Dear Editor:

According to their website, Turning Point USA’s “mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.”

Who can argue against these goals? Certainly no one in our community. But I have a few questions about how TPUSA operates to achieve these laudable goals.

First, do they themselves demonstrate fiscal responsibility?

The meteoric rise in their revenue steams has prompted Federal Election Commission investigations into ‘dark money’ contributions and a lack of transparent financial accountancy.

As a non-profit 501(C)(3) charity, its close alignment with Donald Trump and his sons, as well as its coordination with multiple Republican organizations, are clear violations of TPUSA’s tax-exempt status. Another misuse of their funds involves clandestine contributions above the legal limit to right-wing candidates for student-government presidencies.

Second, are they really working to support free markets?

In addition to financial markets, there are academic and religious marketplaces that rely on free competition for their efficacy. It is the stated goal of TPUSA and its spin-off organizations to force American school boards and universities into purging administrators and professors who do not conform to right-wing ideology. Curtailing intellectual freedom and privileging Christianity over other belief systems are the hallmarks of bigotry.

This authoritarian program being imposed on our educational system begs the question: If elite colleges and universities flourished before TPUSA’s inquisition, doesn’t that mean they succeeded under their own governance? Shouldn’t Christian nationalists compete fairly by chartering their own institutions of higher learning and see if their religious and political orthodoxy can attract the caliber of students who graduate from MIT, Duke, and Stanford?

Third, how are their inextricable links to MAGA promoting limited government? The current administration is seeking dictatorial control over every aspect of our lives: the justice system, healthcare, news coverage, congressional oversight, states’ rights, voting and civil rights. Charlie Kirk’s long record of collaboration with the Trump family and its authoritarian agendas belies TPUSA’s commitment to small government.

Turning Point USA is a hypocritical and increasingly dangerous threat to our open society and American democracy.

Bill Hammond

Boothbay