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Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to expand Club America chapters into every Texas high school and warned districts against blocking them as he and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick cast Turning Point USA’s (TPUSA’s) youth movement as a moral mission inspired by the late Charlie Kirk’s legacy.
TPUSA calls its high school chapters “Club America,” and typically they set up tables on their school campus to promote TPUSA, while also bringing in conservative speakers once per semester.
Abbott and Patrick framed the surge of TPUSA’s Club America chapters as a values-driven effort to shape the next generation, arguing that public schools should welcome the groups or face disciplinary action if they do not.
On Monday, Abbott described TPUSA’s influence as evidence of a cultural shift among teenagers seeking clarity about faith, nationhood and purpose.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed Monday to expand Turning Point USA’s high school chapters into every high school in the state. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
He said the growth of Club America reflects what he sees as a revival of foundational values on campuses and compared the movement to earlier faith-oriented groups that once dominated student life. The governor also portrayed Texas as uniquely positioned to accelerate that revival because of its existing concentration of chapters.
He followed that message with a forceful warning that school officials who push back against Club America risk state intervention.
“Any school that stands in the way of a Club America program in their school should be reported immediately to the Texas Education Agency,” Abbott said. “I expect meaningful disciplinary action to be taken for any stoppage of TPUSA in the great state of Texas.”
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“Club America” chapters ideally host a meeting twice a month for conservative students to express their values and ideas. The chapters host activities based on themes that could entail patriotism, sports, taxes or other topics. (Turning Point USA)
He argued that protecting the group’s presence is part of honoring Kirk’s vision and ensuring students have access to what he called essential moral guidance.
Patrick extended that theme by anchoring the movement in religious and cultural terms, saying Kirk’s message has only intensified since his death.
He told supporters that Texas students are searching for direction at a moment of national uncertainty and that Club America now fills a void once occupied by traditional civic and faith institutions.
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Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, greeting supporters. (Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
To illustrate that point, Patrick pointed to his own family, describing how his grandson joined a chapter after Kirk’s death and quickly found a sense of belonging.
He framed the group’s expansion not just as a political project but as a generational duty to reinforce values he said have been weakened over time.
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“Charlie’s message of freedom and liberty and faith is really resonating with young men and women across Texas and across America,” Patrick said.
Abbott’s and Patrick’s remarks came as Club America gains traction nationwide, including in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a partnership with TPUSA in October to ensure chapters can be established in any high school in the state.
