Concordia student secures Turning Point USA chapter approval after viral post

Concordia approves Turning Point USA group after post

A Concordia University Wisconsin student has won approval to start a Turning Point USA chapter after initially claiming the school denied him because he would not denounce one of the group?s controversial campaigns.

MEQUON, Wis. - A Concordia University Wisconsin student has won approval to start a Turning Point USA chapter after initially claiming the school denied him because he would not denounce one of the group’s controversial campaigns.

What we know:

Jacob Turner, a junior at the private university in Mequon, posted about the dispute on X, where his message drew more than three million views and was amplified by Elon Musk. Supporters called the outcome a win for free speech.

Turning Point, founded by conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, has seen a surge in requests for new chapters since Kirk was fatally shot last month.

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Including Concordia, the group received more than 62,000 requests for new chapters.

Turner alleged Concordia pushed back on his application over the group’s "Professor Watchlist," which labels faculty accused of discriminating against conservative students.

No Concordia professors are on it.

What they're saying:

"They were putting so many different layers on, like, ‘You have to abide by this, this, this, this and that,’ to the point where the organization would have been just an organization in name only," said Hilario DeLeon, chairman of the Republican Party of Milwaukee County, who knows Turner and his family. "Have those conversations and say, it's okay if we disagree, but it's not okay if we can't have those conversations in the first place."

"Democrats have socialist chapters. Republicans have their College Republicans. You have Young American Foundation. There's no reason why a Turning Point chapter can't be there as well," DeLeon added.

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In a statement Thursday, a Concordia spokesperson confirmed the university approved Turner’s application:

"Concordia University Wisconsin recently approved a student’s application to establish a local chapter of Turning Point USA. Consistent with our policies, the Student Organization Committee reviewed the application, engaged with the student applicant, and determined that the chapter may move forward. This is the same process used for all requests to establish a nationally affiliated club or organization seeking official recognition at Concordia University Wisconsin."

The university did not respond to questions about what changed in the approval process.

What's next:

Turner wrote on X Thursday night that he is ready to begin work on campus immediately.