First-time conservative event attendees discuss debate over 'owning the libs' at TPUSA campus tour

Multiple students told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the latest Turning Point USA gathering was their first conservative event, another sign of the growing fervor on the right in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination last month.

The University of North Dakota was the latest stop on the conservative group's "This Is The Turning Point" campus tour. Fox News Digital spoke to attendees of the event about whether they had prior involvement in the conservative movement, and if conversations and debate needed to be prioritized over "owning" liberals.

During the TPUSA event that took place this week at Montana State University, Vivek Ramaswamy made comments regarding conversations that conservatives ought to aim for, and students were asked to respond. 

TPUSA LEADER PREDICTS COLLEGES WILL BECOME CONSERVATIVE STRONGHOLDS WITHIN 5 YEARS

"Own the libs" has been a popular slogan in conservative circles over the last decade, but Ramaswamy believes that mindset is a thing of the past. 

"We don't care about owning the libs. Not anymore," Ramaswamy said.

Students were asked whether they believe the most effective way to win over Americans is through debate and conversation rather than confrontation.

"I don't think that the conversation should really be about owning anyone, or it shouldn't be like attacking, either side attacking each other. I think we should… try to have productive conversations to get towards our end goal," said Brandon. 

Easton said, "I'd say each group has felt like they've owned the other one during times, but I wouldn't ever say that the conservatives have owned the liberals."

Abbie pointed to Kirk, who founded TPUSA in 2012, as an example of how conversations ought to be done. "I think that's what Charlie was the best at, that he wouldn't kind of try and one-up them. He would try to respect them and just say the facts on why their opinions were wrong, I guess."

Andrew said, "It's obvious after the death of Charlie Kirk that… there's factions in this country that don't want to solve issues with debates and constructive arguments."

Zach said, "They're [liberals] honestly kind of so crazy at this point, they're owning themselves."

TURNING POINT MONTANA STATE EVENT FEATURING RAMASWAMY, GIANFORTE DRAWS THOUSANDS

"When you choose violence, you're already losing regardless… the best thing we can do is kind of honestly follow like Charlie Kirk's model. You know, just talk to them, no matter what they spit or shout at you," he added.

Easton didn't hold back.

"Obviously, they don't want gun violence, but that's kind of what they turn to when they feel like they've been wronged in a way. So I'd almost agree with that statement to an extent," he told Fox News Digital.

Several students discussed attending the event as a first for their involvement in the conservative movement.

TURNING POINT UTAH STOP MARKED BY RESILIENCE AND HEIGHTENED SECURITY

"This is my first conservative event. I really just, I'm just going to check it out though," Brett said.  

"I didn't know much about Turning Point before the passing of Charlie Kirk," Jace said. "And so I kind of wanted to just see what it was about."

Andrew said, "I'm really just curious to see what their stance on Israel is."

Zach, Cooper, and Devin, almost in unison, shared that the event was their first official conservative gathering. 

Jimmy Kimmel grills Aziz Ansari for performing at Riyadh comedy festival under 'brutal regime'

Liberal talk show host Jimmy Kimmel grilled comedian Aziz Ansari on Monday for performing at a comedy festival in Saudi Arabia, noting he is one of many to be scrutinized for taking their money.

The entertainment world has been rocked in recent weeks by a massive comedy festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, featuring many of the world’s best-known working comedians. The performers have been accused of normalizing or "artwashing" the Saudi Arabian regime with their entertainment.

One comedian who refused to participate in the festival, Atsuko Okatsuka, shared purported screenshots of a contract that performers allegedly had to sign ensuring their content did not violate the guidelines of the Saudi Arabian government. The contract reportedly prohibited "any material considered to degrade, defame, or bring into public disrepute, contempt, scandal, embarrassment, or ridicule" the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

BILL BURR BLASTS CRITICS OF SAUDI ARABIA COMEDY FESTIVAL VISIT IN EXPLETIVE-LADEN INTERVIEW

"This is, obviously, something that’s become a big part of the news because people, a lot of comedians especially, are very upset, because the people who paid the comedians to come to this are not good people. It’s a pretty brutal regime. They’ve done a lot of horrible, horrible things," Kimmel said to Ansari, going on to ask him why he'd done it.

Ansari answered that he indeed put a great deal of thought into his choice to attend, noting an aunt of his who lived over there for some time argued there are plenty of people in Saudi Arabia who don’t agree with what their government is doing, just like in the United States.

While Kimmel agreed in theory that "we’re doing horrible things over here" in America, he argued the Saudi Arabian government is clearly on a different level.

"They murdered a journalist. These are not good people over there," Kimmel said, in reference to the infamous state-sponsored murder of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey in 2018.

BILL MAHER CRITICIZES DAVE CHAPPELLE FOR REMARKS ON FREE SPEECH AT SAUDI COMEDY FESTIVAL

"I was just there to do a show for the people," Ansari replied. "Whenever there’s repressive societies like this, they try to keep things out — whether it’s rock and roll music or blue jeans — because it makes people curious about outside ideas, outside values. And this is a very young country, like half the country is under the age of 25, and things can really change. And to me, a comedy festival felt like something that’s pushing things to be more open and to push a dialogue."

He said he hoped he'd pushed things "in a positive direction."

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