Charlie Kirk Discusses New Book, Cancel Culture, and College Campuses

Charlie Kirk, executive director of Turning Point USA and co-founder of the Falkirk Center at Liberty University, speaks in Dallas, Texas, on May 4, 2018. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Charlie Kirk, conservative political commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, shared with The Epoch Times insights into his latest book, “Right Wing Revolution: How to Beat the Woke and Save the West,” and his views on the current socio political climate in the United States.

The book, available on 45books.com, explores the influence of contemporary social movements in the United States, examining their reach across various aspects of society and offering perspectives on understanding their influence.

“I think it’s time ... for a counter-revolution against the Marxists that have done such damage to this country,” he stated, explaining the motivation behind his book. “They have taken over almost every major institution.”

Marxism is the theoretical foundation of communism, developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

Marx saw history as driven by conflict and struggle between social classes, especially the working class (proletariat) and the ownership class (bourgeoisie).

Mr. Kirk links the ideological roots of “wokeism,” to postmodernism and communism.

“Wokeism is kind of a sister ideology or a cousin ...  they look, they view the world through obviously oppressor and oppressed,” he said. He said that this worldview extends beyond economic struggle to a broader societal and civilizational struggle.

“In the book, we talk about the micro and the macro, we talk about the need for individual action ... it’s going to require a citizen-led movement,” Mr. Kirk said.

Mr. Kirk co-founded the nonprofit Turning Point USA in 2012 with the aim to advocate for conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses.

Defining ‘Wokeism’

When asked to define “wokeism,” Mr. Kirk described it as a strategy to control institutions through relentless complaint. “Complain until you control,” he said.

He criticized major corporations for promoting diversity and inclusion while allegedly suppressing diverse viewpoints, particularly conservative and Christian perspectives.

“For example, you know the biggest companies … they all have diversity statements, and they all say that you know we are diversity, equity, and inclusion. And so you should ask your corporate HR manager, does that mean that you allow diverse viewpoints?” he said.

“They don’t allow Christians to be outspoken ... so it’s diversity as long as it fits a very simple and prearranged subset of what they believe.”

Mr. Kirk said that “wokeism” is about power and control and mirrors the core tenets of communism. “If you read their literature ... there is no absolute truth, beauty, or goodness. All there is is power,” he noted, referencing thinkers like Herbert Marcuse and Michel Foucault.

Cancel Culture and Free Speech

On the topic of cancel culture, Mr. Kirk highlighted its impact on free speech and livelihoods. “Cancel culture is more about losing your livelihood because you have a difference of opinion,” he said.

As far as online platforms, Mr. Kirk shared his experiences with social media censorship, mentioning his removal from Twitter during the 2020 election. “I had my entire Twitter taken away from me,” he said.

Despite these challenges, he emphasized the importance of diversifying social media presence and remaining agile in response to censorship.

“We’re big believers in Rumble and Truth Social ... the more they try to censor and attack you, the more you have to realize you cannot be too dependent on one platform,” he said.

“So you have to navigate it with creativity, and you have to be rather nimble and agile the more that they try to censor and attack you.”

Shifting to his outreach on campuses with Turning Point, Mr. Kirk described the current campus climate as “dreadful” and “awful.”

Mr. Kirk noted that he aims to balance his message to the students on campuses without alienating those who might hold different viewpoints but are open to dialogue. “We allow anyone to come up to the mic. We’re the most pro-free speech organization in the country. I'll sit on a college campus for three hours straight. Anyone can come and ask me any question.”

Mr. Kirk said that he sees a growing conservative movement among young men on college campuses. “There’s definitely a growing right-wing group ... polling shows that the younger generation is the most conservative they’ve been in over 20 years,” he observed. “But there’s plenty of students that tilt our way. In fact, when we do these campus events, we can’t find rooms big enough to fit all the students that want to attend our on-campus events.”

However, he said that the majority of young people still lean liberal due to their circumstances and upbringing.

Mr. Kirk emphasized the importance of dissent against ideological monopolies, particularly “wokeism.” He encouraged Americans to speak out despite the risks, arguing that the reluctance to do so stems from fear of retribution.

“The issue in front of us is not whether or not the American people are all ‘woke.’ They’re not. It’s: Why are they not speaking out in opposition to it?” he stated.