“I Was Blacklisted for 7 Years” KAITLIN BENNETT Breaks It Down | DSH #1794

Summary

Podcast Summary: “I Was Blacklisted for 7 Years” | Digital Social Hour with Kaitlin Bennett

Episode: DSH #1794
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Kaitlin Bennett
Date: January 29, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Digital Social Hour features controversial media figure Kaitlin Bennett, known for her strong conservative activism and viral campus debates. Host Sean Kelly sits down with Bennett at AmFest to discuss her career trajectory, being blacklisted from Turning Point USA, the evolution of her views, parenting in the social media age, and the challenges of being a conservative woman in the public eye. The discussion is frank and, at times, emotional, blending political hot-button topics with candid reflections on growth, family, and forgiveness.

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Key Discussion Points

1. The “Blacklisting” and Turning Point USA Saga

• Seven Years Blacklisted: Bennett recounts being blacklisted from Turning Point USA (TPUSA), describing the fallout from a controversial campus event and her public split with founder Charlie Kirk.
  • “I wrote a scathing resignation letter and... posted it, and that went viral. And ever since then, I've been blacklisted from Turning Point for seven years.” (26:21)
  • “I really wish that I could have said something. I never even apologized for any of it. And I don't blame him for blacklisting me. I understand why he did it.” (28:31)
• Full Circle and Reconciliation: After years of estrangement, Bennett was unexpectedly welcomed back at a TPUSA event, which she describes as a moment of reconciliation.
  • “Letting me into sass after everything that had happened was [Charlie] reconciling with me after so many years of bitterness and grudges and what a waste of time.” (29:02)
  • “I am who I am because of him. Without him, I wouldn't have my family. I wouldn't have met my husband. And so I literally owe nearly everything I have to him.” (29:26)

2. Experiences with Media, Censorship, and Online Hate

• Removed from Logan Paul’s Podcast: Bennett discusses the aftermath of her appearance on Logan Paul's podcast, which was taken down after she expressed opinions on gun laws and transgender issues.
  • “They got really mad that I disagreed with transgender ideology and they removed my podcast.” (00:58)
  • “When I responded to them...that did great for me.... I got a lot of views on that.” (01:40)
• Online Hate and Social Media Manipulation: She reflects on earlier years dealing with organized online harassment.
  • “Everything I posted, I got the same stuff, like hurled at me. And it was very weird how programmed it was.” (22:28)
  • “Twitter is absolutely doing something to promote this hate against you.” (22:18)
• Today’s Landscape: Bennett says she now finds more support and less aggression, attributing part of this change to time away from the spotlight and shifts in the political climate.

3. Parenting and Digital Age Risks

• Vigilance with Children Online: Expresses deep concern about unsupervised internet exposure, citing undercover experiences in Discord groups where adults and minors interact.
  • “There’s adults in there with children, minors, and minors openly talking about how they... hate their parents... and talking to adults about, you know, the trans stuff and being gay and drawing weird, furry.” (03:28)
• No Internet Alone for Kids: Bennett is clear that, as a parent, her kids will not have unsupervised internet access.
  • “I don’t think that parents should be allowing laptops or computers or handheld devices... in their rooms alone.” (04:22)
• No Social Media for Kids: Both Bennett and Kelly agree not to post their children's photos or create accounts for them.
  • “I wish I could show everybody their beauty... but for their protection, we don’t. Family members aren't even allowed to post photos.” (19:44)
  • “We’re not gonna have any social media for our kids.” (20:04)

4. Gun Laws and Second Amendment Beliefs

• Permitless Carry Advocacy: Bennett emphasizes support for permitless carry over just open carry.
  • “I think what's more important is that everybody can carry without a permit. Now, that's not saying you don't have to go through background checks…” (07:26)
• Evolving Views: Acknowledges her previous “gun girl” phase, extreme libertarian positions, and how motherhood and political change have brought nuance to her views.
  • “That was before the mental health epidemic... I was more of a libertarian than I was a conservative back then.” (08:03)

5. Culture Wars, Politics, and the Conservative Movement

• Views on Transgender Issues: Bennett reiterates her rejection of transgender identity from a conservative, religious perspective.
  • “There is no such thing as a trans person because men cannot be women... There are people who identify as trans. That's like saying, oh, I'm a unicorn. Unicorns don't exist.” (00:00, 02:30)
• Concerns Over Division on the Right: She laments the internal bickering within conservative circles while the left stays politically focused.
  • “The left is not focusing on what this fraction in the right is saying... They are focused on voting... taking down Donald Trump. They are very mobilized. And we've got to pick up our game.” (13:22)
• Importance of a “Common Enemy”: Both Bennett and Kelly agree unity is critical to counter the left’s focus.
  • “We don't have to agree on the little itty bitty things. We have to have a common enemy.” (14:41)

6. Personal Growth and Philosophy

• Motherhood’s Impact: Bennett shares how motherhood transformed her priorities, putting family above activism.
  • “As conservatives, we talk about family. First, it's God, family, then country... I literally took a break for three years to be a mom and to figure out how to do things.” (23:55)
• Desire for Dialogue, Not Just Confrontation: She explains her approach has shifted—she wants to engage in real conversations rather than just viral troll-style confrontations.
  • “I like to have dialogue.” (05:19)
  • “I go out and I debate, and it's really not even debating. It's dialogue with leftists, and it kind of always turns into a debate because they're wrong about nearly everything.” (31:10)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the power of reconciliation and forgiveness:
  • “A really important part of our faith is reconciliation. And that's exactly what Charlie gave me.” (29:01)
• On parenting and boundaries in the digital age:
  • “Nothing that has Internet access should ever be in their rooms alone.” (04:22)
• On online hate:
  • “I'm so numb to it now. It's like, yeah, I got another death threat in my inbox. It's like, what's new? If I didn't get one, I'd be concerned.” (21:18)
• On personal transformation:
  • “I'm not trying to be prideful. But as conservatives, we talk about family. First it's God, family, then country.” (23:55)
  • “We have to live the way that we promote. If we're not living the way that we... claim to have an ideology of, then we're fake.” (23:55)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:00–03:11 – Bennett’s worldview on transgender identity, experience on Logan Paul’s podcast
• 03:14–05:15 – Concerns about online communities, parental vigilance, and the dangers for children
• 05:38–07:42 – Bennett’s run-ins at farmers markets, Florida free speech culture and laws
• 07:48–09:46 – Views on open carry, gun laws, and Second Amendment intent
• 11:21–13:20 – Terror events, political violence, and the “common enemy” concept
• 13:22–15:54 – Conservative movement’s fractured state vs. unity on the left
• 19:44–21:05 – Parenting and strict rules around children’s privacy and internet use
• 21:13–23:39 – Discussion of online hate, social media, and changes in public response
• 23:55–29:48 – Motherhood’s impact, being blacklisted and reconciled with TPUSA
• 30:40–31:46 – Future plans, the mystery of “who is Caitlin Bennett” and her upcoming show

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Conclusion

This episode offers an in-depth, unguarded conversation with a polarizing activist navigating public scrutiny, personal growth, and a return to the conservative movement after years in the wilderness. Kaitlin Bennett’s story combines the often harsh realities of political activism, the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation, and the ongoing evolution of her views on controversial social and political topics. Listeners gain insight into both the public figure and the private individual, especially her reflections on motherhood, faith, and the need for authentic connection—accompanied by her trademark bluntness and willingness to engage in controversy.

Transcript

[A]

I don't know where you're putting this or whatever, but there is no such thing as a trans person because men cannot be women, so there is no such thing as that. There are people who identify as trans. That's like saying, oh, I'm a unicorn. Unicorns don't exist. They're a thing that we've made up, but they don't exist. There are men and women that cannot interchange, but we. They are all children of God, and so they all matter. It's very sad that people, the children, fall into this delusion and confusion, really, brought on by adults. And what a shame that we even have to talk about it. Foreign.

[B]

Guys here at AmFest Day 2 with Caitlyn Bennett, host of the Liberty Hangout.

[A]

Yes. Thank you for having me. We've been trying to.

[B]

Yeah, we've been trying to do this for an hour. I remember watching you years ago.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

I. The first time I saw you was on Logan Paul's podcast. Yep. That was like, five years ago, right?

[A]

At least five.

[B]

Yeah. That was a long time.

[A]

Yeah. He had me come on.

[B]

And then it was a bit of a hit piece.

[A]

It was. Well, they tried, and I outsmarted them about gun laws and the operations of guns, and then they got really mad that I disagreed with transgender ideology and they removed my podcast. I'm sure you remember that.

[B]

They took it down.

[A]

Yeah, they took it down.

[B]

And so now time has proven that you're right. You've been validated.

[A]

Yeah. It's funny because then now they like shooting guns, and they went to Trump's inaugural party and was there. So very interesting that.

[B]

Yeah, they interviewed.

[A]

Being right.

[B]

Yeah, they interviewed Trump, I think.

[A]

Yeah. And I got them to interview Alex Jones, and, like, through me, that happened.

[B]

Oh, really?

[A]

You know, whatever.

[B]

So you set up Alex with them after.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah, I helped coordinate that. Yeah.

[B]

So you still didn't have any ill will after their hit piece episode on you or whatever?

[A]

No, it was great for me because when I responded to them and I made my whole video debunking all their stuff and calling them out, because Logan Paul literally has to have a babysitter. That did great for me. I got a lot of views on that, so I'm still open to it. Logan, if you see this, bring me back on.

[B]

Bring me back on.

[A]

Maybe there's something different there. I'd fly out to California for that.

[B]

Yeah. It'd be interesting to see if their take on gun laws has changed.

[A]

It would. Yeah.

[B]

Especially with all the campus shootings and.

[A]

Even Transgender ideology, because that's what they removed my video for because I was harassing trans people. So it'd be really interesting to see where they stand today.

[B]

Yeah, I feel like five years ago, people were scared to talk about transgender issues, but now it seems more accepted.

[A]

It's really. It's very interesting how things have changed, especially on college campuses. But, yeah, I agree.

[B]

You pretty much see it as like a mental disorder, right?

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

But I feel like that's not even a hot take anymore.

[A]

Well, you know, I feel like most people that subscribe as trans identifying individuals because, I mean, I don't know where you're putting this or whatever, but there is no such thing as a trans person because men cannot be women. So there is no such thing as that.

[B]

Right.

[A]

There are people who identify as trans. That's like saying, oh, I'm a unicorn. Unicorns don't exist. They're a thing that we've made up, but they don't exist. There are men and women that cannot interchange, but we. They are all children of God, and so they all matter. It's very sad that people, the children fall into this. This delusion and confusion really, brought on by adults. And what a shame that we even have to talk about it.

[B]

They're teaching it to kids in elementary school. What the hell?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So young. Yeah, it's terrible. It's awful.

[A]

And then online parents really have to pay attention to what their kids are doing because I think they most encounter that online. I'm in a Discord chat right now. Undercover.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

But he'll. They'll never know I'm in it, but undercover, because they. Someone in the group chat threatened me, and so I joined their Discord chat. That was just out in the open. And there's adults in there with children, minors, and minors openly talking about how they. They hate their parents and all this stuff. And I'm literally seeing in front of me, and there's minors talking to adults about, you know, the trans stuff and being gay and drawing weird, furry.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And it's really, really disturbing and disgusting, but I see it right there, and I. Anyway, I'm just in there to monitor.

[B]

Wow, you're doing some undercover work on the side, too? I just saw Ryan Montgomery went on Sean Ryan's show to talk about this. A lot of kids on Roblox and Fortnite are getting, I guess, channeled into these Discords or Telegram weird chats, and then some of them are getting abducted into sex work. It's pretty bad.

[A]

Yeah. Parents have to pay Attention for my kids, no Internet access. And if they have any Internet access, it's right in front of me. I don't think that parents should be allowing laptops or computers or handheld devices. Even a switch, like a Nintendo Switch.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Nothing that has Internet access should ever be in their rooms alone. That's just. Yeah, we've got it. We got to put some boundaries up as parents.

[B]

What about cell phones for kids? What age do you think is appropriate?

[A]

You know, my oldest is only three and a half. I haven't gotten that far. I found with parenting, you can have all of these ideas about what you're absolutely going to do, but as you were actually in the throes of parenting, you realize, oh, I said I was going to do this. Well, actually, I'm not doing that. I'm going to do something different. So I don't like to say I have all the answers. I'm a new parent. I'm a new mom. So come back in maybe 10 years.

[B]

Yeah, you're a wholesome mom. Trying to go to farmers markets and getting kicked out.

[A]

I just want to go to. I just want to troll the libs at a farmers market now. I like to have dialogue.

[B]

I actually love farmers markets, and I.

[A]

Genuinely do like them. They're so creative. It's just a fun time.

[B]

The food is actually food.

[A]

Food is.

[B]

That's why I go.

[A]

Yeah. And the. The. The produce is actually bug free and fresh, so we love that.

[B]

I know you got kicked out of one. Was that the one in your neighborhood or were you somewhere else?

[A]

Yeah, so I got kicked out of two of them. I never film where I live or even in the vicinity of where I live. So everywhere I filmed is not even close to my.

[B]

That's probably smart, right?

[A]

Very smart, yes. You know, the state of Florida has had a. You know what? We're talking about revival a lot here in. At AmFest with Charlie. The state of Florida and their police departments have had a revival on the First Amendment purely because they tried to kick me out of farmers markets. And so now when police are called anywhere in Florida that I go to, most of the time, they don't even show up because they'll be like, there's a girl with a microphone harassing us. We're peacefully protesting. They don't even show up because they know that I'm allowed to be there.

[B]

Free speech.

[A]

And they don't want to bother me. So they know what happens when they bother me.

[B]

Yeah, free speech, right.

[A]

Exactly. Exactly.

[B]

And then you usually have a gun on you too. So that probably doesn't help.

[A]

Maybe.

[B]

Can I. Florida. I mean, Florida's fine.

[A]

Yeah, Florida. Just also legalized open carry.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So you're fine there. But if you did that in Cali. Yeah.

[A]

You're not sure about that. And I have to probably bring five security guards rather than my usual one or two.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, so they just legalized open carry.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's exciting.

[A]

Yeah. So what they actually did was they removed the restriction on open carry. So there really isn't even a law that says you can, but there is a. There isn't a law that says you can't. So in this, like, weird limbo stage where it's legal to. They just removed a law. This is.

[B]

So what do you think about federally allowing open, open carry? Do you want that?

[A]

You know, that is not something I thought about. I'm kind of far away from my gun girl days or whatever. A federal thing for open carry. I would support that.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I think more importantly than a federal law to open carry, it should be permitless carry. So instead of saying, yes, it's a federal law, everybody can open carry. I think what's more important is that everybody can carry without a permit. Now, that's not saying you don't have to go through background checks.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But you shouldn't have to get permission from the government to have a firearm to protect yourself. I would like.

[B]

So you want to remove the government?

[A]

Yeah, that would. That would be great. And I'm not saying I'm anti background checks. I have to think about that. Back before, I would go on interviews and I'd be like, we should all be able to have nuclear weapons.

[B]

But now that was before the mental health epidemic.

[A]

Yes, that. And that was before we've seen such an uprising of left wing political violence and transgender ideology was not really a thing. And, you know, honestly, I was more of a libertarian than I was a conservative back then. And I really love this discussion because I haven't really taken the time to sit down and be like, where am I at on the gun stuff? I think I would still say that if the government could have it. You know, there's a discussion to be said for if we can have it, because the purpose of the Second Amendment isn't to protect ourselves against trannies who want to shoot us because they don't like what we're talking about. That is important, but the point of it is for the government aspect, and it's important that we can defend ourselves.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Will that ever happen in our lifetimes? Probably not, but that is the purpose of it. And then secondly is to defend ourselves. And I see countries like Australia where it's basically illegal to defend yourself. And what a shame.

[B]

I couldn't imagine being in that situation. No ability to defend yourself while people are shooting at you.

[A]

Yeah, no, that's just, it's, as an American, it's really, really hard to imagine.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I, I just, I mourn for not even just Australia from what happened there, but I also mourn for the fact that their government hates them. Their government, the Australian government hates its Australian citizens. They don't even want them to protect themselves. Just they're importing people who want to, to hurt other people. They're importing a culture that cannot, you know, broadly, they cannot assimilate.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And yet instead of blaming the culture or the religion and what's obvious about what's happening here, they want to restrict gun ownership even more. And what a, what a shame.

[B]

Which would make it worse.

[A]

It's going to make it 10.

[C]

There's this new technology floating around that people cannot stop talking about. It's called the light system. Before you roll your eyes, it's not some gadget you strap on or supplement that promises the. Every once in a while I come across something that actually stops me in my tracks. And the light system is one of those things. This isn't a supplement, it's not a biohack. It's a full on energy environment built to help your mind and body synchronize, recharge and operate at a higher level. It uses light patterns, color frequencies and coherent energy fields, all the stuff that your body naturally responds to to create a coherent, energetic field around you. People are saying they feel more clear, more centered, more aligned in their environment. And honestly the same science behind it is fascinating as I've seen a lot of wellness tech. But the numbers coming out on this new study of the light system are actually insane. Researchers measured human chic cells before and after sitting in front of the system. And get this, a 30 minute session boosted cellular conductivity by 61%. The study even showed increased conductivity in isolated DNA which is associated with stronger structure and better repair pathways. The result, more clarity, more balance and more alignment. Could save $500. Now if you go to the lightsystems.com and use discount code Sean, times worse.

[A]

Because when these bad people do these things and then the Australian government comes out and says, oh, it's right wing extremism and it's, we got to, you know, we got to do More, you know, restriction on guns.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, then the. The. The guys who want to do harm are like, great, this is exactly what we want. Thank you, Prime Minister. Thank you, Australian Government. And so it's like they're. They're complicit in what happened. And.

[B]

Yeah, there was just a. I don't know if you saw a terrorist attack planned for New Year's in Cali. I believe four people got arrested.

[A]

I saw that.

[B]

And I think it was similar group, like a extreme Islam group, I think.

[A]

But what's interesting is that they weren't like. They weren't Muslim, they weren't immigrants at all. I think that's what. Is that what you're talking about? They were just left?

[B]

Yeah. Oh, it was.

[A]

I think if we're talking about the same people, I think they weren't like immigrants. They were just leftists who subscribed to all of the ideology, which is really interesting. So it's not even like you have to be part of that culture or part of that religion. And I. Michael Knowles made a really good point, and this is all credit to him. And it's something that I've been thinking about, is the left, they don't care that the, you know, Islamic religion or the culture over there, the Middle Eastern culture. No. They don't like gay people. And you can say that, you can shout it to the wind at the leftists. It doesn't matter. They have a common enemy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that's what Michael Knowles was saying, and that has stuck with me ever since I heard him say that on a show the other day. I was like, you're right. They have a common enemy. And they will band together based on that common enemy. They don't care anything else. And what a shame that we can't do the same thing.

[B]

Crazy. Do you see the left as, like, the big enemy that people should be focusing on?

[A]

Yes. Well, we're talking about politics, of course. Yeah, absolutely. And I'm not saying leftists are our enemy. I'm not saying that we are all children of God. There's no one individually that is like, oh, you are my enemy, or anything like that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But politically speaking, of course, they love to stick together, and they're really good at sticking together. And I see us, we're so fractured.

[B]

Right now, especially these days.

[A]

Yeah. And it's really sad. And it's so sad to see because all the things that we're bickering about, at the end of the day, I go out and I talk to people and I talk to normal everyday people. Yes. They're usually leftists. And I will tell you, the left is not focusing on what this fraction in the right is saying, what this, this fraction in the right is saying. They are focused on voting. They are focused on taking down Donald Trump. They do not want J.D. vance to get elected. They are very confident after their wins, you know, last month and winning the midterms. And so while we're over here bickering about Ben Shapiro or Israel or is it. And I'm not saying that any of those topics aren't important, they are important, but I don't think that they should be the main focus of what we're talking about. When I talk to leftists, like I said, they are very focused on winning elections and they are very mobilized. And we've got to pick up our game about being mobilized too. So there's a lot of black pilling in the conservative movement right now.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I really wish we weren't because the other side is not. And they think they'll win.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I hope they're not. Right.

[B]

That's why I don't take sides honestly on the right like I have on both pe. Far right, center right, whatever. Moderate right.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I think it's important to stay united.

[A]

It is, it's. And you know, we don't have to agree on the little itty bitty things. We have to have a common enemy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I don't say that as like a vulgar way to feel about people, but if we were to have a common enemy again, it could unite and put people into office and win in the midterms and get J.D. vance elected, which is what I hope all of us want. So, yeah, I hope that that's why.

[B]

Trump won because everyone was on the same page. You know, Kamala was the enemy at the enemy at the time, and now it just feels so scattered. It's crazy.

[A]

I've even done some like, internal thinking and looking in the mirror and I'm like, where do I fit in? Where do I fit in? Because my main thing is that I'm a mother and I'm a wife and I'm a Catholic and I see all these like, these issues coming up and yeah, they're important and I agree with certain people and. But I feel like for my audience, I gotta stay just what I do. They don't follow me to talk about all the different people fighting with each other. They don't follow me to talk about this. They follow me to go to the protests, go have dialogue with People find out what the left is thinking about. And so I'm like, I'm gonna. I'm gonna do what my audience watches me for.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

If I start going off on the other things, they're gonna be like, no. Why aren't you trolling the libs today?

[B]

Yeah. You stay in your lane. You go to these events. Are you gonna go to Dearborn, Michigan?

[A]

No. You know, No. I really don't leave my kids.

[B]

Probably wouldn't be safe, too.

[A]

I don't think I would. That'd be expensive security to go out there.

[B]

Yeah. You need probably at least two guards.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You would not be welcome there.

[A]

I would not be welcome.

[B]

How many times have you been trespassed this year?

[A]

Only one.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

So they said they trespassed me in Lakeland.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But then they technically didn't because they fumbled the paperwork for that. So, like, they said I was trespassed, but their police department couldn't even get the trespass written. I don't know. Yeah, there's some. Something's going on there. But the Winter Garden Police Department did trespass me. I have a B. I gotta frame that in my studio.

[B]

You gotta sell merch.

[A]

I know. I do. Maybe I should put my trespass warning on a shirt and then sell it. That's a great merch idea. But. Yeah, so. But my lawyer didn't even have to get involved because so many people spoke out. They were so pissed off about it, so they rescinded it. And every time I go back, everybody knows that I'm allowed to be.

[B]

That's awesome. The power of social media, right?

[A]

Yes. That's the thing. I was like, thank you, guys. Because of you, I didn't even have to get my lawyer involved. And they. They did all this for me. They spoke up for me. It's nice to have people on your side.

[B]

That's awesome. I got arrested for trespassing in high school.

[A]

Oh, my goodness.

[B]

Yeah. So we share that bond.

[A]

Yeah. See, I would have loved. Okay. I have to be careful what I said. I would have been interested in an arrest because that could have actually had fruit in terms of a lawsuit and stuff. A lot of people were like, why didn't you sue them? Oh, you know, like, I'm not going to follow you anymore if you don't follow through with stuff. Well, I have a lawyer. We looked at everything, and without an arrest and without anything that shows huge damages and stuff, it really wouldn't hold up in court. And because I am first a mother, I've always just left. I need to go home to my babies.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

If that weren't the case, I would have been like, I'm not leaving. If you got to arrest me, and then you got to arrest me sorties. Maybe one day.

[B]

I probably should have filed something when I got arrested.

[A]

Yeah, you probably should.

[B]

Yeah. He was like, yo, we got Yao Ming. I was in a backyard.

[A]

What the.

[B]

Yeah, he literally said that.

[A]

Oh, that's super rude.

[B]

Yeah, super racist.

[A]

Super racist.

[B]

Yeah, he got Yao Ming. And then on the. On the car ride on the way to station, he's, like, high fiving the guy in the front seat. Like, this is my first arrest ever. I'm so happy.

[A]

Oh, so he, like, really just wanted to arrest.

[B]

Yeah. It was, like, so weird, But I was just a kid at the time, so I didn't really know, like, my rights.

[A]

Yeah. How old were you?

[B]

I was 18.

[A]

18.

[B]

Yeah. Literally just turned 18.

[A]

So you were just out of high school?

[B]

I was cutting through a backyard. Oh.

[A]

And he straight up.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. See, that's interesting, because for a trespass to work on, which I don't know about school property.

[B]

It wasn't a school. It was, like, a house.

[A]

Oh. Did the. Did the biz. Did the property owner trespass you?

[B]

No, he wasn't even there, so that's interesting. Yeah, it was weird.

[A]

It says private property. He would have to be the one that trespasses you.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

That's what's weird about it.

[B]

Yeah, that's weird. Yeah.

[A]

They can't. I would imagine they can't just trespass you from private property.

[B]

Well, that's what they would have to.

[A]

Be the owner that does that.

[B]

No. Owner was literally not even there. He probably didn't even know.

[A]

He just wanted to arrest someone.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

You wanted you. He wanted you to be his first.

[B]

Yeah. I should have hit you up. I could have used your guidance on that one. Yeah. I'm not trying to get arrested anymore, though. I just got married. Want to have kids. I'm like you. I'm trying to be. Yeah. Thank you.

[A]

That's right. I saw your beautiful photos.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Congratulations.

[B]

I'm trying to tone it back now that I want to start a family.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. It's something you got to do. It's going to be the most beautiful thing you've ever done.

[B]

I can't wait.

[A]

It really will be.

[B]

Yeah. I know that was a big change for you, right?

[A]

It was. It was a huge change, and it's something that I wish I could share more about. But for Their protection.

[B]

Yeah, for sure.

[A]

They are the. I'm gonna start crying. They are. I'm not gonna cry. They're just the most beautiful children I've ever seen. And I wish I could show everybody their beauty and everything. But for their protection, we don't. Family members aren't even allowed to post photos, which is a whole other thing that I think people should probably stop doing.

[B]

We've actually already discussed this, my wife and I. We're not gonna have any social media for our kids. Not gonna. Even when they're babies.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because unfortunately, the day and age we're in, people are fudgeing Weird.

[A]

Yeah, they're weird. And it's not even so much of, like, oh, predators could, like, take these photos. That's true. But also, I don't want people. I just don't want people wishing harm on them.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And I want to respect their privacy. They're people at the end of the day. And I see all these mom accounts that are like, oh, this toy is great. Watch my kid play with it. And it's like, you're using your child for content.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And there's something about that. What if they grow up and they want to live a really private life? And what if they grow up and they look back at that and they're like, you were using me for content. I hope that that's not what happens, but I do cringe a little bit.

[B]

When I see that evil eyes are real thing, too. Like you said, people will wish bad on your kids, and they don't deserve that.

[A]

Yeah, they don't.

[B]

Like, I can handle it. I know I'm putting out content. I'm gonna get haters. But, yeah, we're grown at people. Like, we deal with hate all the time. It doesn't faze me at this point.

[A]

No. And people are like, you're so brave. You get so much hate. And I'm like, honestly, it's fine.

[B]

I'm so numb to it now. It's like.

[A]

It's like, yeah, I got another death threat in my inbox. It's like, what's new? If I didn't get one, I'd be concerned.

[B]

Yeah. I'm not doing enough if I'm not getting a death threat a day right now.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. I get hit with so much. I'm so numb to it.

[A]

Even you?

[B]

Yes. Just robbing certain people just for platforming. Like, even from this episode, I bet I'll get a death threat or comment. Yeah. Who knows? Dude, people. People are wild. Like, I just had on Kyle Rittenhouse. He said he gets nonstop threats. Five years.

[A]

Yeah. Which is really stupid to threaten him.

[B]

Yeah. Well, of all people, for real. Right. But the media just portrayed him as such a villain.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And same with you. At first.

[A]

Yes. You know what's interesting? When I used to go on college campuses, I would get mobbed by hundreds of students and I would not announce where I was going. I would just show up and I was. I will do like trivia and pop quiz videos and stuff like that. And I would go, I get mobbed, and I'm like, what is going on on college campuses? We. My husband would watch. He's the one who like, kind of does my social media so I can focus on being a mom. But even back then, he helped me do my social media. He's my editor, my producer. He would watch in real time. He would search my name on back then Twitter.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he would watch a nobody account with like 20 followers post something nasty about me. And he would just watch it in real time. 100 likes, 500 likes, 1500 likes. And he would just be like, twitter is absolutely doing something to promote this hate against you. Because everywhere I went, I got treated the exact same. Everything I posted, I got the same stuff, like hurled at me. And it was very weird how programmed it was today. That's not the case. I have gained so many subscribers and followers, and I'm so grateful to all of them. I go to campuses. I have fans now. I never used to happen. People don't really, even really know who I am. And that's great. I don't want to be mobbed anymore. It was fun back in the old.

[B]

Days, but it was fun at first.

[A]

And then it was fun at first and very, very empowering. I love confrontation. But it was really weird how all that stuff was, like, promoted against me. And I'm not saying I'm a huge important person to need to be promoted or anything, but it was definitely happening and people hated my guts. But I took a break to become a mom. Whatever. Three year break. And now that I'm back.

[B]

Three years.

[A]

Yeah, three years. I took a three year break to have children. And I really am not trying to toot my own horn. I'm not trying to be prideful. But as conservatives, we talk about family. First it's God, family, then country. Charlie even said that same thing.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And we have to live the way that we promote. If we're not living the way that we. We claim to have an ideology of, then we're fake. Zero Fraud. So I literally took a break for three years to be a mom and to figure out how to do things. This is the first time I've been at a conference in like seven years. Wow. Well, that's also because I was blacklisted from Turning Point.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

But really, that's an interesting story.

[B]

That is interesting because you think someone like Charlie would actually support you.

[A]

He used to. He did. I used to work for Turning Point like seven years ago when I was in college.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And I was really good at what I did with Turning Point. I was the top activist in the nation. I was the president of my club and I was a campus coordinator. I'm not even sure if they still have those positions.

[B]

I think they have campus coordinates.

[A]

Yes. Yes. And so I held an event on campus that got a lot of pushback. I had a lot of fun doing it, but it got a lot of pushback. And I met Charlie the next day and he was like, oh, I love that event. It was super funny. While the donors didn't love it and the people around him didn't love it. And so Turning Point as an organization put out a statement disavowing me and the event. And I just felt so heartbroken and I festered on it and I tried so hard to make up for what I had done.

[B]

What was wrong with the event though?

[A]

So it's really funny. As a 30 year old woman now versus like a 22 year old, I probably wouldn't have done it. We held an anti safe space event where I put up a baby gate. Got like binkies all around right out in the middle of campus. And a student from another organization came and wore an adult diaper to act like a baby.

[B]

What?

[A]

I know your face right now. Right? Right. That just seems weird. It was so funny. But that's how I've always been really like out there. I've always despised the people who just have clipboards and they're like, do you support free speech? I've always been one that like grabbing attention and like getting you to come over. Maybe it was too far. Maybe little old Caitlyn should have known better. But I did it.

[B]

And that was peak cancel culture. That around that time period too.

[A]

It absolutely was. And so Charlie got bombarded diaper memes poor. They sent diapers to his, his headquarters. And instead of just, you know, I worked really hard to try and fix my relationship with him, but it just wasn't ever the same.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And once I had enough of feeling betrayed, I went scorched earth. And I wrote a scathing resignation letter and I. I ridiculed Charlie and I made fun of him and I said awful things and I posted it and that went viral. And ever since then, I've been blacklisted from Turning Point for seven years.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Six or seven years. And never once did I ever have anything kind to say about earlier Turning Point. If they got made fun of or went viral for the wrong reasons, they'd be like, haha. You know, even years later. But at the Student Action Summit.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You were there? Yeah. In Tampa. That's like an hour away from me, whatever way it is. And I showed up to do interviews with the protesters outside, and I really wanted to go inside and talk to my friend, Savannah Hernandez.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And she was like, why don't you come in? And I was like, I'm not allowed to be here. You don't understand. Like, I don't even. I don't want to get kicked out. How embarrassing would that be? Well, she called Andrew and he was with Charlie, I guess, Whatever. And Charlie literally said, let her in. I want her here.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And I was like, are you sure? I was like, what is this? This is crazy. And so I. They gave me a badge.

[B]

No way.

[A]

Completely free. And they let me in there. And I was even allowed to be there the next following days, but I didn't go back. And in retrospect, I wish I had. I wish I had tried harder to talk to him and just say sorry.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Try not to cry again.

[B]

No. That's such a deep story. Thank you.

[A]

Yeah. And so, I mean, that was only a few months before he died.

[B]

I. That was the last time I saw him.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And he was so busy, I didn't have time to interview him there. I was like, I'm going to do it out here.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you just, you know, it's crazy.

[A]

What a reminder, though, that things just might not work that way. And what a reminder to take those leaps and those chances and reach out to people you care about, because you might not be able to. And the fact that Turning Point even invited me here today, it's just so special.

[B]

That means that Charlie told them to allow you.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, Charlie literally told Andrew and his staff, like, let her into sass.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And I told myself, like, I'm going to reach out to him and say sorry. I never even apologized for any of it. And I don't blame him for blacklisting me. I understand why he did it, but I really wish that I could have said something.

[B]

Thanks for Being so open about that. Yeah. It shows me the importance of forgiveness.

[A]

Right, Exactly. And when people. My husband's like, why are you going? You're be away from the kids. I'm like, as a Catholic, a really important part of our faith is reconciliation.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And that's exactly what Charlie gave me was reconciliation. I didn't even have to talk to him. Letting me into sass after everything that had happened was him reconciling with me after so many years of bitterness and grudges and what a waste of time.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That was I. But also thankful to God for that. That bad blood, because I became me.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And a lot of people here today will say, I am Charlie Kirk. I like to say I'm Caitlin Bennett because of Charlie Kirk.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

And so I'm me. Charlie was. No one will ever be Charlie Kirk. But I am my. I am who I am because of him. Without him, I wouldn't have my family. I wouldn't have met my husband. And so I literally owe nearly everything I have to him.

[B]

And he's touched so many people, even me. Like, he inspired me to start moderating debates. I think debates are so important. He inspired me to get into content. He impressed me with his knowledge and his recall. He was just one of a kind.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. There's no doubt about it.

[A]

Very important. And he loved the memes about himself, and so that was cool. They were funny. They still are funny. And I'm glad that he thought they were funny, too. So I feel like I'm home here.

[B]

Yeah. He'll live on forever. I mean, this.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm so happy this event is just as big as it is this year.

[A]

Yeah. Erica Kirk is.

[B]

Yeah. She's impressive.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Have you gotten to talk to her at all, or.

[A]

No? I don't know. I don't expect to be able to do that. She's so busy and, you know, whatever, but.

[B]

Shout out to Erica.

[A]

Very impressive woman.

[B]

What type of content? You're probably gonna take the rest of the year off, I'd imagine, but next year, any. Any plans for content ideas or.

[A]

Then the same. Just continue being me, actually. Yes. I'm going to be starting a show. Humble.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

Yeah. Once we get our studio set up or here, it's just me and my husband. We don't have family around, so everything we do, we kind of have to do it on the kids schedule, so it's taking a little bit to get it done. But, yeah, I'm excited.

[B]

I think you'll have a lot of impact with Your show.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Yeah, I see your YouTube. It crushes it.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

It'd be good to see you in that sort of setting where you can actually.

[A]

Yeah, it's interesting. I don't get to do this a lot.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I go out and I debate, and it's really not even debating. It's dialogue leftists, and it kind of always turns into a debate because they're wrong about nearly everything. So naturally, that's why I have to correct them. I would be a disservice if I did not correct them free of charge, too. I don't even invoice these people for the free education. But, you know, I don't ever get to sit down and, like, explain my views or no one really knows anything about me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because I never tell anybody.

[B]

Yeah. You're a bit of a mystery these days.

[A]

I am a little bit of a mystery. So hopefully people will start to unravel that and I can be more of who I am and tell people more of who Caitlyn is.

[B]

Yeah. Well, thanks for your time. It was great to see the side of you because I think it's easy to think of you in a certain way. But it was awesome getting to know you today.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So we'll link your. Your YouTube below. Thanks for your time.

[A]

Yeah, thank you so much. Sorry, I didn't talk too much.

[B]

No, you were.

[A]

Oh, I ruined your outro.

[B]

No, you're good.

[A]

Do you need to redo that?

[B]

No, no. Check her out, guys. You're good. We'll leave it all in.

[A]

Thank you. Okay.

[C]

I hope you gu guys are enjoying the show. Please don't forget to like and subscribe. It helps the show a lot with the algorithm.

[B]

Thank you.