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Tulsi Gabbard says Charlie Kirk understood the threat to freedom and worked to preserve it

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard reflects on the energy Charlie Kirk had and says she is ‘in awe of’ Erika Kirk’s strength in the face of ‘the toughest times’ at TPUSA's AmericaFest 2025 (Credit: Turning Point USA).

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered a blunt warning about "Islamist ideology" at a high-profile conservative gathering Saturday, casting the threat as fundamentally incompatible with Western freedom.

"The threats from this Islamist ideology come in many forms," Gabbard told an audience at Turning Point USA’s (TPUSA) annual AmericaFest conference.

RIFT IN MAGA MOVEMENT ON FULL DISPLAY AT TPUSA'S AMERICAFEST

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard oversees the nation's 18 intelligence agencies. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)

"As we approach Christmas, right now in Germany they are canceling Christmas markets because of this threat."

Gabbard, who oversees the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, said the ideology stands in direct conflict with American liberty.

"When we talk about the threat of Islamism, this political ideology, there is no such thing as individual freedom or liberty," she said.

Gabbard’s remarks were notable given her role overseeing the nation’s intelligence community, a position that traditionally avoids overt ideological framing in public remarks, particularly at partisan political events.

TPUSA BEGAN AS A SCRAPPY CAMPUS GROUP AND GREW INTO A NATIONAL, MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR POLITICAL FORCE

AmericaFest 2025, hosted by Turning Point USA, is taking place in Phoenix, Arizona. (Jon Cherry/AP)

Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest has become a marquee gathering for conservative activists, lawmakers and influencers, where national security, immigration and cultural issues are increasingly framed as part of a broader ideological struggle.

An ODNI spokesperson said Gabbard made the remarks in her official capacity as Director of National Intelligence.

TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk positioned the organization as a hub for conservative youth activism, frequently hosting high-profile figures who frame political and security debates in ideological terms.

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Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, was killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Kirk carried that influence onto college campuses nationwide, drawing large crowds for live, unscripted debates on religion, Islamism, free speech, immigration and American culture. It was at an event at Utah Valley University, where he was fielding open-mic questions from thousands on Sept. 10 when he was shot and killed.

The charged nature of modern political activism has also raised alarms about political violence, with authorities increasingly warning of threats tied to large public gatherings.

European security officials have raised security alerts around holiday events in recent years following a series of Islamist-inspired attacks, including deadly incidents in Germany, France and Belgium, prompting heightened police presence or temporary cancellations at some Christmas markets.