Highlights: Eric Trump and Charlie Kirk Event
GRACE XU: Last Tuesday, Eric Trump (MSB ’06) and Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, spoke at Georgetown University for an event co-sponsored by the Georgetown University College Republicans (GUCR) and the Georgetown Review.
GUCR President Henry Dai opened the event by highlighting the importance of fostering a culture of free speech on campus and encouraging the exchange of political opinions. Trump then began by reminiscing about his time at Georgetown, but was soon interrupted when members of Hoyas for Immigrant Rights staged a silent walk-out. Both speakers were unfazed, with Kirk even commenting to a round of applause, “I’ve visited hundreds of campuses, and that’s got to be the weakest protest I’ve ever seen.”
In the days leading up to the event, the Georgetown University College Democrats (GUCD) released several statements calling on students to boycott xenophobia, homophobia, white supremacism, anti-semitism, bigotry, and racism. The GUCR board responded firmly, standing with their decision to host the event and improve campus dialogue. This discussion was a recurrent theme throughout the evening, with Trump directly addressing the need to engage both Republicans and Democrats in order to flesh out commonalities and shared goals.
The conversation continued with Trump delving into his personal background and entrance into politics. Although politics did not play a significant role during his time studying in the MSB, he recalled that while growing up, his father had always expressed a desire to lead the nation while reading the newspaper each morning. Emphasizing how President Trump entered the political world “without having a background in it,” Trump complimented his father on being a “different but effective” politician.
Charlie Kirk followed up by testifying to the lessons he has learned from leading TPUSA and the conservative activism movement. He stressed the importance of perseverance, a good work ethic, and high energy, as well as the need to “leave it all out there [on the campaign trail].” Finally, he challenged the audience to “go into politics in an unconventional way” and venture out across the country to truly understand diverse voting populations.
In terms of policies, Kirk lauded several of President Trump’s achievements - the Right to Try Act, criminal justice reform, and the VA accountability act - before launching into a defense of fossil fuel usage and fracking. He criticized the left for “putting millions of people out of work” with unreasonable environmental policies and called fracking a blessing.
After noticing a Bernie Sanders supporter in the audience, Trump and Kirk thanked the individual for showing up at the event. However, a brief, explosive exchange about the merits of socialism in countries like Denmark soon erupted. When another student suggested pursuing such policies, Kirk retorted, “What’s the minimum wage in Denmark? Zero. Know your facts before you say something foolish.”
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, mainly focused on policy issues heading into the 2020 election cycle. Addressing the American healthcare system, Kirk argued that it is “best when entrepreneurs are allowed to take risks” and advocated for more holistic, nationwide discussions on health. Both Trump and Kirk emphasized the strength of the economy as the most important issue in 2020.
Despite the clear political divisiveness that emerged before, during, and even after the event, the speakers ended the conversation by pointing out that at the end of the day, most Republicans and Democrats see eye-to-eye on 80% of issues.
Grace Xu hails from Atlanta, Georgia and is a freshman in the School of Foreign Service studying International Politics.