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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard took the stage at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit on Saturday with a message rooted in resolve against the deep state.

“What keeps me going are people like you," she said. "You inspire me.”

Gabbard warned that the deep state has not gone away in the Trump administration and is “continuing to fight hard every single day,” insisting their real fear about the people.

“They were terrified of losing their perceived power. They’re terrified of their own personal position or fame or profit or whatever the thing was,” she said.

“They were terrified, ultimately afraid of us. Terrified that in the United States of America, that was built on the foundation of these ideals of freedom and liberty for every single American, terrified that we may actually use our freedom, that we may lift up our voices and stand up for and work hard to bring about the vision that our Founding Fathers had for us.”

She called Trump's 2024 election victory a “revolution that brings us back to our founding principles,” and described her work inside the intelligence community as a fight against entrenched power, saying “the deep state is fighting us every step of the way… It exists within every single federal agency.”

She revealed plans to declassify documents that detail how, on day one of the Biden administration, national security agencies began building a framework targeting “parents,” “people expressing anti-authority views,” and even traditional Catholics as potential domestic extremists.

“We have to expose their tactics,” she said. “We chose freedom of speech… We chose the Constitution.”

In closing, Gabbard offered a tribute to President Donald Trump's grit: “One year ago tomorrow was the day in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman tried to take his life… He popped right up. He was not cowed. He said, ‘Fight, fight, fight.’”

“That’s exactly what we have to continue to do,” she said, “not motivated by hate, but by love.”

Trump administration border czar Tom Homan fired up the crowd at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit Saturday night when a heckler asked Homan, "Are you an MS-13 member?"

But the heckler's comments added fuel to Homan's fire as he delivered fiery closing remarks, saying, "Tom Homan is going to run the biggest deportation operation this country has ever seen. Take it to the bank."

"U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A," the crowd chanted as Homan exited the stage. About five minutes into Homan's speech, he was interrupted by a heckler who was escorted out by security, lighting a fire for the rest of the speech. 

Homan had a message to the anti-ICE protesters across the United States, including to those who gathered outside the summit in Tampa, Florida, Saturday night. 

"You want some? Come get some," Homan said. "I'm tired of it. For the men and women of ICE, I deserve your respect. They're the finest 1% this country has. And Tom Homan isn't going anywhere. Tom Homan isn't shutting up."

When the heckler asked Homan if he was an MS-13 member, referencing the Salvadoran transnational criminal gang that has been targeted through Trump's deportation rollout, Homan said federal immigration officers are dealing with these types of detractors on a daily basis. 

"This guy wouldn't know what it's like to serve this nation. This guy ain't got the b---- to be an ICE officer. He hasn't got the b---- to be a border patrol agent," Homan continued, as the crowd cheered him on. 

As the heckler was escorted out, Homan added, "This guy lives in his mother's basement. The only thing that surprised me is [he] doesn't have purple hair and a nose ring. Get out of here, you loser."

While the crowd continued cheering Homan's fiery speech, he assured that those protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would not intimidate agents because "we're going to do the job that President Trump gave us to do."

Homan said he has never seen "such hate against the men and women of ICE and in the Border Patrol," and those protesting don't have the courage to put on a badge and stand in their place. 

While Homan said he was disappointed he didn't see any protesters when he arrived at the summit, protesters had lined the streets outside Saturday afternoon, rejecting Trump's agenda and his crackdown on illegal immigration. 

The demonstrations on Saturday followed protests that deteriorated into riots in Los Angeles last month as rhetoric against ICE agents has reached a boiling point. 

Federal immigration law enforcement officers have been targeted since Trump signed his "big, beautiful bill," which includes legislation for robust immigration reform, into law last Friday. There have been at least two ambushes in Texas, and protesters clashed with federal officers at the Portland, Oregon, ICE center. 

The brazen border czar had made it clear his speech might contain some profanity Saturday night, telling the crowd at the top of his remarks, "Sometimes, I'm harsh. But if I offend anybody here tonight, I don't give a s---."

Homan also applauded Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, telling the crowd, "Under his leadership, we got the most secure border in the history of nation, and we did that in seven weeks. President Trump did in seven weeks what Joe Biden couldn't or wouldn't do in four years."

This is an excerpt of an article by ӣ����Ƶ' Deirdre Heavey.

In a fiery and deeply personal address to students at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit, comedian Russell Brand traded punchlines for a sermon.

“I tried all of it,” Brand confessed. “The pursuit of the realm of the flesh, the pursuit of carnality, the pursuit of the worldly, it cannot fulfill you.”

Brand moved fluidly from jokes about 1776 and American liberty to the redemptive power of Christ in his address.

The once-outspoken atheist spoke as a man utterly transformed through 22 years of sobriety and Christianity. His address was painfully aware of the empty promises of fame, sex, drugs, and radical individualism.

“Young people,” he implored, “you hold the future of the greatest nation in the world in your hands. Don’t give in to this culture that issues edicts and idols that won’t fulfill you.”

Brand spoke directly to those suffering from addiction, loss, confusion, or simply the pressures of modern life. “There ain’t no crack, no heroin... no drug can do what you need to do. You must accept your calling.”

Referencing the Gospels of Luke and Isaiah, he described his conversion as being “consumed by a holy light."

“You have been chosen out of exile,” he said, “that you may be free, and only through devotion to Him may you know perfect freedom.”

In his final words, Brand pointed to surrender: “Now I know my place is here with you, on my knees before the cross, in eternal praise of His greatness.”

ӣ����Ƶ contributor Brett Cooper delivered a powerful message to students at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit, urging them to reject cultural complacency and use their youth to take bold risks.

At 23 and expecting her first son, Cooper told the crowd that young people are in “the most flexible and forgiving and underestimated season” of their lives.

“Your adolescence does not have to be and should not be a waiting room,” she said. “Your teen years and your 20s are not a decade to delay real life.”

Cooper, who first rose to national prominence with her commentary show, opened up about her own story from child actor in Hollywood to launching an independent media brand after walking away from a stable job.

“People just assume their 30s are when life really starts,” she said. “They stumble around and somehow success and fulfillment will just show up. That’s not how it works.”

A conversation at age 22 with her best friend’s father gave her the jolt she needed. “He said, ‘Brett, do you realize that you’re 22? You can afford to burn it all down and start over multiple times.’ That was the permission I needed to risk it all.”

Cooper encouraged students to take “massive swings,” learn by doing, and use setbacks as fuel for growth. “Say yes to huge opportunities. Even if you fail, you can rebuild, and that’s the beauty of youth.”

“You only get to go through this once," Cooper added. "Use your youth to your advantage. Forge your own path. Say yes to things that scare you. You have no idea what you could do.”

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, shared his personal story of risk and reward at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit, urging students to reject pessimism and believe in the American dream.

“You could do anything you want to do in this country, anything,” Moreno said.

He shared with the audience that at 26, he walked away from a job at General Motors and asked to run a car dealership in Boston. “Three hours later, he hired me to be his general manager. I had never worked at a car dealership in my life.”

Twelve years later, he had 55 stores and was making “more money than I could ever imagine in my life.”

He risked it all again to buy a failing dealership in Ohio. “I took every cent I had in my life, every cent I didn’t have in my life. Move my four kids and my wife… maxed out my credit cards.”

The gamble paid off. “We took that dealership, made it the largest seller of luxury automobiles anywhere in the entire century United States.”

He later launched a blockchain startup, sold it to Steven Cohen, and decided to run for Senate.

Polling at 4%, he said, “That’s actually really good news.” He won the race and declared, “Chuck Schumer, you’re fired, buddy.”

Moreno told students his life lesson was simple, to never let fear win. “Never be boring, never be ordinary, never do what other people are doing.”

He added, “This country wasn't built by whiny people who looked for victimhood. This country was built by tough people who knew how to get through adversity.”

In a sweeping interview with Charlie Kirk, ӣ����Ƶ host and co-host Greg Gutfeld finished his Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit appearance to speak on fatherhood.

Known for sharp cultural commentary, Gutfeld set aside the jokes for a moment to share what it’s been like becoming a first-time dad at age 60.

“I have a baby girl, seven months old,” he said to loud applause. “At the age of 60, which is... I still don’t know, impressive,” Kirk added.

Gutfeld agreed: “That was my goal.”

Reflecting on why he waited so long, he said, “I think that, you know, I think I realize that I would have been a lousy dad ten years ago. Twenty years ago. And then I don't know what it was. I just realized, I think I can be a good dad now. That's my only explanation for why. I just never thought I would be.”

Gutfeld didn’t romanticize his earlier life. “I think I led a fairly, fairly selfish life in my 20s, in my 30s,” he said. “Well, I party pretty hard, so I think I had to, like—”

“You know what? Now I'm a normal person," Gutfeld continued. “I can do it now.”

He offered a clear takeaway for students in the room. “There's your advice. The most important thing you can do is don't be selfish.”

He took it one step further: “The probably the most selfish thing you can do is to be of service to other people. Because the the high you get from that is amazing and it's going to make you a better person.”

When asked if becoming a father gave him more purpose, Gutfeld was direct. “Well, yeah. And I mean, you end up being a cliche. That's the thing. It's like the cliche is the person who says, ‘My God, when I had a child, it changed my life.’”

Kirk thanked Gutfeld for his pro-life views in closing, saying, "Thank you for standing for the unborn. The fight for pro-life is more important than ever."

Protesters lined the streets outside Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit in Tampa Bay, Florida, on Saturday afternoon, rejecting President Donald Trump's agenda and his crackdown on illegal immigration. 

The Tampa Police Department (TPD) disrupted a brief scuffle between the protesters and TPUSA attendees, after they began counter-protesting and chanting "USA" to the swarm of protesters shouting about a myriad of issues. 

Police officers were on the scene when a conflict with counter-protesters left one protester bloody in the street. 

The multi-day conservative conference has featured remarks by co-founder Charlie Kirk, ӣ����Ƶ' Greg Gutfeld, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, border czar Tom Homan and Donald Trump Jr., among other conservative leaders. 

As Saturday afternoon's summit continued inside, protesters marched outside, chanting, "No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state," and "TPD, KKK, ICE – they’re all the same."

The protesters held large signs that said, "Defeat the Trump agenda," and one man, wearing a "public school strong" T-shirt, held a large, oversized model of a toilet paper roll over his head. 

Messages reading, "TP for the USA: When history gets messy, FLUSH IT" and "100% whitewashed," plastered the protest sign, trolling the ongoing conservative convention. 

The demonstrations on Saturday followed protests that delved into riots in Los Angeles last month, as rhetoric against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has reached a boiling point. 

But the message was much broader this weekend as protesters held signs and chanted about a range of issues, from "Free Palestine" chants, rejecting the war in Gaza, to a "No ICE on campus" poster, speaking out against ICE raids targeting illegal immigrants. 

One woman held a sign that said, "Due process," one of the Democratic Party's leading arguments against Trump's deportations. Many signs equated those attending the conservative gathering to "Nazis."

According to the protest flier via Mobilize, the protest titled, "Turn the Tide Against TPUSA – Reject SAS 2025!" was hosted by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), a student activist organization, and volunteers were organized by Indivisible. 

The protesters accused TPUSA of "turning our city into the staging ground for its largest youth indoctrination summit of the year … to spread an extremist agenda across schools, universities, and communities."

The protesters organized to "defend LGBTQ+ & reproductive rights", reject censorship in schools, "demand an end to deportations & U.S. aid to apartheid," and "reject white nationalism," according to the flier.

This is an excerpt of an article by ӣ����Ƶ' Deirdre Heavey.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., lit up the TPUSA Student Action Summit stage Saturday urging this generation to fight to save America.

“You’re the generation chosen of God,” Biggs said. “This is the new American Golden Age, and you're going to usher it in.”

Praising President Donald Trump for surviving last year’s assassination attempt, Biggs declared, “America dodged a bullet, too.”

The Arizona congressman hammered Democrats for pushing “authoritarianism,” promoting gender confusion, and leaving American cities unsafe.

“Do you think men should be allowed in women’s sports and locker rooms?” he asked the fired-up crowd.

Biggs warned that freedom can vanish in a single generation and urged students to be the firewall. “Our rights come from God, not from Washington bureaucrats,” he said. “You’re the vanguard. You’re the future.”

Citing Reagan and John Adams, Biggs reminded the audience that liberty must be taught, defended, and passed on.

“This is your moment,” he said. “Stand up. Speak out. Let’s bring in a new era of American greatness.”

Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels, best known for her work on "The Biggest Loser," spoke to Turning Point activists about the importance of hearing from people with different points of view. Michaels actually pointed to TPUSA CEO and Founder Charlie Kirk for going "behind enemy lines" to make "inroads."

Michaels recently went on CNN and she said that "every topic is a trap" meant to draw "orange man bad" points. However, she said that it is importance of going into unfriendly spaces to sharpen one's skills, especially when it comes to debate.

"You're learning how to fight more effectively, how to communicate more effectively and you're learning what's important to 'the other side.' And if you want to achieve that bigger vision not just for yourself, but for your country and for the planet, you have to do this," Michaels said.

Michaels then began an exercise with the crowd in which she encouraged the crowd to shout out things that concerned them and encouraged them to try approaching the issues from another point of view.

"The ability to see hope in darkness is the cornerstone of conservatism, knowing that no matter how hard things get, tomorrow can always get better," survivalist Jeff Zausch told Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit.

Former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann spoke on behalf of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), one of the sponsors of the Student Action Summit.

"There's something amazing that happens when you bring unity between two biblically based forces Christians and Jews. We've seen miracles come from these relationships," Bachmann said.

In addition to speaking for a strong relationship with Israel , Bachmann spoke fiercely against Iran and Qatar. Bachmann reminded the young crowd that Iran killed Americans and that Qatar was the "leading state financier of terrorism, and you're the target."

Brandon Tatum, also known as The Officer Tatum on social media, called for the backing of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the fight to tackle illegal immigration.

"We are not a nation of illegal immigration. We are a nation of immigrants who came here the right way, who have values, who the United States of America, who assimilate to the cultures that we created," Tatum said. "And let's not forget that these leftist nutjobs want us to forget it, and want to, you know, conflate the difference between the two."

Tatum went on to say that those who immigrate to the U.S. need to respect and "love this country or we're going to kick your butt out of here."

Rumble founder and CEO Chris Pavlovski sat with Turning Point's Charlie Kirk to discuss the history of the video website and the role it played in preserving freedom of speech.

Pavlovski thanked Kirk for being an early investor in Rumble and recalled that in the company's infancy, free speech was "very taboo with the mainstream media." He said the platform at that time stood alone as the "tip of the spear" in fighting for free speech.

After the Capitol riots of Jan. 6, 2021, Donald Trump was banned from multiple social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and X, which was then called Twitter. Pavlovski said it was "one of the greatest honors" to be able to give Trump a platform when other tech companies were taking away his ability to address the public.

Rumble has been banned in multiple countries, including China, France, Russia and Brazil. Pavlovski revealed that Rumble was recently allowed to re-launch in Brazil, but that it was quickly shut down as the country demanded censorship.

"This happened like a couple months ago. It was like Friday night. I'm like, 'Wow, we're coming back to Brazil. This is awesome.' So, we turn on and light up Brazil. By Sunday night, we get another letter with a litany of craters to basically shut off. And not only that, they ask us for all the data in the United States on those craters to pass. So the Supreme Court, I think Justice Alexander de Moraes, was requesting all of this, U.S.-based data and craters based in the United States. And once again, we're like, 'No.' On top of that, we said, 'We're going to sue these guys here in the United States because they have no jurisdiction.' They can't do this. This is completely illegal," Pavlovski said as the crowd cheered.

In his closing remarks, Pavlovski called the Constitution — particularly the First Amendment — the "most important thing," and called for it to be protected and defended.

Maureen Bannon, daughter of former Trump White House aide Steve Bannon, addressed Turning Point USA's summit on Saturday, praising the young crowd for their accomplishments during the 2024 election, and reminding them that their work was not over.

"Nationwide, the gap between Democrat and Republican support among the youth narrowed to just four points. That seismic shift is because of you," Bannon said, praising the students in the crowd. "To the young conservatives who did vote: You're the vanguard of a new generation. You're not just following trends, you're setting them. You're the ones who saw through the noise on social media, the ones who rejected the woke culture that's been shoved down your throat, and the ones who said enough is enough."

Bannon remarked that the young activists were "redefining what it means to be young and conservative in America." She later added that young conservatives are "not just a demographic," they're "a force."

She then reminded the crowd that the 2026 midterms are coming and that those who worked to get Trump in the White House need to "stay engaged" and "get involved."

Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow acknowledged that the final day of the Turning Point USA summit fell on the anniversary of the attempted assassination of now-President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa.

The Breitbart editor-in-chief then called it the anniversary of "the day that God intervened yet again to save our country." His statement was met with roaring applause.

As the would-be assassin took his shot, Trump was looking at a chart in such a way that the bullet grazed his ear, injuring him instead of killing him. Marlow told the crowd that Trump said had the bullet not hit his ear, he wouldn't have dropped to the ground and the assailant would have had another opportunity to attempt to kill him.

Nate Morris, an entrepreneur from Kentucky who is running to take the seat held by retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., started the TPUSA summit's day two general programming with a nod to his famous "Garbage Day" ad, asking the crowd if they were "ready to take out some trash in Washington, D.C."

He slammed the retiring longtime senator, saying McConnell "has been one of the biggest challenges" to President Donald Trump and that he has represented "the worst of Washington, D.C."

Morris called McConnell "the final relic" of the "swamp."

"We've seen our great president defeat political boss, after political boss, after political boss, starting with the Clintons and the Bushs, went to the Chneneys and the Bidens. Well, let me tell you, the final boss is Mitch McConnell," Morris told the crowd. "That is the final relic that is left of the swamp that President Trump and the MAGA movement will defeat in 2026."

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth  told the young crowd at Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit Friday that one of the president's first demands of him was to "restore the warrior ethos" to the military.

"I need you to get the military back to basics," Hegseth recalled Trump telling him shortly after choosing him to lead the Pentagon.

Hegseth went on to tell the young conference attendees that under previous administrations the military was "distracted" by "ideology and social justice," which made its job "more complicated and difficult."

"So from day one, we have declared that DEI is dead at DOD," Hegseth touted to the crowd.

"We're going back to gender neutral, colorblind, merit based performance standards," he continued. "We do readiness. We do accountability. We do war fighting. We do lethality. We don't do social experiment experiments. We don't do politics. I don't care in my formations -- I mean, I have my political views and you have yours -- but I don't care in my formation if you're a a Republican or a Democrat."

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Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who grew up in New York City, slammed Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's proposal of having government-run grocery stores.

"For anybody who's old enough, they will tell you that if you were poor, like I was, in New York City, like I was, you would stand in line to get cheese, peanut butter and a bunch of other things. The government would give the stuff out," Donalds told Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit. "I stood in those lines as a young kid."

He then talked about the government's transition from giving out food to food stamps, or SNAP benefits. Donalds said Mamdani "somehow thinks that he is smarter than all economics, than all of human history and thinks he can actually deliver for the people of New York City."

Several high-profile speakers graced the stage at Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit and more are expected to address the young activists on day two.

On the first day of the summit, students heard from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth , Donald Trump Jr., Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Dr. Ben Carson. Trump Jr. addressed the event just two days before the anniversary of the assassination attempt against his father, now-President Donald Trump.

"That was a phone call I was hoping I would never, ever receive, and then I almost got it again a couple weeks later, but it's one year and it's amazing what's happened since then. I think it was truly a galvanizing moment for America, for Americans, to see that true American spirit when he came back up and said 'fight, fight, fight," Trump Jr. told ӣ����Ƶ Digital.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem , DNI Tulsi Gabbard, celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels and  Ross Ulbricht are among the speakers expected to address students on day two of the summit. Ulbricht, the convicted web developer of the dark-net drug marketplace Silk Road, was pardoned by Trump earlier this year.

In addition to the speaks on the main stages, students will have access to a variety of breakout panels covering topics such as "Make Greek Life Great Again" and "Start Your Future with Club America."

Backstage at Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit being held in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, Donald Trump Jr. called his father's assassination attempt a "galvanizing moment for Americans."

"That was a phone call I was hoping I would never, ever receive, and then I almost got it again a couple weeks later, but it's one year and it's amazing what's happened since then. I think it was truly a galvanizing moment for America, for Americans, to see that true American spirit when he came back up and said 'fight, fight, fight," Trump told reporters backstage at the conference.

He added that his father's example of resilience is proof of why he will be "so good in so many of these difficult positions" the country is facing.

"We need a leader who can rise to the occasion under fire," Trump said. "As rough of a time as that was, as difficult as it was -- I was there with my kids, having to experience that, having to explain that to them -- I think for our country it was such a unifying moment."

Trump concluded that, in the end, "it was just something that worked out well."

After the first day of Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit there is still plenty that attendees have to look forward to, including appearances from high profile figures in the Trump administration and across the MAGA movement.

One notable figure who is not a politician but will speak Saturday is Ross Ulbricht, the convicted web developer of the dark-net drug marketplace Silk Road. Ulbricht earlier this year,received a pardon from President Donald Trump after being sentenced to life for running the illegal website that connected drug dealers and users. Ulbricht has become a prominent figure in Libertarian circles due to his story.

Undercover journalist James O'Keefe, fitness personality Jillian Michaels, actor Russell Brand, ӣ����Ƶ personality Greg Gutfeld, and activist Riley Gaines are among some of the other non-politicians on Saturday's agenda for the youth Republican conference.

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is slated to speak Saturday night after Trump border czar Tom Homan, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs and Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna.Nate Morris, an entrepreneur from Kentucky who is running to take the seat held by retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will be the first speaker to begin the day's general programming at 11:30 a.m.

A variety of breakout panels for participants on-site will begin earlier at 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. according to the official agenda, which . For those not in attendance, Day Two will be streamed on Rumble, whose CEO Chris Pavlovski, will be speaking Saturday as well.