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How to make more Charlie Kirks: Inside TPUSA's gap-year alternative to the 'college scam'
Fox News ^ | September 10, 2026 | David Unsworth

Posted on 09/13/2026 9:53:10 AM PDT by Twotone

For decades, aspiring young Americans have followed a predictable formula: high school, college, debt. But at the Turning Point USA prep year program, 18-year-old students are encouraged to pause, learn how to think, and discover their true purpose before committing to that considerable investment.

Dr. David Arnott, dean of the program, reflects on why the biggest problem in America isn't merely economics: it's character and wisdom. The mission is bold: use a year of classical, liberal arts education to mold the next generation of America's conservative leaders.

Dr. Arnott sat down with Fox News at FreedomFest in Las Vegas to discuss how TPUSA's prep year is fulfilling Charlie Kirk's educational vision for America's youth:

"It is an ‘education about economics’ problem. I started my lecture here yesterday at FreedomFest asking the question, ‘why do we keep falling for socialism?’ And I tried to answer that question. And that's what I've been studying over the last 12 years as a Christian economist.

"How do we distribute goods in a fallen world? And so, I was asked by the people at Turning Point USA to be their dean of the prep year program in Fort Worth. Charlie Kirk's first book in 2022 was called ‘The College Scam.’ In 2026, he implemented his idea for education.

"On Sept. 2, the first class met in Fort Worth. He was assassinated eight days later on Sept. 10. What we're trying to do at prep year is to implement Charlie Kirk's idea for education."

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: charliekirk; collegscam; gapyearalternative; thecollegescam; tpusa
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1 posted on 09/13/2026 9:53:10 AM PDT by Twotone
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To: Twotone

Without an army of bodyguards there will not be a lot of volunteers to be another Charlie Kirk.


2 posted on 09/13/2026 9:55:21 AM PDT by cgbg (Four seconds is all it takes to beat the brainwashing.)
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To: Twotone

I’d love to see what their reading list is.

Just a few days ago I was wondering if there is a definitive Charlie Kirk Reading List. I find things on the web like https://allstarpress.com/charlie-kirks-reading-list/ but nothing definitive and very little on the tpusa.com website.


3 posted on 09/13/2026 10:02:13 AM PDT by posterchild
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To: cgbg
Without an army of bodyguards there will not be a lot of volunteers to be another Charlie Kirk.

Not necessarily true in CCW States. If enough Antifa jihadis are interdicted, they'll crawl back into their snivelling holes planning a mass murder attack instead.

4 posted on 09/13/2026 10:05:53 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (Stupidity is an acquired trait, requiring many years of careful practice)
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To: Carry_Okie

If enough Antifa jihadis are interdicted, they’ll crawl back into their snivelling holes planning a mass murder attack instead


Speaking of which, as a meme I saw yesterday, the usual summer riots have dried up, thanks to USAID having dried up.


5 posted on 09/13/2026 10:16:02 AM PDT by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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To: Twotone
Re: "The mission is bold: use a year of classical, liberal arts education to mold the next generation of Americas Conservative leaders."

LOL - that is so naive. I have no idea how to respond.

90% of USA classical liberal arts professors are card carrying Marxists!

The other 10% are political cowards who are desperately trying to hold on to a tenured job position.

6 posted on 09/13/2026 10:21:37 AM PDT by zeestephen (2024 Trump Landslide - Kamala Harris Lost By 230,000 Votes In WI, MI, and PA.)
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To: zeestephen

Classical liberal arts. Not lefty Liberal Arts that they get in mainstream universities.


7 posted on 09/13/2026 10:25:39 AM PDT by Jane Long (Jesus is Lord!)
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To: Twotone

Excellent idea!

Worth donating to and supporting.

Touching our future!


8 posted on 09/13/2026 10:26:27 AM PDT by Jane Long (Jesus is Lord!)
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To: Twotone

The ultimate retribution would be if a 100 new Charlie Kirks grew from this. Like has been said, it’s a little scarier now knowing what you risk.


9 posted on 09/13/2026 10:29:04 AM PDT by Marko413
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To: Flaming Conservative
Speaking of which, as a meme I saw yesterday, the usual summer riots have dried up, thanks to USAID having dried up.

Yes, that was a very smart move on Trump's part.

10 posted on 09/13/2026 10:29:08 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (Stupidity is an acquired trait, requiring many years of careful practice)
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To: zeestephen

I don’t think they were intending on using liberal professors for this. I think the point is a ‘classic’ liberal education in which people learn about the genesis of the thinking that led us to the foundation of America - the great experiment that for the first time made government subservient to the citizens and that emphasizes that our rights are endowed upon us by God, not given to us by government.


11 posted on 09/13/2026 10:33:14 AM PDT by neverevergiveup
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To: cgbg

No so. There are a number of them who have taken up the torch. I like Will Witt in particular
https://www.tpusastudents.com/speakers/willwitt


12 posted on 09/13/2026 10:43:41 AM PDT by j.havenfarm (25 years on Free Republic, 12/10/25! More than 12,750 replies and still not shutting up!)
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To: Twotone

Charlie Kirk was wrong in supposing the left can be engaged with rational debate, and it cost him his life.


13 posted on 09/13/2026 10:52:45 AM PDT by Salman (The primary deception of media isn't political bias. It's the pretense they know what's going on.)
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