Governor Calls for Statue of Charlie Kirk at LSU

On Monday night, the governor of Louisiana urged the state’s major universities to consider erecting a statue in honor of Charlie Kirk. “To safeguard free speech, I challenge the LSU Board of Supervisors to locate a spot for a Charlie Kirk statue on campus,” stated Gov. Jeff Landry in a video from Louisiana State University.

Landry was attending a rally at LSU alongside school officials and members of the Turning Point USA chapter. He noted that over 1,500 people participated in the event, which included a talk by popular conservative author and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey.

“Let’s be the first campus to make this happen,” he encouraged the crowd.

During his speech, Landry challenged attendees, particularly college students, to embrace curiosity. “Ask questions. Search for the truth. Not just your truth, but the actual truth,” he added.

This appeal from Landry follows a recent decision by the student government at Loyola University New Orleans, which denied a newly established TPUSA chapter the status of an official student organization. This decision, made on October 15, restricts the chapter’s access to campus resources, including event space.

Reports from the blog Fight Back! highlighted that at least one student voiced opposition to TPUSA’s values during a student council meeting. A freshman named Rosalina Framboise emphasized, “Loyola University New Orleans and our entire Jesuit community value St. Ignatius and the principles of the Jesuit community, and Turning Point USA is fundamentally opposed to these values.” She expressed concerns that Kirk and TPUSA promote “hate against Hispanics.”

Loyola clarified in a statement that the formation of new student organizations, including TPUSA, is contingent upon a process led by the Student Government Association (SGA). “The SGA Senate recommended to the SGA President regarding the application for recognition,” the school added.