so one of the things I love doing is I
love meeting young cats who love
capitalism and today we’re going to meet
charlie Kirk who I think was a
capitalist from the day he was born and
he’s been on politics from the day
probably he was born so I’m really
curious to hear your story how you went
from an 18 year old kid drops out of
college maybe doesn’t even go to college
you start this brand Turning Point USA
now you have 600,000 fans on Facebook
following you said why don’t we go back
and before talking about what 20 point
USA is who was Charlie Kirk in high
school thank you uh I love your shirt by
the way
thank you nor did I consider myself an
entrepreneur um in high school you know
I was in some ways a typical high school
student but I was driven to go to the
United States Military Academy at West
Point a football basketball captain
Eagle Scout but always had a mind for
creating and taking risks ended up not
getting into West Point and I got
accepted to Baylor University and just
we didn’t really make much sense to me
to go borrow a bunch of money to go get
a degree that I didn’t think would make
me any more competitive or at the time
and I had an idea to educate young
people about what I was passionate about
how would you at the 18:8 so forming a
team you’re already thinking about that
yeah so I started when I was 18 years
old five years ago this organization on
june 5th 2012 and you know we’ve grown
now so tremendously you know to seven
million dollar budget over a thousand
campuses across the country you got
girls everywhere here yeah well that’s
right yes leadership summit going on
correct precisely every rose I think
that’s what being entrepreneurs all
about taking risks and sometimes they
fail sometimes they work but they never
will work if you don’t take the risk so
Charlie tell me about your printer’s
what are your mom and dad do my dad’s an
architect guys own firm and my mom’s a
mental health psychiatrist both are very
passionate about the free enterprise
system I wouldn’t put them at the
political people as much as I am but my
dad you know it’s always been an
entrepreneur buying properties and doing
development and things like that and so
I sought from a young age the value and
kind of magic that’s right you know what
pulled you what pulled you into politics
well I always loved history
I loved economics and it was more just
kind of a byproduct the culture that I
was brought up in being in very liberal
leftist atmosphere in the northwest
suburbs of Chicago there weren’t a lot
of conservatives that I went to school
with so I remember asking my parents and
I was in sixth grade I said
are we Republicans or Democrats and they
said well we love America we love free
enterprise we’re definitely more
Republican than we are Democrat I said
okay so I felt like it was like wearing
a Bears jersey to school you just oh
that’s the team you have to defend so I
went sixth grade and anything that was
opposition Republican who was like
insulting the Chicago Cubs like no I
have to stand up for the Republicans and
so I learned obviously got deeper than
that read Milton Friedman read Ayn Rand
all that stuff and I became more more
passionate about it yes I was with Chris
ruddy last week in Miami and he had a
similar story he grew up in New York I
think his parents same thing with you
know part of it figuring out what his
policies when his passion came also
early on so now tell us about
turning-point USA what did what is this
all about
sure so turning-point USA were a
nationwide student movement on college
and high school campuses focused on
educating training and mobilizing young
people around the values of free markets
and smaller government we believe that
those viewpoints are widely
misrepresented if not represented at all
on our college campuses free enterprise
is the greatest system ever to be tried
in the history of man it empowers the
individual and lifts the poor out of
poverty at record rates and we’re seeing
a rise of socialism now in this country
that is horrifying and it’s incumbent on
our generation to understand the merits
of free enterprise and to fight back
against socialism both on campuses and
once they graduate so what’s your
approach how do you deal with you know
you’re in college 19 year old kid I’m
going to a university that’s purely on
the other side and professors don’t like
capitalism they don’t like that we
enterprise what is your approach to get
students sure a lot of different
approaches we have a huge digital social
media strategy first and foremost and we
start chapters actually on the ground
we’re not afraid to do the hand-to-hand
combat of grassroot politics to actually
get students engaging and understanding
that there are other opinions on campus
we fight for intellectual diversity
something that you don’t hear a lot
about on these campuses or unfortunately
the left is very focused on racial
diversity which is important and ethnic
diversity which is important but
intellectual diversity should be just as
important which is viewpoint diversity
and you don’t see a lot of that on these
campuses you know what there’s a hunger
and a thirst and appetite elaborate on
that what do you mean by that
so for example it’s on many campuses
let’s say UC Berkeley they have eight
full-time staffers that are in their
diversity Department their entire job is
to make UC Berkeley more diverse
but their idea of diversity is to have a
bunch of people that look different but
they think the same we push back and we
say racial and ethnic diversity is
important we’re not discounting that at
all but you can’t forget intellectual
diversity so for example if there’s a
liberal speaker on campus there should
be a conservative speaker on campus
there should be some sort of equilibrium
between liberal professors and
conservative professors now it’s like 98
to 2% that’s crazy it’s far out of whack
if college is really about viewpoint
diversity then you should not be afraid
to hear other ideas free-enterprise
smaller government the Constitution and
you shouldn’t be offended if you hear
those ideas which is something you see a
lot amongst young people worshipping
colleges too late so don’t you think
it’s important get into it right in high
school or maybe even junior high school
because I think by college a lot of
times that that philosophy from our
textbooks already been ingrained totally
at Weber controls the present controls
the past and they’re telling their
version of the history so it isn’t there
a disconnect with college by that point
and you know kids in high school college
is definitely important we do a lot of
high schools now even we focus on
colleges accessibility there very
accessible as far as finding the
students they’re engaged they’re mature
they want to start groups middle schools
tough and you have students that are not
necessarily old enough to start a group
or form it without adult supervision but
you’re right I mean the textbooks and
the narrative that is being taught in
our shows is predominantly
anti-capitalist anti-american and that’s
wrong and they don’t even hear the other
point of view so let me ask you this I’m
gonna give you a complete different way
of thinking about it let’s just say in
sports your sports guy if you’re in
Illinois I’m assuming you’re a Chicago
Cubs out on a big white outside okay are
you a Bulls fan as well yes okay so you
got two good teams they’re Cubs just for
that you got good squad so when you’re
playing an opponent you’re thinking what
is the other head coach thinking about
what is he going to do that’s going to
be your trick play why does the other
person thing that can beat us what makes
the socialistic argument and the
communistic arguments so strong that
other kids and students and even gayer
adults are turned on by it’s a great
question and we always talk about it’s
very easy to sell socialism because
inherent in human behavior unfortunately
is greed the wrong type of greed though
because socialism is a creed of greed
and this is what Winston Churchill
talked about because it’s not that you
want to create something for your
but it’s that person shouldn’t have that
yacht and someone else should or I
should I should have free health care
I should have free education and so it’s
very easy to sell that to a populace
that feels disaffected it’s harder to
sell if it’s harder to sell some
components free enterprise which is you
know you might have to wake up at six
o’clock in the morning you might have to
take a risk might have to take out a
loan so socialism is easy to sell to a
lot of people but unfortunately it also
prize on the best intentions of people
and you say it’s easy to sell to people
but here’s a question that you may have
so you believe in capitalism you believe
in free and without a Down being free
market capitalism some of these people
that buy into it they’re not dummies
they’re smart they’re well-read there’s
surveillance yes some of them that are
socialists communists they’re very well
educated either they’re educated
diametric dear Alexis oh sure they are
but but but I guess the question I’m
asking is like even a Soros like some of
these other guys that you hear about
these are not dumb people that believe
in socialism or communism why are they
so certain about that system on how it
works well I would say the academic
elites for one have very little
pragmatic and you know actual experience
if you look at people who have started
businesses from nothing excluding some
of the Silicon Valley billionaires
they’re predominantly more free
enterprise more more conservative kind I
would say with Soros he has an agenda
that I were to Sarila care ok but we
would agree there but I will say it’s
easy to convince yourself at times that
we just need more central planners that
government can finally work itself out
there there’s a lot of compelling
documentation documents and a lot of
compelling research that people put
forth that say you know these government
programs if reshuffled and it’s I
wouldn’t say it’s easy I should stop
using that word
but it’s tempting to fall into that
train of thought I think that’s what it
is I to an extent I also think it’s a
lack of skepticism in government I think
we should be more skeptical of
government on I painting to which
governments are leading it obviously
well I think all government we should be
skeptical I’ve I think a small
government is the best government that
limited government is the best
government on whether it’s here in
America whether it’s in Europe or across
the world because when government gets
really big it does lead it’s right
possibility of authoritarianism so
you’ve read Communist Manifesto so the
first time you read it what did you
think about I mean what were you
thinking be perfectly honest at you I
was young I was in seventh grade and I
was almost saying yeah it doesn’t work
Wow and was this before you ask your mom
and dad mom dad whatever the Republic
after but I was still very ideologically
vulnerable so I’m not going to admit on
camera that I rejected it the first time
I read I said you know what maybe we can
what represent workers better and maybe
people shouldn’t have this but you know
what then I said I’m going to read
wealth the nation’s I read and it’s
which one did you leave for Communist
Manifesto
did you read and run before you never it
Enron was hard to remember but I
definitely read and ran before I
graduated middle school so when I was
bouncing head south of them yes I kind
of went through this whole political
reading at Central you know but to be
honest I read the manifesto I said wow
you know I was young maybe this can work
but then I became a healthy skeptic I
think so I get it I get when people read
it why this might make sense in their
head I would make a very compelling
argument we have enough data to show it
hasn’t worked been put so when you read
wealth of nations was it done Adam Smith
this make that all that we are going to
lower my language it’s brought to my
core I said Wow
I’m an individualist I do want to create
wealth I do want to be wealthy I do want
to write take risks I said this is makes
sense and the price system the invisible
hand like I’ve seen this work to the
manifesto is all something I never
actually saw before the wealth of
nations I could say Google Facebook
Amazon I’ve seen this actually flood so
I grew up in Iran my mother’s 100% her
family’s all communist oh wow
and my father’s an imperialist so living
around ten years they escape the whole
revolution so I watch this you know
right firsthand on how this philosophy
takes player I’d love to hear your
you’re a pencil so my question for you
would be the following so this is where
I struggle with this and this is where I
think America is having a hard time with
this your white your parents are I’m
assuming they’re American yes okay at
seventh grade you ask your parents what
you are
they say Republican you’re an October
14th baby you’re certain you’re 18 but
you’re determined guy is going to figure
dancing God you’re going to go out then
you know once you get sold out to a
concept you’re going to stick to it
right here okay now let’s take you out
I’m here
he’s white here I was telling him are
you everybody I look at your door all
white all whiter what 90% that’s not
sure everybody that was having 145 lat
Eno’s and 20 african-americans no
problem and how many total people do you
have you got a thousand okay that’s
that’s ten percent is less you know what
his ever item are but that’s fine my
point to you is I can see an easier
argument to go to the traditional
Caucasian Christian Church family all
this stuff great and they’ll be turned
on by because they grew up in a family
like that and there’s nothing wrong with
that listen I came from I’m a proud
American I served in a military hunter
force airborne I’m a happily I’m an
entrepreneur there’s nothing about it
that I’m again I’m on the economically
mainly that’s my philosophies how do you
reach out to the kid that’s 19 years old
Hispanic grew up in a family that
doesn’t believe in capitalism that
doesn’t believe in they set up their
beliefs on socialism how do you connect
with him work for 19 years his parents
whom he loves the most when he adores
the most he sees the other side of the
Philosopher’s nowadays you gotta pay
attention to that market as well because
the Hispanic community we talk about 40
million people that were ever mind
growing and growing very quickly so how
do you communicate to that audience it’s
difficult and I went to a high school I
appreciate you saying no I’m not not
going to say to MZ it difficult I went
to a high school that was 53% English as
a second language I was a minority in my
high school very ethnically diverse
majority Latino and I was around young
people that their fathers and their
mothers who came to this country to want
to better themselves I went to school
with illegal immigrants if you want to
use that term and you know what I grew a
sympathy that these individuals they’re
more freedom minded than people give
them credit for but they’re definitely
on the left side of their political
ideology because they’ve been told
certain I think misconceptions or
stories about Republicans and
conservatives some jerusem not true and
so how do you communicate with them I
think we have to champion issues that
will truly make their lives better so
school choice is an issue that I’m a
very passionate advocate for which is
educational options is I think a more
free-market centered solution to our
broken education was a Sanders type of a
system I owe the exact words I’m talking
more about educational vouchers
like what we’ve seen in Florida I’m
talking about school the ability to
change Oh school you wanna go to have
the zip code not determine the child’s
future that’s I think issues and
policies that can resonate with the
Latino community the african-american
community mean a lot and look I do agree
we we need spokespeople that speak the
language literally speak I think I don’t
have speak Spanish but I think my ideas
I believe in can resonate with people of
all different ethnic backgrounds but I
recognize that which is why we also host
a much smaller summit which is our young
Latino leadership summit coming up in a
couple weeks and I do understand that
cultures speak better to people the same
cultures I get that but I don’t want to
discount the fact that our ideas should
affect all human beings despite of their
bad I’m there agree with that yeah yeah
I agree with that it’s difficult I get
it how do you get into that audience it
I think we need to start grooming
leaders from all sorts of different
cultural backgrounds on the political
and cultural stage and so for example
you know Jorge Ramos Univision or
whatever whatever see us you know he’s a
big spokesperson to you know force
Pentagon it’s a 40 year old latina moms
in Southern California they turn on the
TV and so they get home from a long
shift at work so how do you battle that
so we need to create more Jorge Ramos
let’s battle that if you don’t control
95% dirtiest we got to create new me to
do what you’re doing go straight to the
audience
I got a shadow of a doubt I bet you’ve
been able to persuade Iranian Americans
maybe to think of things a little bit
differently you’re all sort of different
here I’m saying we should go around with
you there I’m with you there but the guy
at the top is white this family’s white
and the UCL and I’m just like I’m Donald
Trump’s on my president Trump here so
I’m talking about how are we figuring
out a way to educate the folks who are
maybe not going to get access I grew up
a Democrat I was a Democrat for the most
part of my life then I became a republic
and i said i’m not even a republican on
i’m an independancy I’m very I’m very
conservative libertarian independent but
I’m a conservative economically I’m only
I’m a numbers guy albeit a lot of the
stuff is opinion based Sharon I’m a
Milton Friedman’s happened a date I got
ok data god that’s that’s pretty much
where I’m at so but how you reach those
guys is a real question so let me let me
go to a different point of view here so
someone watching this 18 years old
nineteen years old twenty years old
they’re a skeptic okay
they haven’t even formed an opinion they
don’t even care to talk about politics
right now why is it important for me to
be here to want to learn about posture
more than economically it’s important
because politics affects you whether or
not you decide to get involved it is
impossible to escape politics from the
words you can say to the job you want to
get the taxes you’re forced to pay
politics will touch you
daily many times a day now you can try
to ignore it but the harsh realities of
political involvement or lack of
involvement will come to fruition so the
cool thing about the American system is
we don’t have mandatory voting so you
can be as involved or as not involved as
you want to be and the cool thing is in
America there still is this this creed
of political engagement that young
ladies do want to travel across the
country to get engaging it involved so
my sales pitch to young people is very
simple simple as do you trust the
government and 90% of the time despite
their political affiliation is no I do
not now say do you trust politicians
they say no I’ll say then why would you
want to make government bigger and get
politicians more power and their answer
is usually I don’t I’ll say so you do
agree that we should probably reconsider
the way we look at government maybe
scale it back that government’s not
going to solve these problems and just
in the behavior of young people what the
devices they use the companies that they
use on an hourly basis Amazon Netflix
Google Facebook these are all American
based free enterprise creations it’s not
did not come out of Washington DC by
Democrats so that’s the confusion yeah
so well these are the Democrats oh sure
I think that I think they’re culturally
again I’m pushing you on this that’s the
part that the question comes out not all
of them are Democrats but they most of
them are because of the culture I think
they live in they would even bite
culture well so the movie stars that
they hang out with Bezos would movie
stars well I mean yeah I mean he won’t
owns the Washington Post I mean I get
that but that’s not movie story I mean
he definitely hangs out a lot of times
at the higher end liberal type Society
folks that you know the Denzel
Washington’s of the Meryl Streep’s are
not in the street saying anything about
positive about Donald Trump but let’s
look at Mark Zuckerberg let’s talk about
this let’s look at Bill Gates Warren
Buffett Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel’s conservative yeah liberty
over these guys right right let’s look
at gates Zuckerberg and Bezos those are
three guy combined their net worth is
about a hundred and sixty billion
dollars which is a GDP of bigger than
ten African countries combined if you
think about it’s insane they’ve
delivered more good for the world than
most people ever will without a free
enterprise system they never would have
been able to create that amount of
wealth yet Bezos is an open liberal
Zuckerberg is very very liberal and
Gates is very very liberal so it really
begs the question why is that I have a
couple theories about it I think number
one in Zuckerberg case he did put in a
lot of work and he did create a lot of
value but it came to him a lot quicker
than some people that might have created
Home Depot so it was a incredible amount
of valuation and a short view saying
Bezos also in this thing no no no I’m
saying Zuckerberg okay we could do one
by one but there is a certain amount of
guilt I think that happens with that
amount of money where you feel that you
want to give back to the world and you
think government should do it with you I
think that’s wrong I think it ignores
the economic system that they live in
that made their wealth possible at least
my theory you feel free to disagree no
I’m just curious I’m telling you because
when that conversation comes up and says
why is it that these folks are voting
this way sure versus that way and these
are billionaires so if they’re
entrepreneurs why are they going this
way because I think that the the the
question becomes what you said was
phenomenal do you trust the government
no do you trust politicians no then why
would you give a more power to make
decisions for you I don’t know why why
don’t you so then the next thing is what
do you do next okay so because for me I
think we form opinions politically for
ways when you look at somebody so
somebody was a I cannot trust guns at
all somebody said I go man no one should
own a gun yeah and you try to debate him
on it what you don’t know is his
daughter got shot when she was six
because she played with his gun you can
never change that opinion so that’s not
even a debate we should even have right
I agree the other one is a moment of
that they grew up they traditionally I’m
african-american I’m a Democrat I’m a
military my my I’m a Republican I’m a
dis some that so there’s traditions that
we follow then you have
somebody who has a professor that takes
a liking in them and then you have the
person that just I don’t have anything
to do with politics
I think it’s knowing what audience to
connect with to help them convert so how
do you go about doing that yeah so on
college campus as a majority of those
students are the ones in the center to
the mill left so they’re left but they
still have somewhat of an open opinion
is that what your experience is 100%
okay and so they will listen to other
ideas when presented then there is a
campus minority 10 to 15% that are so
convinced of leftist ideas you couldn’t
show them all the data in the world
they’ll never walk away from it then
there’s five to ten percent that will
self-identify as conservative and
they’ll stick to their guns on that so
that gives you a 70 to 80 percent pie of
people that can be convinced they might
come in with stories and narratives and
preconceptions predispositions to
ideology but you have to know your
audience without a shadow of a doubt and
we talked about this today at the
Leadership Summit is knowing who you’re
communicating with and going back to the
point of you know why why would people
who participate in the free enterprise
system you know become liberal I would
say at times they do participate in
crony capitalism that is antithetical to
free markets when they get up to the
highest level and you’re referencing
cool uTorrent let’s talk about Warren
Buffett right so Warren Buffett and he
was part of a Republican Party by the
way for longest yeah now he’s at he’s a
Democrat sure Warren Buffett opposed the
Keystone XL pipeline because it would
have negatively affected the BNSF
Railway which subsidiary bookshare
Hathaway BNSF revenues are down 28%
ever since the Keystone XL pipeline just
got approved by Donald Trump and so it’s
important to note they’re not always
pure free market capitalist when I get
to that highest level whether it be
Facebook lobbying heavily for the FCC to
keep net neutrality you know certainly
you see them saying when they get to
that very high level average guy know
that they don’t so the quote I’m just
talking on an intellectual I’m with you
but so so we go focus on the
intellectual but the the intellectual is
not going to be a bigger percentage to
get the vote so you’re right you know
how do we communicate to the common man
yes so I think I think the message right
there is how do you can
with the average person that’s sitting
there you’re dealing with 10% right in
the middle right let’s say 7 to 10% how
do you get this person to say this makes
sense for me to go come but now I’m not
talking about the guy that’s
intellectual I can handle a conversation
like yours I’m talking the regular
person how do you have it I think you
have to do a mixture of things tell
stories it’s a very important thing and
I think that’s something you’re
passionate about I think the story of
the American entrepreneur is one of the
most beautiful things in human history
it really is it’s uniquely American
where someone can start with nothing and
create a business and enterprise and
nonprofit organization that can have
absolute global impact and I think you
have to also show them compelling
comparisons of data of why is it that
Cuba and South floor why are people flee
Cuba for South Florida but they’re not
fleeing South Florida for Cuba at least
that’s my experience is asking
thought-provoking question there’s also
about how you’re doing it not screaming
at them not punching them over the head
it’s okay to have disagreement in
society we don’t have to only talk to
people that we agree with which I’m
afraid we’re becoming more and more like
that as a culture I I would agree with
that yeah there’s one of the things I
like to do religions another debate
there’s a Hitchens brothers there’s one
debate online where you watch critics
what we’re love religion are youing I’m
a Christian myself I’m a
non-denominational Christian myself and
you watch Hitchens them debate and
sometimes politically I recommend people
watch both arguments sometimes I think
you watch too much DNA you watch too
much msn very much Fox so what could you
recommend books but that people could
read I could say here’s a book you can
read that can help you better understand
capitalism socialism communism
yeah nama consciousness I would have
three books kind of that changed my life
free to choose by Milton Friedman Wealth
of Nations by Adam Smith and then Road
to Serfdom by FA Hayek I think those are
three of the greatest books written in
the 20th century to talk about economic
and political philosophy free to choose
let Milton Friedman really takes a
modern approach to free markets very
applicable I think to entrepreneurs or
people in the middle seas use really
100% it’s written in a very non
confrontational a little bit of a deeper
dive written in 1776 of all years yes
important your wealth of nations much
more esoteric and in the like Marvel
pages but it’s 100 pages I will say this
for people
letter really want to dive deep you’ll
realize that human behavior hasn’t
changed very much I just wonder
fifty-year it’s simple keeps in
perspective then finally Road to Serfdom
it’s almost like a prophecy when you can
actually look at what FA Hyack observed
of how countries embrace democratic
socialism and eventually become very
very poor it was written in 1940’s when
he was observing the rise of democratic
socialism communism and a lot of these
Asian countries in the Easter right ed
towards the end of World War two
so those three books if you spend two
weeks reading them they could change
your life they change mine you ever read
The Naked communist no I have not highly
recommended by Leon scouts MA
he also wrote the book 5000 early yeah 5
w yeah make sure designers I still got
to read 5000 yearly ralien make it come
is brilliant
15 years see I explains what why on the
planet anyway so listen it’s been it’s
been good talking to you thank you for
your luck to end for I’m proud of you
man 23 you’re going out there you’re
spreading this message to people in
colleges which is a very difficult task
you have because people are not for what
you’re trying to do I think and more
power – you’re doing – you’re the right
guy for it so thanks for thanks for
coming by budget thank you all enough
some of your wisdom with us thank you so
listen some of you watching this you may
say I absolutely disagree with this guy
and I cannot believe Pat you had a guy
that worked on Trump’s campaign here on
value teaming but this is one of the
things I want to tell you now I want to
challenge you to do if you can’t sit
with people you disagree with and have a
civil conversation with them not only
will you not toughen your argument and
make yourself stronger you’re going to
be blinded you’ll have some blind spots
so meaning imagine if I’m going out
there and box and I just prepare myself
against two shots that the other person
is going to hit me he can’t come from a
side that I didn’t prepare for it’s very
very important for you watching this for
all the people that dislike or like or
comment or whatever I want to really
encourage you to be willing to listen to
these sorts of things and go read the
books that maybe is against your
political philosophies because it can
either make your argument stronger or
number two you could say I never sound
that way this makes a whole lot of sense
so that’s one of the reasons why I
brought a young cat like this an 18 year
old kid who goes from a passion yes for
capitalism to 23 years old a 7 million
dollar budget you tell about 600
some fans on Facebook and growing like
you wouldn’t believe but today’s
conversation made you think about
certain things that have to do with
capitalism and entrepreneurship
then maybe you didn’t think about before
so if you got any questions any thoughts
any comments comment on the bottom about
to introduce a series that has to do a
lot more with capitalism that will be
launching you’re pretty soon so be
prepared to hear a lot more messages
like this that have to do with different
economical systems [Music]
love meeting young cats who love
capitalism and today we’re going to meet
charlie Kirk who I think was a
capitalist from the day he was born and
he’s been on politics from the day
probably he was born so I’m really
curious to hear your story how you went
from an 18 year old kid drops out of
college maybe doesn’t even go to college
you start this brand Turning Point USA
now you have 600,000 fans on Facebook
following you said why don’t we go back
and before talking about what 20 point
USA is who was Charlie Kirk in high
school thank you uh I love your shirt by
the way
thank you nor did I consider myself an
entrepreneur um in high school you know
I was in some ways a typical high school
student but I was driven to go to the
United States Military Academy at West
Point a football basketball captain
Eagle Scout but always had a mind for
creating and taking risks ended up not
getting into West Point and I got
accepted to Baylor University and just
we didn’t really make much sense to me
to go borrow a bunch of money to go get
a degree that I didn’t think would make
me any more competitive or at the time
and I had an idea to educate young
people about what I was passionate about
how would you at the 18:8 so forming a
team you’re already thinking about that
yeah so I started when I was 18 years
old five years ago this organization on
june 5th 2012 and you know we’ve grown
now so tremendously you know to seven
million dollar budget over a thousand
campuses across the country you got
girls everywhere here yeah well that’s
right yes leadership summit going on
correct precisely every rose I think
that’s what being entrepreneurs all
about taking risks and sometimes they
fail sometimes they work but they never
will work if you don’t take the risk so
Charlie tell me about your printer’s
what are your mom and dad do my dad’s an
architect guys own firm and my mom’s a
mental health psychiatrist both are very
passionate about the free enterprise
system I wouldn’t put them at the
political people as much as I am but my
dad you know it’s always been an
entrepreneur buying properties and doing
development and things like that and so
I sought from a young age the value and
kind of magic that’s right you know what
pulled you what pulled you into politics
well I always loved history
I loved economics and it was more just
kind of a byproduct the culture that I
was brought up in being in very liberal
leftist atmosphere in the northwest
suburbs of Chicago there weren’t a lot
of conservatives that I went to school
with so I remember asking my parents and
I was in sixth grade I said
are we Republicans or Democrats and they
said well we love America we love free
enterprise we’re definitely more
Republican than we are Democrat I said
okay so I felt like it was like wearing
a Bears jersey to school you just oh
that’s the team you have to defend so I
went sixth grade and anything that was
opposition Republican who was like
insulting the Chicago Cubs like no I
have to stand up for the Republicans and
so I learned obviously got deeper than
that read Milton Friedman read Ayn Rand
all that stuff and I became more more
passionate about it yes I was with Chris
ruddy last week in Miami and he had a
similar story he grew up in New York I
think his parents same thing with you
know part of it figuring out what his
policies when his passion came also
early on so now tell us about
turning-point USA what did what is this
all about
sure so turning-point USA were a
nationwide student movement on college
and high school campuses focused on
educating training and mobilizing young
people around the values of free markets
and smaller government we believe that
those viewpoints are widely
misrepresented if not represented at all
on our college campuses free enterprise
is the greatest system ever to be tried
in the history of man it empowers the
individual and lifts the poor out of
poverty at record rates and we’re seeing
a rise of socialism now in this country
that is horrifying and it’s incumbent on
our generation to understand the merits
of free enterprise and to fight back
against socialism both on campuses and
once they graduate so what’s your
approach how do you deal with you know
you’re in college 19 year old kid I’m
going to a university that’s purely on
the other side and professors don’t like
capitalism they don’t like that we
enterprise what is your approach to get
students sure a lot of different
approaches we have a huge digital social
media strategy first and foremost and we
start chapters actually on the ground
we’re not afraid to do the hand-to-hand
combat of grassroot politics to actually
get students engaging and understanding
that there are other opinions on campus
we fight for intellectual diversity
something that you don’t hear a lot
about on these campuses or unfortunately
the left is very focused on racial
diversity which is important and ethnic
diversity which is important but
intellectual diversity should be just as
important which is viewpoint diversity
and you don’t see a lot of that on these
campuses you know what there’s a hunger
and a thirst and appetite elaborate on
that what do you mean by that
so for example it’s on many campuses
let’s say UC Berkeley they have eight
full-time staffers that are in their
diversity Department their entire job is
to make UC Berkeley more diverse
but their idea of diversity is to have a
bunch of people that look different but
they think the same we push back and we
say racial and ethnic diversity is
important we’re not discounting that at
all but you can’t forget intellectual
diversity so for example if there’s a
liberal speaker on campus there should
be a conservative speaker on campus
there should be some sort of equilibrium
between liberal professors and
conservative professors now it’s like 98
to 2% that’s crazy it’s far out of whack
if college is really about viewpoint
diversity then you should not be afraid
to hear other ideas free-enterprise
smaller government the Constitution and
you shouldn’t be offended if you hear
those ideas which is something you see a
lot amongst young people worshipping
colleges too late so don’t you think
it’s important get into it right in high
school or maybe even junior high school
because I think by college a lot of
times that that philosophy from our
textbooks already been ingrained totally
at Weber controls the present controls
the past and they’re telling their
version of the history so it isn’t there
a disconnect with college by that point
and you know kids in high school college
is definitely important we do a lot of
high schools now even we focus on
colleges accessibility there very
accessible as far as finding the
students they’re engaged they’re mature
they want to start groups middle schools
tough and you have students that are not
necessarily old enough to start a group
or form it without adult supervision but
you’re right I mean the textbooks and
the narrative that is being taught in
our shows is predominantly
anti-capitalist anti-american and that’s
wrong and they don’t even hear the other
point of view so let me ask you this I’m
gonna give you a complete different way
of thinking about it let’s just say in
sports your sports guy if you’re in
Illinois I’m assuming you’re a Chicago
Cubs out on a big white outside okay are
you a Bulls fan as well yes okay so you
got two good teams they’re Cubs just for
that you got good squad so when you’re
playing an opponent you’re thinking what
is the other head coach thinking about
what is he going to do that’s going to
be your trick play why does the other
person thing that can beat us what makes
the socialistic argument and the
communistic arguments so strong that
other kids and students and even gayer
adults are turned on by it’s a great
question and we always talk about it’s
very easy to sell socialism because
inherent in human behavior unfortunately
is greed the wrong type of greed though
because socialism is a creed of greed
and this is what Winston Churchill
talked about because it’s not that you
want to create something for your
but it’s that person shouldn’t have that
yacht and someone else should or I
should I should have free health care
I should have free education and so it’s
very easy to sell that to a populace
that feels disaffected it’s harder to
sell if it’s harder to sell some
components free enterprise which is you
know you might have to wake up at six
o’clock in the morning you might have to
take a risk might have to take out a
loan so socialism is easy to sell to a
lot of people but unfortunately it also
prize on the best intentions of people
and you say it’s easy to sell to people
but here’s a question that you may have
so you believe in capitalism you believe
in free and without a Down being free
market capitalism some of these people
that buy into it they’re not dummies
they’re smart they’re well-read there’s
surveillance yes some of them that are
socialists communists they’re very well
educated either they’re educated
diametric dear Alexis oh sure they are
but but but I guess the question I’m
asking is like even a Soros like some of
these other guys that you hear about
these are not dumb people that believe
in socialism or communism why are they
so certain about that system on how it
works well I would say the academic
elites for one have very little
pragmatic and you know actual experience
if you look at people who have started
businesses from nothing excluding some
of the Silicon Valley billionaires
they’re predominantly more free
enterprise more more conservative kind I
would say with Soros he has an agenda
that I were to Sarila care ok but we
would agree there but I will say it’s
easy to convince yourself at times that
we just need more central planners that
government can finally work itself out
there there’s a lot of compelling
documentation documents and a lot of
compelling research that people put
forth that say you know these government
programs if reshuffled and it’s I
wouldn’t say it’s easy I should stop
using that word
but it’s tempting to fall into that
train of thought I think that’s what it
is I to an extent I also think it’s a
lack of skepticism in government I think
we should be more skeptical of
government on I painting to which
governments are leading it obviously
well I think all government we should be
skeptical I’ve I think a small
government is the best government that
limited government is the best
government on whether it’s here in
America whether it’s in Europe or across
the world because when government gets
really big it does lead it’s right
possibility of authoritarianism so
you’ve read Communist Manifesto so the
first time you read it what did you
think about I mean what were you
thinking be perfectly honest at you I
was young I was in seventh grade and I
was almost saying yeah it doesn’t work
Wow and was this before you ask your mom
and dad mom dad whatever the Republic
after but I was still very ideologically
vulnerable so I’m not going to admit on
camera that I rejected it the first time
I read I said you know what maybe we can
what represent workers better and maybe
people shouldn’t have this but you know
what then I said I’m going to read
wealth the nation’s I read and it’s
which one did you leave for Communist
Manifesto
did you read and run before you never it
Enron was hard to remember but I
definitely read and ran before I
graduated middle school so when I was
bouncing head south of them yes I kind
of went through this whole political
reading at Central you know but to be
honest I read the manifesto I said wow
you know I was young maybe this can work
but then I became a healthy skeptic I
think so I get it I get when people read
it why this might make sense in their
head I would make a very compelling
argument we have enough data to show it
hasn’t worked been put so when you read
wealth of nations was it done Adam Smith
this make that all that we are going to
lower my language it’s brought to my
core I said Wow
I’m an individualist I do want to create
wealth I do want to be wealthy I do want
to write take risks I said this is makes
sense and the price system the invisible
hand like I’ve seen this work to the
manifesto is all something I never
actually saw before the wealth of
nations I could say Google Facebook
Amazon I’ve seen this actually flood so
I grew up in Iran my mother’s 100% her
family’s all communist oh wow
and my father’s an imperialist so living
around ten years they escape the whole
revolution so I watch this you know
right firsthand on how this philosophy
takes player I’d love to hear your
you’re a pencil so my question for you
would be the following so this is where
I struggle with this and this is where I
think America is having a hard time with
this your white your parents are I’m
assuming they’re American yes okay at
seventh grade you ask your parents what
you are
they say Republican you’re an October
14th baby you’re certain you’re 18 but
you’re determined guy is going to figure
dancing God you’re going to go out then
you know once you get sold out to a
concept you’re going to stick to it
right here okay now let’s take you out
I’m here
he’s white here I was telling him are
you everybody I look at your door all
white all whiter what 90% that’s not
sure everybody that was having 145 lat
Eno’s and 20 african-americans no
problem and how many total people do you
have you got a thousand okay that’s
that’s ten percent is less you know what
his ever item are but that’s fine my
point to you is I can see an easier
argument to go to the traditional
Caucasian Christian Church family all
this stuff great and they’ll be turned
on by because they grew up in a family
like that and there’s nothing wrong with
that listen I came from I’m a proud
American I served in a military hunter
force airborne I’m a happily I’m an
entrepreneur there’s nothing about it
that I’m again I’m on the economically
mainly that’s my philosophies how do you
reach out to the kid that’s 19 years old
Hispanic grew up in a family that
doesn’t believe in capitalism that
doesn’t believe in they set up their
beliefs on socialism how do you connect
with him work for 19 years his parents
whom he loves the most when he adores
the most he sees the other side of the
Philosopher’s nowadays you gotta pay
attention to that market as well because
the Hispanic community we talk about 40
million people that were ever mind
growing and growing very quickly so how
do you communicate to that audience it’s
difficult and I went to a high school I
appreciate you saying no I’m not not
going to say to MZ it difficult I went
to a high school that was 53% English as
a second language I was a minority in my
high school very ethnically diverse
majority Latino and I was around young
people that their fathers and their
mothers who came to this country to want
to better themselves I went to school
with illegal immigrants if you want to
use that term and you know what I grew a
sympathy that these individuals they’re
more freedom minded than people give
them credit for but they’re definitely
on the left side of their political
ideology because they’ve been told
certain I think misconceptions or
stories about Republicans and
conservatives some jerusem not true and
so how do you communicate with them I
think we have to champion issues that
will truly make their lives better so
school choice is an issue that I’m a
very passionate advocate for which is
educational options is I think a more
free-market centered solution to our
broken education was a Sanders type of a
system I owe the exact words I’m talking
more about educational vouchers
like what we’ve seen in Florida I’m
talking about school the ability to
change Oh school you wanna go to have
the zip code not determine the child’s
future that’s I think issues and
policies that can resonate with the
Latino community the african-american
community mean a lot and look I do agree
we we need spokespeople that speak the
language literally speak I think I don’t
have speak Spanish but I think my ideas
I believe in can resonate with people of
all different ethnic backgrounds but I
recognize that which is why we also host
a much smaller summit which is our young
Latino leadership summit coming up in a
couple weeks and I do understand that
cultures speak better to people the same
cultures I get that but I don’t want to
discount the fact that our ideas should
affect all human beings despite of their
bad I’m there agree with that yeah yeah
I agree with that it’s difficult I get
it how do you get into that audience it
I think we need to start grooming
leaders from all sorts of different
cultural backgrounds on the political
and cultural stage and so for example
you know Jorge Ramos Univision or
whatever whatever see us you know he’s a
big spokesperson to you know force
Pentagon it’s a 40 year old latina moms
in Southern California they turn on the
TV and so they get home from a long
shift at work so how do you battle that
so we need to create more Jorge Ramos
let’s battle that if you don’t control
95% dirtiest we got to create new me to
do what you’re doing go straight to the
audience
I got a shadow of a doubt I bet you’ve
been able to persuade Iranian Americans
maybe to think of things a little bit
differently you’re all sort of different
here I’m saying we should go around with
you there I’m with you there but the guy
at the top is white this family’s white
and the UCL and I’m just like I’m Donald
Trump’s on my president Trump here so
I’m talking about how are we figuring
out a way to educate the folks who are
maybe not going to get access I grew up
a Democrat I was a Democrat for the most
part of my life then I became a republic
and i said i’m not even a republican on
i’m an independancy I’m very I’m very
conservative libertarian independent but
I’m a conservative economically I’m only
I’m a numbers guy albeit a lot of the
stuff is opinion based Sharon I’m a
Milton Friedman’s happened a date I got
ok data god that’s that’s pretty much
where I’m at so but how you reach those
guys is a real question so let me let me
go to a different point of view here so
someone watching this 18 years old
nineteen years old twenty years old
they’re a skeptic okay
they haven’t even formed an opinion they
don’t even care to talk about politics
right now why is it important for me to
be here to want to learn about posture
more than economically it’s important
because politics affects you whether or
not you decide to get involved it is
impossible to escape politics from the
words you can say to the job you want to
get the taxes you’re forced to pay
politics will touch you
daily many times a day now you can try
to ignore it but the harsh realities of
political involvement or lack of
involvement will come to fruition so the
cool thing about the American system is
we don’t have mandatory voting so you
can be as involved or as not involved as
you want to be and the cool thing is in
America there still is this this creed
of political engagement that young
ladies do want to travel across the
country to get engaging it involved so
my sales pitch to young people is very
simple simple as do you trust the
government and 90% of the time despite
their political affiliation is no I do
not now say do you trust politicians
they say no I’ll say then why would you
want to make government bigger and get
politicians more power and their answer
is usually I don’t I’ll say so you do
agree that we should probably reconsider
the way we look at government maybe
scale it back that government’s not
going to solve these problems and just
in the behavior of young people what the
devices they use the companies that they
use on an hourly basis Amazon Netflix
Google Facebook these are all American
based free enterprise creations it’s not
did not come out of Washington DC by
Democrats so that’s the confusion yeah
so well these are the Democrats oh sure
I think that I think they’re culturally
again I’m pushing you on this that’s the
part that the question comes out not all
of them are Democrats but they most of
them are because of the culture I think
they live in they would even bite
culture well so the movie stars that
they hang out with Bezos would movie
stars well I mean yeah I mean he won’t
owns the Washington Post I mean I get
that but that’s not movie story I mean
he definitely hangs out a lot of times
at the higher end liberal type Society
folks that you know the Denzel
Washington’s of the Meryl Streep’s are
not in the street saying anything about
positive about Donald Trump but let’s
look at Mark Zuckerberg let’s talk about
this let’s look at Bill Gates Warren
Buffett Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel’s conservative yeah liberty
over these guys right right let’s look
at gates Zuckerberg and Bezos those are
three guy combined their net worth is
about a hundred and sixty billion
dollars which is a GDP of bigger than
ten African countries combined if you
think about it’s insane they’ve
delivered more good for the world than
most people ever will without a free
enterprise system they never would have
been able to create that amount of
wealth yet Bezos is an open liberal
Zuckerberg is very very liberal and
Gates is very very liberal so it really
begs the question why is that I have a
couple theories about it I think number
one in Zuckerberg case he did put in a
lot of work and he did create a lot of
value but it came to him a lot quicker
than some people that might have created
Home Depot so it was a incredible amount
of valuation and a short view saying
Bezos also in this thing no no no I’m
saying Zuckerberg okay we could do one
by one but there is a certain amount of
guilt I think that happens with that
amount of money where you feel that you
want to give back to the world and you
think government should do it with you I
think that’s wrong I think it ignores
the economic system that they live in
that made their wealth possible at least
my theory you feel free to disagree no
I’m just curious I’m telling you because
when that conversation comes up and says
why is it that these folks are voting
this way sure versus that way and these
are billionaires so if they’re
entrepreneurs why are they going this
way because I think that the the the
question becomes what you said was
phenomenal do you trust the government
no do you trust politicians no then why
would you give a more power to make
decisions for you I don’t know why why
don’t you so then the next thing is what
do you do next okay so because for me I
think we form opinions politically for
ways when you look at somebody so
somebody was a I cannot trust guns at
all somebody said I go man no one should
own a gun yeah and you try to debate him
on it what you don’t know is his
daughter got shot when she was six
because she played with his gun you can
never change that opinion so that’s not
even a debate we should even have right
I agree the other one is a moment of
that they grew up they traditionally I’m
african-american I’m a Democrat I’m a
military my my I’m a Republican I’m a
dis some that so there’s traditions that
we follow then you have
somebody who has a professor that takes
a liking in them and then you have the
person that just I don’t have anything
to do with politics
I think it’s knowing what audience to
connect with to help them convert so how
do you go about doing that yeah so on
college campus as a majority of those
students are the ones in the center to
the mill left so they’re left but they
still have somewhat of an open opinion
is that what your experience is 100%
okay and so they will listen to other
ideas when presented then there is a
campus minority 10 to 15% that are so
convinced of leftist ideas you couldn’t
show them all the data in the world
they’ll never walk away from it then
there’s five to ten percent that will
self-identify as conservative and
they’ll stick to their guns on that so
that gives you a 70 to 80 percent pie of
people that can be convinced they might
come in with stories and narratives and
preconceptions predispositions to
ideology but you have to know your
audience without a shadow of a doubt and
we talked about this today at the
Leadership Summit is knowing who you’re
communicating with and going back to the
point of you know why why would people
who participate in the free enterprise
system you know become liberal I would
say at times they do participate in
crony capitalism that is antithetical to
free markets when they get up to the
highest level and you’re referencing
cool uTorrent let’s talk about Warren
Buffett right so Warren Buffett and he
was part of a Republican Party by the
way for longest yeah now he’s at he’s a
Democrat sure Warren Buffett opposed the
Keystone XL pipeline because it would
have negatively affected the BNSF
Railway which subsidiary bookshare
Hathaway BNSF revenues are down 28%
ever since the Keystone XL pipeline just
got approved by Donald Trump and so it’s
important to note they’re not always
pure free market capitalist when I get
to that highest level whether it be
Facebook lobbying heavily for the FCC to
keep net neutrality you know certainly
you see them saying when they get to
that very high level average guy know
that they don’t so the quote I’m just
talking on an intellectual I’m with you
but so so we go focus on the
intellectual but the the intellectual is
not going to be a bigger percentage to
get the vote so you’re right you know
how do we communicate to the common man
yes so I think I think the message right
there is how do you can
with the average person that’s sitting
there you’re dealing with 10% right in
the middle right let’s say 7 to 10% how
do you get this person to say this makes
sense for me to go come but now I’m not
talking about the guy that’s
intellectual I can handle a conversation
like yours I’m talking the regular
person how do you have it I think you
have to do a mixture of things tell
stories it’s a very important thing and
I think that’s something you’re
passionate about I think the story of
the American entrepreneur is one of the
most beautiful things in human history
it really is it’s uniquely American
where someone can start with nothing and
create a business and enterprise and
nonprofit organization that can have
absolute global impact and I think you
have to also show them compelling
comparisons of data of why is it that
Cuba and South floor why are people flee
Cuba for South Florida but they’re not
fleeing South Florida for Cuba at least
that’s my experience is asking
thought-provoking question there’s also
about how you’re doing it not screaming
at them not punching them over the head
it’s okay to have disagreement in
society we don’t have to only talk to
people that we agree with which I’m
afraid we’re becoming more and more like
that as a culture I I would agree with
that yeah there’s one of the things I
like to do religions another debate
there’s a Hitchens brothers there’s one
debate online where you watch critics
what we’re love religion are youing I’m
a Christian myself I’m a
non-denominational Christian myself and
you watch Hitchens them debate and
sometimes politically I recommend people
watch both arguments sometimes I think
you watch too much DNA you watch too
much msn very much Fox so what could you
recommend books but that people could
read I could say here’s a book you can
read that can help you better understand
capitalism socialism communism
yeah nama consciousness I would have
three books kind of that changed my life
free to choose by Milton Friedman Wealth
of Nations by Adam Smith and then Road
to Serfdom by FA Hayek I think those are
three of the greatest books written in
the 20th century to talk about economic
and political philosophy free to choose
let Milton Friedman really takes a
modern approach to free markets very
applicable I think to entrepreneurs or
people in the middle seas use really
100% it’s written in a very non
confrontational a little bit of a deeper
dive written in 1776 of all years yes
important your wealth of nations much
more esoteric and in the like Marvel
pages but it’s 100 pages I will say this
for people
letter really want to dive deep you’ll
realize that human behavior hasn’t
changed very much I just wonder
fifty-year it’s simple keeps in
perspective then finally Road to Serfdom
it’s almost like a prophecy when you can
actually look at what FA Hyack observed
of how countries embrace democratic
socialism and eventually become very
very poor it was written in 1940’s when
he was observing the rise of democratic
socialism communism and a lot of these
Asian countries in the Easter right ed
towards the end of World War two
so those three books if you spend two
weeks reading them they could change
your life they change mine you ever read
The Naked communist no I have not highly
recommended by Leon scouts MA
he also wrote the book 5000 early yeah 5
w yeah make sure designers I still got
to read 5000 yearly ralien make it come
is brilliant
15 years see I explains what why on the
planet anyway so listen it’s been it’s
been good talking to you thank you for
your luck to end for I’m proud of you
man 23 you’re going out there you’re
spreading this message to people in
colleges which is a very difficult task
you have because people are not for what
you’re trying to do I think and more
power – you’re doing – you’re the right
guy for it so thanks for thanks for
coming by budget thank you all enough
some of your wisdom with us thank you so
listen some of you watching this you may
say I absolutely disagree with this guy
and I cannot believe Pat you had a guy
that worked on Trump’s campaign here on
value teaming but this is one of the
things I want to tell you now I want to
challenge you to do if you can’t sit
with people you disagree with and have a
civil conversation with them not only
will you not toughen your argument and
make yourself stronger you’re going to
be blinded you’ll have some blind spots
so meaning imagine if I’m going out
there and box and I just prepare myself
against two shots that the other person
is going to hit me he can’t come from a
side that I didn’t prepare for it’s very
very important for you watching this for
all the people that dislike or like or
comment or whatever I want to really
encourage you to be willing to listen to
these sorts of things and go read the
books that maybe is against your
political philosophies because it can
either make your argument stronger or
number two you could say I never sound
that way this makes a whole lot of sense
so that’s one of the reasons why I
brought a young cat like this an 18 year
old kid who goes from a passion yes for
capitalism to 23 years old a 7 million
dollar budget you tell about 600
some fans on Facebook and growing like
you wouldn’t believe but today’s
conversation made you think about
certain things that have to do with
capitalism and entrepreneurship
then maybe you didn’t think about before
so if you got any questions any thoughts
any comments comment on the bottom about
to introduce a series that has to do a
lot more with capitalism that will be
launching you’re pretty soon so be
prepared to hear a lot more messages
like this that have to do with different
economical systems [Music]
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