On Sept. 19, Brilyn Hollyhand, Auburn freshman studying political science, announced his plans to join forces with Turning Point USA (TPUSA) to launch his “One Conversation at a Time” college campus tour. Hollyhand, driven by the death of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, will travel across the southeastern United States to speak and encourage young people to stay engaged in politics. Hollyhand aims to build on the legacy established by Charlie Kirk.
Last week, on Sid and Friends in the Morning, a conservative talk radio show, Hollyhand announced his partnership with TPUSA and the launch of his tour.
“I am going to be launching a ‘One Conversation at a Time’ tour…traveling to 10 college campuses across this great nation this semester, being bolder than ever to carry out Charlie’s legacy to reach the next generation,” Hollyhand said. “Yes, there’s security risk. Yes, I’m getting more death threats by the hour than I’ve ever gotten in my life before. It’s important, we cannot cower because that’s what they want us to do.”
The tour dates and locations include:
University of Arkansas: Sept. 25
Troy University: Sept. 29
University of Mississippi: Sept. 30
Samford University: Oct. 2
Auburn University: Oct. 6
University of Alabama: Oct. 9
Mississippi State University: Oct. 20
Clemson University: Oct. 23
University of Tennessee at Knoxville: Oct. 27
Florida State University: Nov. 13
Before committing to the tour, Hollyhand sat down with Auburn Campus Security and reviewed death threats, which almost caused him to turn away from politics. However, the promotion of civil discourse inspired him to continue working.
“Charlie championed civil discourse, and that is exactly what we are going to do,” Hollyhand said.
At 11 years old, Hollyhand founded his own email newsletter named “The Truth Gazette” and launched his self-titled podcast, “The Brilyn Hollyhand Show.” He has since appeared on major cable news networks, including Fox News, CNN and ABC News. Hollyhand recently published his first book in 2024, titled “One Generation Away: Why Now Is the Time to Restore American Freedom.” Hollyhand was also appointed to serve on the Republican National Committee’s inaugural Youth Advisory Council for the past election cycle.
As of Sept. 25, Hollyhand’s Instagram account has garnered nearly 300,000 followers, while his account on X has reached 180,000 followers.
“We live in a world where the coward who assassinated my friend wanted to shut us up, but we are actually seeing a revival where conservatism is cool and going to church is cool,” Hollyhand stated.
Despite being from Tuscaloosa, Hollyhand chose to come to school in Auburn. Hollyhand made sure that TPUSA made a stop in Auburn, calling Auburn “his new hometown” and said that it would be “a cool opportunity to show his roots.”
While not in class, he is typically busy writing for his newsletter, “What’s Up, America?”, aimed at informing Generation Z, playing golf or attending a speaking engagement.
This past weekend, President Trump referenced Hollyhand’s podcast during his speech at Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Arizona. Trump explained that despite Hollyhand’s smaller and more youthful audience, the late Charlie Kirk agreed to be a part of his podcast for an interview when Hollyhand was in the fourth grade.
In an X post on Sept. 10, Hollyhand explained how Kirk acted as a mentor to him during his childhood.
https://x.com/BrilynHollyhand/status/1965879042793496855
“When I started a podcast in the 4th grade, Charlie Kirk was one of the first people who agreed to come on,” Hollyhand said. “He didn’t have to, but he did.”
Hollyhand explained on The Will Cain Show that even though he asked Kirk for 10 minutes of his time, Kirk gave him thirty. Kirk left a lasting impact on Hollyhand, which he hopes to honor with his increased involvement on college campuses.
On Sept. 12, during a vigil for Charlie Kirk held by Auburn’s Turning Point USA chapter, Hollyhand spoke proudly in front of a large group of students.
“You can kill a man, but you can’t kill a movement,” Hollyhand said at the vigil.
In a statement that Hollyhand believes to have launched his own movement, many are calling on him to follow in the footsteps of Kirk, which he appears to be doing with his “One Conversation at a Time” tour. The tour will visit many of the places Kirk had planned to appear before his death, as well as others where TPUSA and Hollyhand believe a conservative viewpoint is needed.
Using his presence among conservative individuals, Hollyhand hopes to expand his movement with the launch of the tour.
To stay up to date with Hollyhand’s upcoming campus stops, visit his Instagram or X. Hollyhand's first stop will be at the University of Arkansas on Sept. 25. Separately, TPUSA’s "This is the Turning Point" tour will be making its own stop at Auburn University on Nov. 5 with speakers still to be announced.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
