More than 100 University of Pittsburgh students gathered in the campus quad Wednesday where Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA co-founder and conservative influencer, answered students’ questions as part of his “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour.”

Kirk brought Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate, to the session hosted by Turning Point USA’s Pitt chapter.

The outdoor event garnered a larger crowd than what originally was expected, according to Austin Lane, president of Turning Point USA’s Pitt chapter.

“We’ve had to actually change the location because there was so much interest in this event,” he said.

Lane, 21, said events such as the Charlie Kirk appearance are awarded to Turning Point USA chapters based on interest, importance of the location, the student body and how similar events have gone in the past.

Attendees could wait in line to ask Kirk any questions they wanted, which Lane said is a great way to demonstrate the First Amendment on campus and encourage political dialogue.

“Ideas should sharpen each other,” he said of college campuses. “This is how we bring ideas together so the best survive.”

Police officers were present at the event just in case, Lane said, as Turning Point USA at Pitt’s intent was to create a safe space.

While students were waiting to ask Kirk questions, red “Make America Great Again” hats were passed out.

JJ Martinez, who plans on voting for former President Donald Trump this fall, snagged one of the free hats.

“I am a conservative Republican,” she said. “I think that Trump has had great economic success at least in his last term.”

Though she said she doesn’t agree with everything Trump says, she’s not a fan of Vice President Kamala Harris.

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“I definitely don’t like the way he speaks, but I really don’t like Kamala,” said Martinez, 21, a junior studying digital, narrative and interactive design at Pitt. “It’s kind of like a choice between, well, who do I not like less?”

Martinez, who runs social media for the Pitt College Republicans club, said the Kirk event had good turnout, but attendees couldn’t hear the questions being asked or Kirk’s answers because of the crowd.

Turning Point USA events at Pitt have garnered a lot of engagement and interest in the past, according to Lane. Candace Owens’ appearance in March saw thousands of attendees, he said.

“There’s always been a great interest in politics in this area,” Lane said. “Pennsylvania, I personally believe, is the most important state in the union in terms of being a tipping point in the election.”

In April 2023, hundreds of students, faculty and community members rallied against a series of “anti-trans” speakers coming to campus, including conservative commentator Cabot Phillips, the Pitt News reported. Michael Knowles — who has called for the eradication of “transgenderism” — and James O’Keefe, founder of conservative nonprofit Project Veritas, were among previous speakers, according to the Pitt News.

Pitt does not dictate which speakers independent student organizations such as Turning Point USA at Pitt invite to campus — nor content presented at events, according to spokesperson Jared Stonesifer and Pitt’s new free speech website.

“Student organizations must utilize appropriate contracts managed by the Student Organization Resource Center, access reservations via Involvement and Student Unions and follow all university policies,” he said in a statement.

Various Pitt students showed up to the “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour” in opposition of Charlie Kirk, some displaying signs backing Harris for president and others holding transgender rights posters.

Brooke Baxter, who is supporting Harris this fall and doesn’t like Kirk, said she showed up because she thought it would be funny.

“I personally think it’s entertaining to see it all unfold as a little background character,” she said of the political discourse. “It’s a lot, but it’s kinda entertaining.”

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However, Baxter, 18, who is a freshman studying English writing at Pitt, said she believes Kirk’s positions come close to reaching the limit.

“I think it’s good to see every side of something, but it gets a little extreme,” she said. “When it starts to get a little heated, a little hateful toward either side … I think it’s good to speak your mind, but it gets too far.”

While she was on her way to the Pitt career fair Wednesday, Emma Liden noticed the Kirk event and decided to stay and hold a sign supporting Harris.

“Mainly what I’m here for is the fact that we all can have differing opinions, but when there is dangerous rhetoric — opinions that are kind of a jab at our Constitution — that’s where I’m just like, ‘We need to take a step back,’ ” she said.

The Kirk event was “pretty tame,” according to Liden, 19, a sophomore studying psychology.

“It has been pretty peaceful for the most part, which is nice,” she said. “I always do get kind of anxious where I do feel like, with such a polarizing figure, something may break out. And I never want anyone to get hurt.”

Liden will vote for Harris this fall, but she said there’s no candidate that’s the best, as that would be “too good to be true.”

“People out here are trying to get a rise out of everyone — I don’t want to do that,” she said. “I just want people to understand: yes, we all have differing opinions, but at the end of the day, we can’t have someone in office who is representing our country and gives such awful rhetoric.”

She said she just wants to see everyone get along despite ignorance in the world.

“When you’re spreading harmful stuff … especially when it’s putting other ethnic minorities in danger, that’s where I’m really like, ‘OK, it’s not even about you being Republican or Democrat anymore, it’s more about you just being … a compassionate human being,” Liden said. “I’m all about doing what’s right … but I know it’s the fact that in certain situations like this you can’t really see eye to eye.”

Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.

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