“I essentially suggested the idea that we do some sort of event or debate. And this was right after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, so I also thought it would breed some level of bipartisanship and maybe stop us from being so polarized,” Marcus Emmanuel, a first-year student political science major, told Fox News Digital.

“We’ve been talking with the Young Democrats on our campus, and they’ve been very open to having a debate, which is very exciting. They’ve been really looking forward to working with us,” Reese Cooper, president of UT-Tyler’s TPUSA chapter, told Fox News Digital.

SHOCK AND RESOLVE: STUDENTS REFLECT ON CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH, FUTURE OF CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT

The president of the Young Democrats at University of Texas at Tyler (UT-Tyler) initiated the idea to collaborate with Turning Point USA for an event with hopes of fostering bipartisanship in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Kirk was killed while speaking on the campus of Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.

Kirk built a following by touring the country to debate college students on culture-war issues such as gender ideology, racial divisions and the merits of Christian and American values in general.

He left behind a wife, Erika, and two young children. Ever since his death, Turning Point USA — the organization he founded — has beencatapulted into prominence and received overwhelming support.

Emmanuel said TPUSA should not be legitimized and hopes to persuade people to join their side after the debate.

“I kind of just want to reference it by saying that the goal isn’t to legitimize what TPUSA stands for. But rather, it’s more of an acknowledgment that the faction in society that agrees with the ideology is too large to isolate or ignore,” he added.

YEARS OF CAMPUS ATTACKS ON CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS RESURFACE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER

Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking on the campus of Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

He continued, “The only way in which you can combat it is by engaging in dialogue with them. So my goal for the debate is to go about discrediting the message through facts and logic.”

Emmanuel said the vice president of the TPUSA chapter at UT-Tyler,Jonathan Roncancio, is in his general friend group. They had a conversation in the library about the TPUSA chapter recently being launched on campus.

“Our hope with Turning Point is to just educate and activate people, as well as create a community on the college campus,” Roncancio told Fox News Digital.

He added, “Our goal is to create a conservative community where people can come and discuss ideas. We really just want to make a free market of ideas that people can use and debate anything that they want to debate. We don’t want to just welcome one idea. Our goal was to create discussion and debate and just host good discussions.”

DAVID MARCUS: PROGRESSIVE MADNESS KILLED CHARLIE KIRK, A ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION LEADER

Charlie Kirk built a following by touring the country to debate college students on culture war issues such as gender ideology, racial divisions and the merits of Christian and American values in general. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

Emmanuel said that the date of the event is tentative, though expected to occur some time in November.

“I thought that the temperature was way too high, so I wanted to kind of use it as an opportunity to also turn down the temperature and for both sides to realize that the other side is human, even if there’s disagreements between us,” Emmanuel said.

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“I don’t think the president of the United States is doing an effective job at kind of turning down the temperature or telling both sides to turn down the temperatures,” he said.

Joshua Q. Nelson is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

Joshua focuses on politics, education policy ranging from the local to the federal level, and the parental uprising in education.

Joining Fox News Digital in 2019, he previously graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Political Science and is an alum of the National Journalism Center and the Heritage Foundation’s Young Leaders Program. 

Story tips can be sent to joshua.nelson@fox.com and Joshua can be followed on Twitter and LinkedIn. 

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Hernandez, a field reporter for Turning Point USA’s Frontlines and a contributor to the organization, spoke exclusively with Fox News Digital about the experience. She described being targeted with racial comments from what she characterized as a predominantly older White crowd while covering the protest.

Hernandez has been covering protests like this one for several years.

“I have been covering on the ground protests, riots, the illegal immigration crisis, basically every story that the mainstream media refuses to touch for the last six or seven years now,” Hernandez said.

POLICE SWIFTLY REMOVE ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS WHO INVADED TRUMP TOWER AS NATIONWIDE DEMONSTRATIONS INTENSIFY

At this protest, Hernandez said she experienced racist remarks.

When she was trying to “rationalize” with an older White male protester who made the claim that Charlie Kirk was “this horrible racist antisemite,” she shared what happened next.

“I tried to, you know, rationalize with him and say, ‘hey, I’m an Asian-Hispanic woman. Charlie has hired me to represent his organization. How does that make him a racist?’ He then called me a token and said that everybody needs one, apparently.” Then the protester went on to call everyone associated with Turning Point a “fascist,” according to Hernandez.

She described that rhetoric as “very normalized” throughout the protest.

“It’s hilarious because the same exact people that are screaming that the right wing are racist are the same ones that are consistently telling me that I’m brown, that I, you know, shouldn’t think the way that I do, that my politics are wrong, and that I’m gonna get deported,” she said. “It didn’t bother me because it’s something that I’m used to hearing from the left wing. I have gone to protests outside of ICE facilities, and I am constantly told that I am going to be deported and that I am next.”

ILLINOIS STATE TEACHING ASSISTANT FIRED AFTER TRYING TO FLIP TPUSA TABLE TWICE IN VIRAL CLASH

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Hernandez said she has never feared ICE or the police because she follows the law, just like other law-abiding citizens who have no reason to be afraid of law enforcement. However, she often hears people tell her that she’ll be deported, that she’s just a token, or that she wants to be White.

Hernandez added that she isn’t a fan of the labels.

“I don’t even like the label of I’m a Hispanic Asian woman myself. Like I said, I brought that up to this individual because he himself thinks that Charlie is some White supremacist racist, and to give him a real world example, you know, I’m a living one.”

Hernandez pointed out the demographics she witnessed at the NYC protest.

“Primarily older and whiter, I would say, which is very interesting. And it usually is these people who are the most outspoken. We are seeing a lot of the older generation really come out to these protests specifically.”

AMERICAN TRUST IN MEDIA REACHES RECORD LOW IN NEW GALLUP POLL

Over 100,000 people gather and march in Manhattan for the “No Kings” protest in New York City on Oct. 18, 2025.   (Neil Constantine/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Hernandez said that she is “not afraid” and will continue to do her work.

“I’m not afraid of these people. I think they are very radicalized, but I also think that we need people that are willing to go in the street and tell the truth. So you know, whatever happens, so be it,” she said.

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Fox News’ Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.

Elizabeth Heckman is a writer for Fox News Digital.

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Texas Democratic House candidate Rep. Jolanda Jones became the latest example on Wednesday after making a throat-slashing gesture while rejecting former first lady Michelle Obama’s famous mantra, “when they go low, we go high,” on CNN’s “Outfront.”

“If you hit me in my face, I’m not going to punch you back in your face. I’m going to go across your neck,” Jones said while making a slashing motion across her neck.

“We can go back-and-forth, fighting each other’s faces. You’ve got to hit hard enough where they won’t come back,” she continued.

SELECTIVE OUTRAGE: TRUMP, DEMOCRATS MAINLY DENOUNCE THE OTHER SIDE’S SCANDALS

State Rep. Jolanda Jones was the latest Democrat to use violent rhetoric and imagery to attack political opponents. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Jones’ campaign said she was not speaking literally when reached for comment by Fox News Digital.

Jones’ comments came on the heels of reports that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, both Democrats, had written violent messages in the past, including calls for the death of a Republican politician.

Elected Democratic officials have also been guilty of using controversial language when attacking their opponents. In 2018, California Rep. Maxine Waters encouraged supporters at a rally to confront members of the Trump administration and “push back” on them.

“If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere,” Waters said.

DEMOCRATS HAVE REPEATEDLY USED VIOLENT RHETORIC AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT: ‘TIME TO PUT TRUMP IN A BULLSEYE’

In 2020, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh that they would “pay the price” for hearing an abortion-related case.

California Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif, once told supporters to confront members of the Trump administration and “push back” on them. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In 2023, New York Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., warned that then-candidate Donald Trump was “destructive to our democracy” and needed to be “eliminated.” However, he quickly apologized for his comments, claiming that it was a “poor choice of words.”

Even former President Joe Biden has used heated language against Trump during his time in office, telling donors during a call in 2024 that it was “time to put Trump in the bulls-eye.” This was after repeatedly claiming Trump was a “threat to democracy.”

GOP CONGRESSMAN CLASHES WITH CNN HOST, TELLS NETWORK TO ‘LOOK WITHIN’ OVER HEATED POLITICAL RHETORIC

Outside the political sphere, mainstream media commentators have made controversial comments that appeared to encourage violence.

In 2013, MSNBC anchor Martin Bashir called former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin an “idiot” and “dunce” and told viewers that someone should defecate in Palin’s mouth, invoking an old slave punishment in response to a speech where Palin compared the national debt to slavery. Bashir stepped down from his position weeks later.

MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace once asked how reporters restrained themselves from wringing Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ neck in 2018. (Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace suggested that media reporters were tempted to “wring” the neck of then-press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2018.

CHARLIE KIRK PAINTED AS ‘CONTROVERSIAL,’ ‘PROVOCATIVE’ IN MEDIA’S ASSASSINATION COVERAGE

“How do you resist the temptation to run up and wring her neck? Why can’t she just say, ‘If a staffer said that, we’re going to get to the bottom of it and she’ll be fired?'” Wallace asked on air.

The violent rhetoric extended into Hollywood with several anti-Trump celebrities appearing to advocate for violence against the president.

During the Women’s March in 2017, singer and actress Madonna remarked that she had thought “an awful lot about blowing up the White House.” She later defended her comments, claiming they were “taken wildly out of context” and that she really wanted to effect change “with love.”

Comedian Kathy Griffin released a controversial photo of herself holding a fake bloodied Trump head. (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images; Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

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That same year, actor Johnny Depp joked at a music festival, “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?” before adding, “Maybe it’s time.” He later apologized for his comments, insisting that only meant to “amuse” not harm.

Most notably, comedian Kathy Griffin got attention in 2017 by posting an image of herself holding a realistic replica of Trump’s severed head covered in fake blood. She was later investigated by the Secret Service but has stood by the image as her First Amendment right.

Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to lindsay.kornick@fox.com and on Twitter: @lmkornick.

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The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) sent a warning letter to the Hawaii Department of Education on Oct. 16 alleging the teacher’s free speech rights were violated.

The letter, which redacted the names of the teacher, school and administrators, said the incident occurred on Sept. 17 when the teacher taught the Bill of Rights as part of her federally mandated Constitution Day lesson. During a class discussion, the teacher explained that “hate speech” is protected under the Constitution, prompting a student to reference the Sept. 10 killing of Kirk, saying he “was killed for his speech.”

The teacher then asked students to name other figures who were killed for their speech. Students identified Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, according to the ACLJ.

Another student mentioned that someone tried to assassinate President Donald Trump for his speech, while another student implied that such an act would be acceptable.

PROFESSOR FIGHTING DISMISSAL FOR CALLING CHARLIE KIRK A ‘NAZI’ HANDED LEGAL WIN, FUELING FREE SPEECH DEBATE

President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

The teacher immediately corrected the student, according to the letter, telling the class that calls for death are not protected speech and that violence is never an acceptable response to disagreement.

During her next class, another student again brought up Kirk’s murder, and the teacher agreed he had been shot because of his speech.

The ACLJ maintains that the teacher did not express any political opinions and remained neutral throughout the discussion. Later that day, however, she was called into a meeting with the vice principal, who said the discussion about Kirk was considered too “controversial” for the classroom.

A parent had reportedly complained about the conversation, and the vice principal told the teacher she was required to “shut down” any further discussion of controversial topics. A week later, he emailed a memo warning that she would face discipline if she failed to comply.

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Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking on a Utah campus on Sept. 10, 2025. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The ACLJ said that directive violates state education policy, which allows student discussions on issues that “generate opposing points of view” as a “normal part of the learning process.” Furthermore, the group argued the teacher had included the Bill of Rights lesson in her syllabus, so parents were aware of the topic in advance.

In a later meeting with the vice principal and principal, the teacher challenged the memo and was allegedly told she could only discuss the First Amendment in the context of America’s founding, not in relation to current events.

The principal said the memo would be placed in her file but denied it was punitive, saying it would give administrators “a leg to stand on” if they decided to discipline her in the future.

A Hawaii history teacher was allegedly disciplined over holding a classroom discussion on free speech on Constitution Day when students discussed Charlie Kirk. (Jeff Pachoud/AFP via Getty Images)

FLORIDA TEACHER TOLD TO REMOVE CHARLIE KIRK IMAGE FROM CLASSROOM FEELS TARGETED, VOWS TO FIGHT DISTRICT

The ACLJ argues the school violated the teacher’s First Amendment rights and engaged in viewpoint discrimination by targeting her while allowing other teachers to connect constitutional issues to modern examples.

The group requested the immediate removal of the memo from the teacher’s file and assurances that no further discipline over the matter or her advocacy would occur.

FLORIDA TEACHER TOLD TO REMOVE CHARLIE KIRK IMAGE FROM CLASSROOM FEELS TARGETED, VOWS TO FIGHT DISTRICT

It also seeks written confirmation that teachers will not be forced to silence students during approved lessons and that instruction on constitutional rights will not be deemed “controversial.”

The ACLJ told Fox News Digital it has pushed back the original October 23 deadline for the Hawaii Department of Education to respond, to November 6, before deciding whether to file a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging the teacher’s civil rights were violated and that officials interfered with federally required Constitution Day lessons.

The Hawaii Department of Education did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was killed on Sept. 10 while debating on a Utah campus.

The conservative influencer’s death has sparked a wave of campus activism focused on free speech.

Kristine Parks is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Read more.

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