos and cheers, but the moderator urged hecklers to calm down — invoking Kirk’s memory and calling for an uninterrupted discussion.
Kirk had criticized some of Cox’s more moderate positions. The governor is a Republican.
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He acknowledged that while he had disagreements with Kirk in life, Kirk’s assassination changed him personally and politically. Cox called Kirk’s assassination “an attack on American ideals.”
“It was treasonous,” he said, before noting that Utahns wouldn’t respond with rioting and violence — prompting a loud cheer.
Kirk was shot and killed in the courtyard at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
Cox called Kirk’s murder “the first high-profile assassination of his lifetime.”
The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, faces charges including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, witness tampering and obstruction. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
“The person who committed this horrific crime is responsible for their decision,” Cox said.
Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz, who witnessed the shooting, described seeing Kirk collapse.
“I saw him fall back,” he said. “It was terrifying.”
Chaffetz revealed President Donald Trump’s reaction to hearing about the shooting, saying Trump told him, “I don’t know that I’d be President without Charlie Kirk.”
On Tuesday, supporters showed up hours early from all around Utah for the event, which saw greatly enhanced security measures, including drones, security at every door, uniformed police officers and teams in tactical gear, including counter-snipers.
The crowd topped an estimated 5,000 in what organizers said was likely the biggest crowd drawn to date.
Early in the event, the leader of the campus chapter thanked police and security guards for their presence, prompting thundering applause.
During the discussion session, Cox emphasized that they were working with law enforcement to learn everything they could from the UVU attack and to prevent it from happening again by adding more security and safety technology at events.
“I hate that we have to go through security to get into things because it feels very un-American to me,” Cox said. “But I also know that we need to protect not just the people who are on stage, but the people who are out in this audience tonight.”
One student raised concerns about universities indoctrinating students, using the example of Robinson, who attend Utah State University for one semester. The student asked what steps government could take to prevent higher education from becoming “indoctrination camps.”
“We’re not trying to replace forcing liberal ideas on all of our students with conservative ideas. This is the founding of Western thought,” Cox said.
“These are Aristotle…Marcus Aurelius…our Founders…Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King studied in college. We have to have a foundation to even have these debates, and we’ve lost that foundation,” he continued.
Chaffetz tied the issue to free speech and safety. He stressed that freedom means the right to live life as you choose.
“We’re all children of God,” he said. But Chaffetz drew the line when speech becomes violent.
“Those people need to be arrested. They need to be detained…and some of them need to be incarcerated.”
Prior to their remarks, Sen. Mike Lee appeared remotely, blaming the looming “Schumer shutdown” and his Senate responsibilities for not being present in person.
“I desperately wish I could be there with you in person. And under any other circumstance, I would be,” Lee opened. “My virtual appearance will have to suffice for now, but it really is an honor. And a pleasure to be asked to pay tribute to my friend Charlie Kirk.”
The event had kicked off just a few hours before the deadline to pass a bill to fund the government.
Lee recalled first meeting Kirk as a teenager, introducing him to his daughter as a “future president of the United States.”
Biggs described Kirk’s death as a turning point.
“Charlie’s martyrdom is catalyzing the public across this country,” he said.
He urged young conservatives to follow Kirk’s example.
“Be courageous,” Biggs pressed. “Live a life of value and meaning.”
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Before Kirk was set to speak at the TPUSA event, Utah State University issued a statement in response to concerns raised by students and alumni. The university acknowledged receiving messages expressing unease about the event, which was organized by the campus’s chapter. Hours before the event started, a bomb squad detonated a “suspicious device” that was found on campus.
The university emphasized its commitment to free speech, academic inquiry, and maintaining a neutral platform for the exchange of ideas.
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“Anytime a controversial speaker comes to campus, university community members have several options and can decide what is right for them,” the school wrote.
While student organizations are allowed to invite speakers of their choosing, the university clarified that it does not endorse or align with any group’s views.
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