A surprise guest at Turning Point USA’s campus tour in Neville Arena at Auburn University connected the night’s tribute to the late Charlie Kirk to Alabama’s leading role in America’s space future.
The night included heartfelt and powerful testimony from U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, conservative host Benny Johnson, Eric and Lara Trump, as well as President Donald Trump himself.
Benny Johnson said he had the privilege to introduce a special guest: President Trump’s “newly, newly named selection” for NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman.
Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur, commercial astronaut, and President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead NASA, thanked students and addressed why an Alabama crowd matters for the nation’s next chapter in space.
“I can’t tell you what it what an honor it is to be President Donald J. Trump’s nominee to lead the world’s most accomplished, the world’s greatest space agency on, what I think is the greatest adventure in human history. And I’ll tell you, as a space guy, I love being in Alabama.
I mean, we are home to the Marshall Space Flight Center, where Auburn graduates helped contribute to all the history the agency has made, and where Auburn graduates are going to contribute to all the history that we are about to make.
And that’s not all. Alabama is also home to Space Camp, where the where the next generation is getting inspired to grow up and to take us even higher, and where, 30 years ago, my journey began at Space Camp.
And I’ll tell you on just ending on a on a very personal note, I didn’t grow up very religious at all — my mother’s family, we celebrate Christmas. My father’s family, we celebrated Hanukkah. But I can tell you, having gone to space twice and looking back on our planet, looking at the stars around us, it is very hard not to be spiritual.
But it was only recently, in the last couple weeks that I was inspired for the first time in a very long time to pick up the Bible, and I’ll tell you why.
It’s because of Charlie, and it’s for Charlie, and there’s millions others just like me. Thank you.”
Isaacman is a Space Camp alumnus who has become one of the program’s largest private benefactors, donating $10 million in 2022 to launch the Inspiration4 Skills Training Center and another $15 million this summer to expand facilities and student capacity.
His surprise appearance came one day after Trump reinstated his nomination to lead NASA.
The reversal places Isaacman back at the center of a high-stakes confirmation fight over how aggressively the agency should balance Artemis moon missions with long-range Mars ambitions. That debate has major implications for Marshall-led programs in Alabama.
Last night’s Auburn stop of TPUSA’s “This Is the Turning Point Tour” drew a packed student crowd.
The tour was launched this fall to honor Kirk’s legacy following his September assassination, and events have focused on the faith, freedom, and family values he championed and debated on college campuses across America.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
