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 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 that the conservative
movement is providing a way to think that economical solutions are possible and that the moving into
the correct direction that there is a solution and we are trying to move forward to it.
Totally, totally. So 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 young men were voting very
conservative and young women were voting very 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 think that a lot of women are being told that the right
is out to attack freedoms on them. And I'd like to advise that that's not the case. And 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 freedoms. 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 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're being pushed away from Republicans? Do you notice that at
all? I think I think to some degree but nothing is 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 that no one is neither male or female are being pushed away
from 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. So going back you were talking a little
bit about social media and sort of its effect on our generation. Obviously like we've been on
social media since we were like I've been social media since I was like 10. What effect do you think
that's had on the conservative movement for young people? Do you think that's brought more people
in? Do you think that's maybe radicalized people to different sides? Like where 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 reach 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's
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 you know
conversations that you're having with students who maybe you're feeling coming up to 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 I'm 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 in 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 you can
discuss. There's plenty of times that people have come up and simply not known and simply
who 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 have any reason to come to a compromise.
They believe that they have all the answers and they come with a lot of hatred. They come with a
lot of demise, a lot of anger and I feel some of those people it is not a 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 congresspeople die in office. Justice term right. It feels like it's a boomer's
world. 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 vote 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 and going back to that last election do you obviously there was a swing
right for young voters there's still voter 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 that 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 want to stop being
so far left and so far right they want to find a compromise in the middle and I think 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 you know five to ten years
and then 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 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 politics.
That's a really good question I think that the purple like the independents obviously is
is is dramatic and is important to understand and to to value it but I think that it's not a
dissatisfaction per se it's more of a uncertainty and they just they have a lot on social media
young people are on social media more than any other generation and they are the ones
who really take in the most information and so when you're taking in all this information from
the right and taking all this information from the 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 you know obviously your organization was started by Charlie Kirk
I'm just wanted I would assume you're a viewer of his do you have any thoughts on like his impact
about how he's influenced your political ideology at all. Yeah absolutely I think his his stance was
more of a discussion not debate he 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 was 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 discussion
to find 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 obviously that was a very good answer by the way
but you know do you think you could what have you heard from people who maybe aren't 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 gente vote what are your thoughts there.
Yeah I have 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 come I encourage everyone who dislikes him to really just go out and watch what he had to
speak for and watch what he had to say listen to him and understand what he stood for and what he
truly believed in because when you find out what he truly believed in and the open discussion and
the 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 are 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
did you just um and you've already you went into it a little bit but can you go into a little bit
more about why you think the youth vote matters and why you are you know out there it's tabling
uh 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 out stretch 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 um man we blew through these questions um last
question for you you can take your time to think about this um if you have 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 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 come together and form the country that we desire. All right well said um
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 um 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 um it should be when do you need it by? Um
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 um Elijah one last thing so when this package
does come out do you mind sending this to us just so we know we know we are. Yeah cool okay well
thanks so much everyone talk to you later. Thank you so much. Take care guys bye bye bye.
And thank you Zach I'm gonna end this meeting now unless there's another reason I shouldn't
I'm gonna take your silence as a yes
ah
very well