Turning Point USA chapters could be coming to all Texas schools-on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s dime.
Patrick took to X on Friday to announce his $1 million contribution (in campaign dollars) to Turning Point USA, for the purpose of bringing the organization’s operations to “every college and high school campus in Texas.”
“I had not planned to make a donation before the call, but the Lord put it on my heart to make a meaningful contribution to kick start the Texas project,” Patrick wrote on X, noting he had been on a call with Turning Point executives on Thursday about establishing chapters across campuses statewide.
Patrick encouraged others to donate to the initiative, saying it was up to “us to see his vision grow far beyond what he may have thought possible.”
Chron contacted Turning Point USA for comment regarding Patrick’s donation, but did not receive a response before publication.
Turning Point USA, the nonprofit organization founded by late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was established to “identify, educate, train and organize students to promote fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government” on college, university and high school campuses.
The organization’s events also often feature speakers advocating for the necessity of religion, specifically Christianity, as the foundation of society.
According to TPUSA’s website, the organization is active at over 3,500 campuses nationwide. Since Kirk was assassinated in September, the group has reported an uptick in interest in bringing chapters to more locations nationwide.
Patrick referenced this increase in interest in his post, writing that since Kirk’s death, over 135,000 requests have been made to start TPUSA chapters.
“Texas has the size and the heart to open more chapters than any other state and more than most countries,” Patrick wrote. “Let’s get it done for Charlie, and for Texas.”
Kirk’s comments, and TPUSA speakers and events, have garnered backlash from those against what they describe as Kirk’s views on race, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Notably, Chron reported on a leaked Texas A&M TPUSA group chat that shared texts mocking George Floyd, Muslims and transgender people.
Patrick is set to appear at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Houston alongside Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday.
“Texas college campuses should be places of open debate, not indoctrination,” Paxton said in a statement on Friday. “I applaud these young conservatives at the University of Houston who have the courage to speak truth boldly, defend freedom and challenge the leftist echo chambers that try to silence them.”
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This article originally published at Dan Patrick wants Turning Point USA to come to every Texas school.