Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is set to address University of North Texas students at a Turning Point USA event amid growing tension between conservative activists and campus leadership.
Paxton will speak at UNT’s Lyceum Theater on Monday, November 10th, 2025, at an event hosted by the university’s Turning Point USA chapter. The 7:00 p.m. gathering is open to the public, with students receiving preferred seating, according to an announcement from the Attorney General’s office.
The appearance comes at a particularly charged moment. Paxton is currently investigating the university for allegedly failing to discipline students who he claims celebrated the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “Educational institutions cannot be incubators of violent radical leftists,” Paxton stated in a letter to university officials, urging “the only proper disciplinary action” — expulsion.
In announcing his upcoming appearance, Paxton emphasized his support for young conservatives who face what he describes as opposition from academia. “The Left, which includes many radical professors and university administrators, has tried to silence and even punish young conservatives for speaking out for their beliefs,” he declared. “I am honored to join the UNT Turning Point chapter to continue to show these conservatives that they are not alone.”
Conservative Push on Texas Campuses
The UNT appearance is part of a broader conservative movement gaining momentum across Texas campuses. Just weeks ago, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pledged $1 million in campaign funds toward establishing Turning Point USA chapters at every college and high school in the state.
Why the sudden expansion? Patrick explained that 135,000 requests for new TPUSA chapters have emerged since Kirk’s assassination, adding that he wants “Texas to lead the charge” in this conservative campus movement.
The timing of Paxton’s visit is particularly noteworthy given his office’s recent involvement with North Texas educational institutions. Just days ago, his office closed investigations into two North Texas school districts accused of illegal electioneering. The districts, which had allegedly used taxpayer funds to advocate for funding elections, removed contested materials after receiving warning letters from Paxton’s office, though Northwest ISD denied any wrongdoing, maintaining no electioneering occurred.
For student conservatives at UNT, Paxton’s appearance represents a high-profile endorsement. “I look forward to both encouraging and being encouraged by these courageous young patriots at UNT,” the Attorney General remarked in his announcement.
Critics, however, might view the visit differently — as another chapter in the ongoing culture wars playing out across American universities, with state officials increasingly intervening in campus affairs.
The event is expected to draw both supporters and protesters to the Denton campus, creating what could be a microcosm of the larger political divisions currently defining higher education in Texas.
