Drawing people from as far as Baltimore and across South Carolina, conservative commentator Charlie Kirk spoke in Clemson on Monday night as part of his “Exposing Critical Racism Tour.” 
Kirk was invited by Clemson’s chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) as the seventh of eight stops on his tour. Clemson’s TPUSA chapter is the largest in the country, out of over 2,500 chapters on college campuses, according to Kirk. 
TPUSA describes themselves as the voice of conservative students across the country. The organization focuses on values of “fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government,” according to their website.
Critical race theory (CRT), the topic of the event, is defined as a way of thinking about America’s history through the lens of racism. It centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nation’s institutions and that institutions function to maintain the dominance of white people in society, according to the Associated Press.
While CRT was first developed in the 1970s and ‘80s, it recently gained widespread media coverage after the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 sparked a deeper conversation about social justice. “Over the past year and a half there has been an over-emphasis on the racial aspects of the American political conversation,” said Kirk of CRT.
Kirk’s speech was opened by Taylor Rogers, president of Clemson’s chapter of TPUSA. “You have all helped us grow our chapter here into what we are today, and you support our [ambitious] goals,” said Rogers. 
In addition to the theme of CRT, Kirk covered a wide range of topics while also taking questions from audience members. He discussed immigration, the free market, the January 6 insurrection and general life advice for the students in the audience.
On immigration, Kirk said that we need to put Americans first. “We have a moral obligation to make sure you [college students] are employed and have a strong wage before we bring in foreign workers for other jobs that you’re trying to get into,” said Kirk. 
When asked more about wages and unemployment, Kirk denounced a federal increase in the minimum wage. Instead, he supported a decrease in income tax. “I do think workers should be able to keep more of their money and we have a moral obligation to do that. Let’s start by saying that you don’t have to pay 6% of your [income] taxes to some sort of distant Social Security Fund when you’re 24 years old and can barely make ends meet.”
One student asked Kirk about TPUSA’s potential influence on the January 6 insurrection. “There was a peaceful rally that happened two miles from the Capitol and then there was the violence that happened – two totally different things,” said Kirk. 
When asked more about their involvement in the insurrection, Kirk asserted that students from TPUSA were not involved in the riots themselves. “Yes, TPUSA did bus students into the rally and then got back on the bus in Washington D.C.,” said Kirk.
Throughout his speech, Kirk offered some of his personal values as relationship advice to the audience. “It is a moral good to get married at a young age and have lots of children, which I encourage you all to do,” Kirk said. “The sooner you engage in monogamous relationships, you will be a happier person.”
Kirk closed the event with a call for students to speak up on campus and make their voices heard. He also encouraged attendees from other schools to start or join their own chapters of TPUSA. “This is our generation. It’s our opportunity to do something about this.”
David Ferrara, Editor-in-Chief contributed to the reporting of this story.

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Charlie Kirk gives his speech at "Exposing Critical Racism Tour"