In response to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s American Comeback Tour arriving at Texas A&M on Tuesday, two Democratic social media personalities spoke on campus at Rudder Plaza at the same time as part of their “Unfuck America” tour. Primarily led by Dean Withers and Parker Sedgwick, two creators with several million online followers between them, the event began at 6:30 p.m. and included more than 20 social media creators.
The overall tour is a “nationwide journey to organize, listen, create, and build power from the ground up,” according to its website.
They launched the event at Aggie Park at 12 p.m. before gathering at Rudder Plaza to debate attendees. Withers and media personality Patrick Jones, who goes by Mr. Jones X online, opened with remarks encouraging the attendees to remain politically involved.
“For the future generation, it is time to pick up the mantle and fight the fight,” Jones said.
Withers said fundamental rights, such as healthcare and civil rights, are being threatened under President Donald Trump.
“If Trump had lost, none of those things would have happened,” Withers said.
Withers and Jones then invited Trump supporters to debate them, including those who were unable to gain entrance to Kirk’s event at Rudder Auditorium. The duo was later joined by Sedgwick to discuss points of contention, including immigration policies, abortion rights and Trump’s sexual abuse allegations.
Psychology junior Maddy Brook said she was motivated to attend the event because she had been following Withers and Sedgwick for a long time.
“I wanted to see them debate Republicans, and I try to take away from this event as much as possible because some of the things they debate about are things I’m not educated on,” Brook said. “I take their debates, do my own research and fact-check it. It teaches me to learn more and do research. The more they debate, the more I watch their debates and the more I learn.”
Brook said she believes it is important to learn more about different policies that both sides stand for.
“As a Christian I don’t like how Republicans use the Bible against it to spread hate, because that’s not what Jesus was about,” Brook said. “So it’s not only about learning their mindset,” Brook said.
Another attendee, Madison Ritter, who was not a student, said she was invited by a friend and wanted to learn more about the media personalities’ perspective.
“My whole family are Trump supporters and I am the only one that’s not, so I kind of wanted to hear the other side,” Ritter said. “I wasn’t even political until a few years ago, because I just ignored it all and I hated every bit of it, because nothing was going good the way I wanted it to. I definitely like Dean’s point of view a lot better than Charlie’s view.”
Ritter said she wanted to take their talking points and use them in political discussions with her family.
“For example, I got stuck in a car ride with them for four hours, and I got questioned as to why I believed the other way and I had nothing to say at that point,” Ritter said. “I tried to argue my arguments, but they didn’t hold ground from there. I wanted to get more information and have a better understanding of everything.”
