Michael Knowles To Headline Turning Point USA Event At University Of Minnesota After Charlie Kirk’s Death

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Conservative commentator Michael Knowles will take the stage at the University of Minnesota on Monday evening for Turning Point USA’s “American Comeback Tour,” filling in after the group’s founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated last week.

The free event, hosted by Turning Point USA at UMN, begins at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 22 on the Carlson Family Stage inside Northrop.

It is open to attendees 18 and older with advance registration and a valid government-issued ID.

Priority seating for students with a U Card or other student ID begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by general admission seating at 6 p.m. All attendees must pass through security screening, and Northrop’s special events bag policy will be in effect.

The evening will feature a discussion about conservative values led by Knowles, followed by a live audience Q&A.

Organizers emphasized that previously issued tickets for the canceled "Prove Me Wrong Table" event on Northrop Plaza do not grant access to Monday’s program.

The Minnesota appearance comes at a moment of transition for Turning Point USA.

The organization, which Kirk founded to mobilize young conservatives, has seen a surge in attention and growth since his killing last week. The board has since named his widow, Erika Kirk, as the new CEO and chair. She has pledged to continue her husband’s mission and keep the movement growing.

Turning Point USA now counts more than 3,500 student chapters across the country, and interest has spiked in the days following Kirk’s death, according to group leaders.

National events, including a fall campus tour and the December "America Fest" conference, are still scheduled to go on.

For ticket help, attendees can call 612-624-2345 or email umntix@umn.edu.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.