UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO — Turning Point USA concluded its This is the Turning Point Tour at the University of Idaho's Idaho Central Credit Union Arena on April 28, 2026, with conservative pundits Michael Knowles and Matt Walsh headlining the event. Both Knowles and Walsh, podcasters with The Daily Wire, took questions from the audience for the majority of the two-hour program.

The University of Idaho stop was the only event on the tour that did not feature high-profile Trump administration officials such as Vice President JD Vance or political candidates like Vivek Ramaswamy. The arena typically seats about 4,000 people but was configured for 869 seats for the rally. According to a University of Idaho employee, Turning Point USA requested seating limits three times, reducing planned capacity from 3,000 to about 1,000 before settling on 869 seats. More than 1,000 people who wanted to attend were turned away.

Attendees began lining up hours before the event, with the line snaking down the sidewalk and wrapping around the arena. Inside, volunteers associated with Turning Point USA handed out free hats and mini American flags and helped people check their voter registration. Tables with free merchandise lined the barrier leading to the seating area. The organization does not require attendees to provide their names to ask questions or speak at the microphone during its events.

Two audience questions turned into debate-style discussions: one about the accuracy and purpose of a graph Walsh cited claiming an increasing number of mass shooters in America are transgender, and another about why the two conservatives defended the Department of Justice and President Trump over perceived mishandling of the Epstein files. One attendee, speaking from the audience, said, "I think among my generation, we're sick of all foreign influences in our country, whether it be China, Mexico or Israel or any other nation." Another remark from the floor stated, "The right-wing civil war is real, and the divide in the Republican Party is trying to figure out what its new identity is." Knowles said Gen Z political opinions are influencing how Republican politicians are making decisions.

Chloe Moes, a 20-year-old college student, drove from California to attend. "I just listen to Michael Knowles. I love watching his stuff. I'm really interested in just going to see different conversations." Moes said she used videos from Turning Point USA as educational resources to formulate arguments aligning with her views on abortion after often disagreeing with her professors on the topic while attending college in California. "This is the way to reach younger minds, especially younger, well-influenced minds," Moes said.