Hart Van Denburg/CPR NewsDonald Trump Jr. at a “Culture War” event Tuesday Oct. 22 2019, sponsored by conservative student organization Turning Point USA.
The almost 600-seat auditorium at Colorado State University's Student Arts Center was filled to capacity Tuesday evening for a stop on what was billed by its organizers as a "Culture War" tour of college campuses.
Inside, President Donald Trump's son, Donald Junior, Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk and Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former prosecutor from San Francisco, spent about an hour in full-throated defense of the president and his policies.
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, a nationwide conservative student organization, at a "Culture War" event staged by the group at Colorado State University's Student Arts CenterTuesday Oct. 22 2019 in Fort Collins. Donald Trump Jr. was one of the featured speakers.
Donald Trump Jr. at a "Culture War" event Tuesday Oct. 22 2019, sponsored by conservative student organization Turning Point USA.
Donald Trump Jr. at a "Culture War" event Tuesday Oct. 22 2019, sponsored by conservative student organization Turning Point USA.
Colorado State University student Koby Peters applauds during a "Culture War" event sponsored by conservative student organization Turning Point USA on Tuesday Oct. 22, 2019.Peters is director of outreach for Turning Point's CSU chapter.
Former San Francisco prosecutor Kimberly Guilfoyle speaks Tuesday Oct. 22 2019 at Colorado State University's Student Arts Center during a "Culrure War" event sponsored by Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization.
Protesters outside Colorado State University's Student Arts CenterTuesday Oct. 22 2019 in Fort Collins, ahead of a "Culture War" event staged by conservative student group Turning Point USA. Donald Trump Jr. was one of the featured speakers.
Protesters outside Colorado State University's Student Arts CenterTuesday Oct. 22 2019 in Fort Collins, ahead of a "Culture War" event staged by conservative student group Turning Point USA. Donald Trump Jr. was one of the featured speakers.
Protesters outside Colorado State University's Student Arts CenterTuesday Oct. 22 2019 in Fort Collins, ahead of a "Culture War" event staged by conservative student group Turning Point USA. Donald Trump Jr. was one of the featured speakers.
Colorado State University's roughly 600-seat Student Arts Center auditorium was filled to capacity Tuesday evening for a stop on what was billed by its organizers as a "Culture War" tour of college campuses.
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, a nationwide conservative student organization, at a "Culture War" event staged by the group at Colorado State University's Student Arts CenterTuesday Oct. 22 2019 in Fort Collins. Donald Trump Jr. was one of the featured speakers.
Turning Point is a nationwide conservative student organization founded by Kirk.
As what appeared to be a mostly student-aged crowd cheered, clapped and laughed along, Tuesday's event at times felt like a pep rally. All three speakers gleefully hammered Democrats, the news media, leftists and socialists. They mocked political correctness and critics of the president including Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney.
Outside, there was a very visible police and security presence. Everyone who entered the venue had to pass through metal detectors and have their personal belongings searched.
A band of about 100 protesters gathered across the street and shouted anti-racist and anti-Nazi chants as people filed into the auditorium. Although loud, the protest appeared peaceful.
Kirk last appeared in February 2018 at CSU. That event drew both peaceful supporters and protesters before a group with riot shields and skull-face masks arrived and chanted Nazi slogans. Police, some wearing riot gear, broke up up the melee.
Kirk adamantly distanced Turning Point from those in masks at the time and made time during his speech Tuesday to do the same.
Watch Video Of The Event
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