BLOOMINGTON — The conservative student organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk, drew approximately 3,000 attendees to its college campus tour stop in Bloomington on Tuesday. The event, held indoors at an Indiana University venue, was headlined by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson following Kirk’s assassination in September.
The large turnout underscored the organization’s continued growth on college campuses since Kirk’s death, though not all who attended were supporters.
A palpable sense of caution was present, following the recent incident where Charlie Kirk was killed during a similar outdoor TPUSA event at Utah Valley University’s campus last month. Attendees expressed relief that the Bloomington event was held indoors.
Carlson directly addressed the loss of the organization’s founder, telling the crowd, “A lot of us, including me, are more divisive or hot-headed than we need to be. Charlie had a lot of emotional self-control.”
The event featured long lines of merch-clad supporters waiting to pass through metal detectors. The crowd remained engaged for two hours as Carlson took questions.
Discussions of global politics were also prominent outside the venue. A small group of protesters displayed signs referencing the violence in the Gaza Strip. Others protested Turning Point USA, saying it was a “hate group” because of its stance on race, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ issues.
Despite the external opposition, the IU chapter president reported that Turning Point is “growing by the day.” The rally received high-profile support from Indiana Governor Mike Braun, who addressed the crowd.
Braun characterized the current political climate as a “battle” of values and urged the students to take action.
“It’s up to you to be the foot soldiers — that we take what he meant and grow it into the place where this is more common in universities than the other stuff you often see in universities,” Governor Braun said.
The FBI Indianapolis Division spokesperson released a brief statement confirming that the agency worked with law enforcement partners ahead of the event to ensure public safety, urging the community to report any suspicious activity.
The FBI is aware of the event and continues to work closely with our local, state, and federal partners to help ensure the safety of everyone in Bloomington. Protecting the public remains our highest priority. We encourage anyone who sees something suspicious to report it to local law enforcement or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
