Evie Lopez
Managing Editor
At least one student organization at Texas A&M University-San Antonio says members of the campus chapter of Turning Point USA have attended their meetings unannounced, prompting concerns about disruptions at such meetings.
One organization said Turning Point members showed up without prior notice, prompting groups to take extra precautions and, in some cases, warn that the organization might attend future sessions. Representatives from these groups said they were cautious during discussions, citing concerns that the Turning Point members’ presence could disrupt proceedings.
TPUSA is a national organization that says it focuses on projecting the voices of those who support the country. The group says it advocates for freedom of speech and aims to ensure a range of viewpoints are represented. Charlie Kirk, the organization’s founder and president, started the group to engage young people in political activism. According to TPUSA’s website, the organization has about 850 campus chapters and a presence at more than 3,000 high schools and colleges nationwide. Following Kirk’s death in 2025, the website states that students launched 120,000 new high school and college chapters.
Turning Point has also faced accusations from critics of having “a hateful record,” “using aggressive marketing,” and raising “unethical privacy concerns.” A few college campuses do not recognize TPUSA as a registered student organization, based on those concerns.
One group affected was the Democratic Socialists Club. President John Ortiz said the club’s meeting on Feb 19th attracted members of TPUSA’s campus chapter.
“I realized all four of them were with Turning Point. From that moment already, I felt intimidated,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz said he was uncomfortable with their presence because he felt intimidated by them, and the TPUSA members outnumbered the rest of the students in his organization’s meeting. Although the attendees remained mostly quiet during the meeting, he said he stayed on high alert. Ortiz shared audio recordings of the meeting with The Mesquite.
At the end of the meeting, Ortiz opened the floor for questions. A student whom Ortiz identified as Tristan Bentley, president of Turning Point USA, asked, “Are you guys Democratic Socialists or Socialist Democrats?”
Ortiz said he responded to the question and addressed the audience. He added that while he respected the question itself, he was uneasy about the context in which it was asked.
Another Turning Point member, identified by Ortiz as vice president Jabari Armotrading, asked, “What are some of your ideas for candidates to rebalance the power right now?”
Ortiz said the exchange did not feel like a typical question-and-answer session.
“My main concern is that even though they framed it as questions, the moment four Turning Point members walked in together and outnumbered the rest of the students in my organization, it turned the end of the meeting into a confrontational debate,” Ortiz said. “It intimidated my members.”
An anonymous member of a different student organization, where Turning Point members attended a meeting, described a separate interaction with Bentley as positive. The student said the conversation was religious in nature and that Bentley attempted to “politely convert” them.
Zeak T. Naifeh, dean of students, said in an email that the university takes concerns involving students and student organizations seriously.
“When concerns are raised, we follow established due process procedures as outlined in the Student Handbook and any applicable university or system policies,” Naifeh said.
Naifeh said the processes and procedures that are outlined in the student handbook are designed to ensure all parties are treated fairly.
Naifeh declined to say if his office had received any complaints or reports about A&M-San Antonio’s chapter of Turning Point USA.
“At this time, we are unable to discuss the specifics of any particular report or review process in order to protect student privacy and maintain the integrity of the process,” Naifeh said. “However, we can confirm that when concerns are brought forward, they are addressed in accordance with university policy and through established review channels.”
The Dreamers Student Organization, one of the student groups whose meetings Turning Point attended, declined to comment about the events that occurred on Feb 2nd.
The Mesquite contacted Bentley for a response to the claims. In an email, Bentley said the organization has not been made aware of any formal complaints. He added that if any members violated registered student organization policies, he would review the details and address the matter appropriately.
“If there are additional concerns, details, or inquiries related to this matter, we kindly ask that you direct them to our Secretary first so they may be reviewed and addressed appropriately before reaching upper leadership.” Bentley said.
Bentley stated that the organization is strongly committed to operating in accordance with the university’s guidelines.
“At this time, we have not received any direct communication from an organization or university official regarding specific incidents, individuals, or policy violations,” Bentley said. “TPUSA does not endorse disruptive behavior, and our members are expected to engage respectfully in all campus settings.”
Bentley directed further questions to A&M-San Antonio Turning Point Secretary Caroline Payne. Payne emphasized they have no further comment on this matter.
William Kiser, TPUSA’s campus advisor, said he has not received any communications from the Office of Student Life or any other TAMUSA offices regarding group members aside from the standard JagSync notifications each time the organization schedules an event on campus. “I can, however, confirm that TPUSA does not endorse disruptive activities and I have advised group members of the expectation that they always act responsibly and respectfully when engaging with our campus community,” Kiser said.
Max Hernandez and Trinity Hewtty contributed to this story.
This story was updated to correct the author.
Editor’s Note: The spelling of a name was corrected April 13 at 11:11 a.m.
