Conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson is set to visit Indiana University as part of a Turning Point USA campus tour series following the assassination of the organization’s co-founder and prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
According to its website, TPUSA is a nonprofit organization that has a presence on over 3,000 college and high-school campuses, including IU. Together, the chapters create a conservative activist network across the country that engages in debate and education.
Kirk, co-founder of TPUSA, was scheduled to speak at IU on Oct. 21 as part of a nationwide campus tour.
Carlson will speak in Kirk’s place at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21when the "American Comeback Tour" resumes its campus visits later this fall. There are currently 11 stops on this tour, with different speakers at each campus.
The TPUSA event page does not yet list a location for the event.
Kirk was fatally shot Sept. 10 during a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University. He is survived by his wife, Erika Kirk, and their two children. The alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is being held without bail at the Utah County Jail.
According to the TPUSA event page, the organization made the decision to continue the tour in honor of Kirk.
“Each stop is a chance to honor Charlie’s mission and keep the fight alive,” it reads. “We know he wouldn’t want us to surrender or be coerced into silence.”
There are currently 18 speakers listed on the tour website, including TPUSA’s new CEO, Erika Kirk.
James Chambers, president of the TPUSA at IU, said the national branch of TPUSA made the decision to bring Carlson to IU.
“It’s very fortunate that Tucker is coming to IU, and I think it is a benefit to free speech,” Chambers said. “I think this is what Charlie would have wanted.”
Carlson rose to prominence as a conservative commentator in the late 1990s to early 2000s, appearing on networks such as CNN, PBS and MSNBC. From 2016-2023, he hosted a nightly political talk show called “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Fox News.
Carlson has made previous appearances at TPUSA events, including Kirk’s memorial service on Sept. 21 where he delivered a speech.
“Charlie was fearless at all times, truly fearless in his last moment,” Carlson said in his speech. “He was unafraid, he was defenseless, and he had no hate in his heart.”
The TPUSA event is free to the public and registration can be found online.
