Yeah, absolutely.
Pretty much the conservative values
and the movement of the right really
started with Charlie Kirk and with
his values and his movement
throughout my campus.
I had the pleasure of actually
meeting him at UW Madison.
He came and did a tour there and I
got to hear him speak and talk about
the values that the conservative
movement provides.
And I think that was so influential
to me, the ideas of
economical freedoms and the idea
of...
God first, and the people that
we can centralize our
state and our country around the
idea of the
ability to work hard for the money
you get. And I think that's a huge
thing that really drew me into the
right.
Yeah, totally.
So we're in a new election season,
right?
And we got to vote,
us young people.
So what problems do you think
you're facing as a young person?
What are you hearing from your
friends about what their concerns
are and what their issues they're
looking for in politicians?
Yeah, absolutely.
I think a really big one is the
economical problem.
I think that inflation and
certain costs have gotten so
dramatically high that it's
becoming difficult out of college to
even own a, to get a home, to own
a home and to pay off that
student debt that a lot of people
are running into hundreds of
thousands of dollars of debt that
they're paying off throughout the
rest of their lives. And I think the
conservative movement is providing
a way to think that economical.
Solutions are possible and that
they're moving into the correct
direction that there is
a solution and we are trying to move
forward to it.
Totally totally so um
something that we saw in the last
election there was a ton of articles
on this there was like sort of this
supposed gender divide between like
men were voting young men were
voting very conservative and young
women were voting voting very uh
liberal is that something that
you've noticed is that something you
feel at all when you've been
out there campaigning or talking
with people.
Yeah, I think there is certainly
somewhat of a divide
at least between men and women.
And I think that a little
bit goes to social media.
And I that a lot of
women are being told that the right
is out to attack freedoms on
them. And I like to advise that
that's not the case.
And I, I, I think turning point is
providing the ability to show them
we are not out to get anyone.
We are out to provide freedoms for
all and to provide an
answer to all, not take
away any freedom.
So I think that the more that the
young people, especially young
women, listen to the ideas
that Turning Point is trying to
offer to them, the more they'll be
understanding that we are not out to
get anyone.
We are out to understand
and to talk openly with
everyone on both sides of the aisle.
Totally, totally.
Do you, so something that I've heard
from other people is that maybe
there's a sense that one party is
feeling like they're pushing a
gender away or maybe not.
Do you notice that at all?
Do you feel like you're pushed away
from the Democrats?
Or do you think, I
know you just spoke to some women
feel like they are being pushed away
from Republicans.
Do you noticed that at at all.
I think.
I think to some degree, but nothing
to an extent
of a large degree.
I think that in any
sense that women are
feeling they're pushed away from the
conservative movement should
be taken back a bit.
I think no one is, neither
male or female, are being pushed
away either side.
I think they're open to both sides
and that they should have the
ability to openly discuss
both sides of the aisle to really
understand and grasp what they
believe and what they can pursue.
So I think that your question really
is, it has an
idea of men are
not being pushed away from Democrats
and women are not being pushed away
from Republicans.
It's just simply different
values in men and women, I think.
That's fair, that's fair.
Um, so going back, you were talking
a little bit about, um, social media
and sort of its effect on our
generation. Obviously, like, we've
been on social media since we were-
I've been social media, since I was,
like 10, right?
Um, what effect do you think that's
had on, uh,
the conservative movement for young
people? Do you think, that brought
more people in? Do you that's
maybe radicalized people to
different size? Like, what are your
thoughts on that?
Yeah, I think that the social media
line is something we have
to be very careful with because I
think social media is very good in
some senses of the fact that you can
spread what you believe and what you
preach and what you understand and
what you want people to perceive you
as. But I think there's also another
side to that of radicalizing
the idea of
hatred. And I think that so much
hatred has been passed around on
social media lately.
It's gotten to extent that is
out of control and it needs to come
back. And if we can get it
back to how it was where it was just
simple, common discussion
and debate, I think that's a super
healthy way to use social media,
but the hatred throughout any
apps or any media
of any kind is not
acceptable and should be reprimanded
and understood.
Totally, totally, and you know,
going into this debate point
that you brought up, obviously
that's a very important part of
Turning Point that you guys
use social media to kind of build
this platform, right, with,
I'm just wondering, so when you're
out tabling, what are those
conversations like?
What's it like being part of those
conversations that you're having
with students who maybe you're
feeling coming up to you
antagonistic or maybe they're
curious, how do you deal with
that?
Yeah, so the first thing that I
always think of when I'm tabling or
with talking to individuals from
the right or the left is I
understand where they're coming
from. I try to understand their
story and where their values come
into play because values are such an
important part of where we
believe things and where we fall on
the aisle that you have to
understand that before talking to
someone, before trying to convince
them that this is what or this
isn't.
So I think that the more you can
understand the story, the more
can discuss.
There's plenty of times that people
have come up and simply not known
and simply just had a question and
wanted an answer.
And I'm absolutely happy to talk to
those people.
Absolutely happy to have a
discussion with them and understand
where they're coming from, where I'm
coming from. And if we can meet in
the middle, there's also other
people who know exactly where they
are and they don't have any
reason to move.
They don't any reason too
come to a compromise.
They have no reason.
They, they believe that they have
all the answers and they come with a
lot of hatred, they come a lot of
demise, a lot, of anger.
And I feel some of those people,
it is out of spite of us.
I do feel that is true,
but I also feel it's
a displacement of their own anger of
themselves. And I think that's, I
hope one day we can go back to the
idea of open-mindedness
to either side.
And so that you can go, either side
can go out and discuss openly about
what is the truth and how we can get
to it and how we can come to an
agreement on it.
Absolutely, absolutely, and you
know something else that I've been
hearing from the other people I've
interviewed, right, when
we look at like the current
Republican candidate, we don't
know the Democratic candidate for
governor yet, but he's 68.
The Democratic candidate, right now
it seems like they're going to be
younger.
We've had a couple presidents that
are older, we've had like
six Congress people die in office
just this term, right.
It feels like it's a boomer's world
and we're just kind of living in it.
How do you navigate that
sense that like, maybe that the
young person vote, or just young
people in politics just, we
just don't really have a place?
Do you have that feeling at all?
That's a great question, but I think
the youth vote is such an important
vote. And it absolutely showed on
the last election with such the
right swing and youth vote, I think
more than ever, the youth boat
is becoming more and more
important.
And I think that young people who
don't think they have a voice or
don't think they're being heard, I'd
ask you to reconsider because you
are important and you really are the
future of where this country is
going.
Your vote matters.
And absolutely, no matter what you
think, it will impact the future.
Yeah, yeah, and going back to
that last election, do you,
obviously there was a swing right
for young voters, they were still
voted liberal, but it was
noticeable, right?
Do you think that's part of a
pattern? Like we're going to see
young people become more, I
guess, politically diverse, or do
you think that was just like a
one-off because of the economic
situations? Where's your head on
that?
Yeah, I think that's a really good
question. And I think only time will
tell.
As I've come to believe on
campuses and the more I've talked to
individuals, is that they're coming
to believe that they want
more of a middle ground.
They wanna stop being so far left
and so far right.
They wanna find a compromise in
the middle. And I that the more
the right comes to compromise with
them and the left seems to fall more
and more left, that young voters
will become more purple.
And even maybe more red.
And I think that's something
interesting to see depending
on how the parties react to that
and how they will be
in five to 10 years and in
three elections or four elections.
And I guess, again, time will just
have to tell.
Yeah yeah and actually that's
goes into my next question um
so there's been a rise in
young voters of young voters
identifying as independents do you
think that young voters are
being pushed away from the parties?
Do you think they're unsatisfied
with the current state of politics?
It's a really good question.
I think that the purple, like
the independence obviously is
dramatic and is important
to understand and to value
it.
But I think it's not
a dissatisfaction per se,
it's more of a uncertainty.
And they have a lot on social
media. Young people are on
social more than any other
generation and they
are the ones who really
take in the most information.
And so. You're taking in all this
information from the right and
taking all this information from
left it's hard to
decompose all of it and to
understand what it really
offers and what it really is
about and i think the more
they understand and the more
information that they get we'll see
more right and left and less purple
but it's tough to know if if
there really will be a new
independent middle ground for the
young vote.
Yeah yeah and um
you know obviously your organization
was started by Charlie Kirk
um i just want to i
would assume you're a viewer of his
um do you have any thoughts
on like his impact
about how he's influenced your
political ideology at all
Yeah, absolutely.
I think his stance was
more of a discussion,
not debate.
He never had any hatred for anyone,
no matter what the media would say
about him.
He wanted to have open discussion
and debate with everyone.
And I think that that really has
changed my perspective on how
politics should be run.
Before him, I
always thought politics as a
debate, debate, debate, a
right and a wrong, and there must be
some debate in the middle.
Now I've come to believe there's
discussion. There's discussion to
find a truth.
There's a discussion to fine, okay,
you believe this, I believe this.
Let's find somewhere we can meet and
find our truth.
What is the truth?
And I think that that has
really helped me understand
what politics really is
about and what to
understand moving forward.
Yeah and um obviously
that was a very good answer by the
way but um you know uh
do you think you could what have you
heard from people who maybe aren't
uh fans of Charlie Kirk?
What has their impact been on them?
Do you think they've been he's been
able to change minds?
Do you think he's had a sway
on the Gen Z vote?
What are your thoughts there.
Yeah, I have plenty of people I run
into on a daily.
I have family members who really did
not like Charlie Kirk.
And I understand the
divide with Charlie Kirk and
his ideologies, but I
encourage everyone who dislikes him
to really just go out and
watch what he had to speak for and
watch would he had say, listen
to him and understand what he stood
for and what he truly believed in.
Because when you find out what he
really believed in in the open
discussion and the...
Political discussion between both
sides, you'll come to believe
that he actually wanted more of a
compromise, not a pushing away
of those who were not in
line with him.
And I think that's a really, really
key point if we want to come to an
agreement in the future.
Totally, totally.
And could you just, you
went into it a little bit, but can
you go into a little more about why
you think the youth vote matters and
why you are out there
tabling when you do table?
Yeah, well the cliche way
obviously is the youth is the
future obviously the youth people
are going to be here longer than the
the older the boomers the The
older generations that won't be here
as long We have the say
into what the future will look like
so it's so critically important
right now To get to those young
people and to outstretch our
beliefs to them to have the open
discussion To have the Open Debate
with them and understand where
they come from and where we come
from and how we can meet together
to move forward for
the society and the generation
that we want to have.
Totally,
and man, we blew through these
questions.
Last question for you, you can take
your time to think about this.
If you had one message that you
would like to give to politicians,
what do you think they need to hear
from young voters?
I'm just going to take a moment just
to think about that question.
Thank you.
If I had one thing I would say to
politicians, it would
be try not
to be so far left and so far right
and to find the middle so
that we can come together as a
country and be stronger.
Being far right, and being far left
is okay, but it's not going to
get us anywhere in the end of the
day. I hope one day we can together
and form the country that we
desire.
Alright, well said.
Anything else that you think you
would like to have covered that you
think I need to know?
Um...
Not that I can think of.
All right, well, Zach,
very nice meeting you.
Shaw, very Nice meeting you today as
well.
You'll let me know when you guys are
tabling again and we can come film
B-roll, right?
Yes, I'll let you know.
It should be.
When do you need it by?
Um, probably
the first week of school is when, or
second week of school, I know that's
probably when you guys are tabling,
that would be ideal for us, I think.
Yeah, I can be in touch with you
with our schedule.
I have to have a meeting with our
team coming up.
So I'll let you know.
Perfect. Thank you so much and thank
you guys so much for coming today.
It was lovely talking with you both.
Yeah, thank you so much for having
us.
Thank you and Elijah one
last thing. So when this package
does come out, do you mind sending
this to us just so we
Absolutely.
Yeah, cool.
Okay. Well, thanks so much,
everyone. Talk to you later.
Thank you so much.
Take care guys.
Bye bye.
And thank you, Zach.
I'm gonna end this.
Meeting now unless there's
another reason I should.
I'm going to take your silence.
Is a yes.