#turning point usa

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Audrey McCabe at MMFA:

Turning Point Action senior director and Arizona state Rep. Austin Smith was named last week in a complaint alleging that he forged dozens of signatures, names, and addresses on his petitions to qualify for the state’s GOP primary ballot in July, quickly sparking a scandal that led the candidate to drop out of the race and resign from his position at TP Action just days later. Yet, for all of right-wing media’s handwringing about voter fraud in recent election cycles, a Media Matters analysis found no mentions of those allegations between April 15-23 on Fox News, One America News, and Newsmax — conservative cable outlets that have repeatedly peddled and fixated on debunked instances of supposed voter fraud.

An Arizona state representative and Turning Point Action official has been accused of forging signatures on a ballot qualification petition

According to an April 15 complaint filed by one of Smith’s constituents in state Superior Court, the first-term lawmaker “personally circulated multiple petition sheets bearing what appear to be forged voter signatures” in handwriting that bore a “striking resemblance” to his own. Additionally, several purported signers provided declarations claiming that they never signed Smith’s petitions. 

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on April 18, Smith refuted the allegations and announced that he would withdraw his candidacy to avoid the legal fees required to defend himself in court. (That same day, Smith resigned from his position at Turning Point Action.) He also claimed that the complaint was part of a “coordinated attack” and a “well-organized effort.” But as Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts noted, “If, in fact, this was some Democratic conspiracy to chase an innocent man from the Legislature, it’s curious that Smith wouldn’t defend himself. More curious still is the fact that not a single Republican legislator has called for his resignation in light of his refusal to answer allegations of election fraud.” Smith repeatedly claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump, and on the eve of the January 6, 2021, insurrection — in a now-deleted post on X — Smith reportedly urged his followers to not “get comfortable” and “fight like hell.” 

In a recent post, Smith promoted a colleague running against Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican official scorned by pro-Trump figures for pushing back on false election fraud narratives in his county. 

The same right-wing media outlets who bellyache about supposed "voter fraud" are silent that a TPUSA-affiliated Turning Point Action senior director and Arizona State Rep. Austin Smith (R) forged signatures to get on the ballot.

#Turning Point Action #TPUSA #Turning Point USA #Austin Smith #Voter Fraud #Arizona #Stephen Richer #One America News Network #FNC #Newsmax

[silvermoon424]

I'm really glad that the official translation went with "Walpurgisnacht Rising" instead of "Turning Point Walpurgis" for the new Madoka movie like we were calling it initially, because I always thought of those stupid Turning Point USA memes

#my memes #pmmm #madoka magica #puella magi madoka magica #walpurgisnacht rising #walpurgis no kaiten #kyubey #turning point usa #charlie kirk

[dontmean2bepoliticalbut]

#us politics #republicans #conservatives #twitter #tweet #turning point usa #charlie kirk #sen. bernie sanders #minimum wage #raise the minimum wage #$15 minimum wage #socialism #fact check #big facts #2020

[liberalsarecool]

I guess Charlie Kirk grooming racists and misogynists is bad for business. #lawsuits

#turning point usa

[kropotkindersurprise]

March 14, 2023 - Proud Boys came to UC Davis, California, to support an event by the Koch-funded far-right astroturf group Turning Point USA, but instead ended up setting a new land speed record running away from local antifascists. [video]

#fail #proud boys #pb #antifa #antifascism #antifascist action #uc davis #usa #tpusa #turning point usa #funny #gif #2023 #run away #retreat

[odinsblog]

Scandal-plagued Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas isn’t doing himself any favors. Starting next term, one of his four new law clerks will be Crystal Clanton, a recently-minted law school graduate who was pushed out of a conservative youth organization in 2017 after a reporter uncovered virulently racist texts she sent to another employee.

The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, from which Clanton graduated in 2022 and which has cultivated extensive ties with the Supreme Court’s conservative justices, announced the hire on Friday.

The racist comments stem from Clanton’s work for the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, where she served as national field director until the summer of 2017. At the end of that year, New Yorker investigative reporter Jane Mayer unearthed a text from Clanton to another TPUSA employee in which Clanton wrote, “I HATE BLACK PEOPLE. Like fuck them all . . . I hate blacks. End of story.”

(continue reading)

#politics #republicans #clarence thomas #scotus #crystal clanton #charlie kirk #internalized racism #racism #turning point usa #george mason university #white supremacy #sellouts #uncle ruckus #🦝

[silver-ace-of-spades]

I wanna make a horribly written erotic mpreg fic of the alt-right podcasters (Ben S, Matt W, Michael K, Joe R, etc)

They all get pregnant btw

I'd call it PreggerU

#spade yells into the void #nsft fic #turning point usa #prageru #daily wire #mpreg #horrible idea

[gwydionmisha]

#Turning Point USA #Drag Queen Story Hour #Arizona State University #David Boyles #Hate Crimes #News

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Major conservative influencers on social media platforms such as Twitter and Rumble have coalesced in recent months around talking points that connect birth control with a variety of negative health outcomes, which experts say instill fear in women who could otherwise benefit from using birth control.

But the information the influencers are referring to lacks crucial context, says Dr. Danielle Jones, an OB-GYN, and they fail to include recent scientific developments that challenge their narrative.

Tim Pool, Ben Shapiro and Steve Bannon have all made anti-birth control content in the past six months. Sometimes, they feature female conservative personalities who make content about women’s issues.

Alex Clark, who hosts a pop culture show for the youth conservative messaging organization Turning Point USA, is one conservative woman who has railed against hormonal birth control in recent months. The progressive watchdog publication Media Matters for America first reported that Clark said her “mission” is “to get young women off this pill.” In a response sent in a direct message, Clark wrote “Birth control can be right for some in some cases, but we shouldn’t just take it blindly because of acne and we shouldn’t treat it as the default for all women.”

While some strains of conservative politics have spent years attacking birth control, the more recent resurgence of anti-birth control talking points comes alongside a broader push from online conservative creators against the medical establishment and treatments from vaccines to gender-affirming care, all of which have been recommended in certain circumstances by the American Medical Association. In her response, Clark called birth control “synthetic,” as opposed to pregnancy, which she called “natural.”

The social media trend of attacking birth control has also coincided with legal and legislative efforts targeting birth control access, most notably emergency contraceptives. In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling that revoked the constitutional right to an abortion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the court “should reconsider” other decisions, including those codifying the right to contraceptive access.

Jones, who is also a YouTube creator with 1.2 million subscribers, has made multiple videos discussing the rhetoric around reproductive health. In an interview, she said the primary tactic she’s observed on social media to undermine birth control has been “to take a study that backs up what they’re saying, then use that to draw some extravagant conclusion.”

“It’s thinly veiled, but it’s veiled enough that the average person often doesn’t identify it,” she said.

Many videos point to a 2018 study that found an association between taking hormonal birth control and suicide attempts and suicide in women in Denmark. But researchers and physicians who have cited the study have urged patients not to stop using hormonal birth control. Rather, health care experts have said that doctors should discuss any potential mood effects of the medication with patients, as other studies have contradicted the 2018 study, and pregnancy can also have mood side effects.

Ashley St. Clair, who has more than 673,000 Twitter followers, referred to the association suggested in the study in a tweet in which she said “Did you know the birth control pill increases risk of suicide and suicidal ideations?” In June, Twitter owner Elon Musk liked a number of anti-birth control tweets, including St. Clair’s tweet.

Jones said the 2018 Dutch study into suicide and hormonal birth control was “really important and well-done.”

But she said just reading the 2018 study’s abstract and drawing conclusions from that alone is lacking crucial context when making medical decisions. Primarily, she said, the risks of contraceptive use are not compared to the same risks in pregnancy, which she said are higher. The 2018 study specifically acknowledges that pregnancy also has association with higher rates of suicide.

In a phone interview, St. Clair said she believes women are being put on birth control at a young age without being told the risks of depression and suicidal thoughts.

“I was on it at 14 and I wasn’t told these things,” she said. “I really believe there needs to be more education for women around this.”

Similarly, Clark wrote in her response to NBC News that she wants patients to be “radically thoughtful” about making medical decisions.

“That starts with understanding the potential side effects, not downplaying them,” she wrote.

Jones tells her own social media audience to consider the motivation of people who post about birth control online. Oftentimes, they’re coming from a religious or political perspective, or they’re trying to sell something, she said, adding they are neglecting the scientific consensus in favor of alarmist sentiments. She pointed out that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recommended that birth control be offered over the counter to anyone.

“There’s extensive data on this,” she said. “If birth control is safe enough to advocate that it should be over the counter, there’s absolutely no reason it should start to become a topic of legislation about who can access it and why.”

Still, Jones said, the way conservative influencers weaponize research about birth control's side effects has a real-world effect.

She said it is a daily occurrence for women at her practice to decline using hormonal birth control out of fear that it will cause permanent changes to their body and fertility.

“You basically are scaring people out of using birth control and not even comparing it to pregnancy,” Jones said.

In place of birth control, she said, many conservatives have taken a page from the natural health community and promoted cycle tracking and other fertility awareness methods. Several of the female conservative influencers write for and share articles from Evie Magazine, a media company whose founder also created a cycle-tracking startup called 28 by Evie. Conservative billionaire tech titan Peter Thiel has invested in the startup and more recently in fertility companies targeting international markets. During her interview, St. Clair also suggested that women should be taught to track their cycles as an alternative to medication birth control.

But, Jones said, fertility awareness methods to prevent pregnancy could fail “even in the most experienced person.” They require taking the temperature every day before getting out of bed, monitoring cervical mucus and knowing exactly what to look for, keeping track of all of these things on a chart, and avoiding intercourse or using another method to prevent pregnancy within the fertile window, she said.

According to the Mayo Clinic, fertility cycle tracking is among the least effective types of birth control, and that effectiveness varies by couple. It said that as many as 24 out of 100 women who use natural family planning will become pregnant within the first year. A 2021 study of period-tracking apps for fertility planning found that out of 10 apps used, all of them gave conflicting dates of fertility, most of which were incorrect.

“People get pregnant because they didn’t know they had to do all these things to make that effective,” she said.

#us politics #news #nbc news #2023 #republicans #conservatives #social media #social media influencers #twitter #rumble #birth control #birth control bans #Dr. Danielle Jones #Alex Clark #turning point usa #reproductive health #reproductive rights #hormonal birth control #tw suicide #tw suicide mention #Ashley St. Clair #American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists #Evie Magazine #menstrual cycle #menstrual cycle tracking apps #fertility awareness methods #Mayo Clinic #fertility cycle tracking

[fixing-bad-posts]

[ID: a Turning Point USA post from Charlie Kirk edited to say "If you're going to college to find yourself, you're going to find yourself in college." End ID.]

---

If you're going to college to find yourself, you're going to find yourself in college.

Submitted by @infinitebread02

#lmao op #so true bestie #fbp submission #infinitebread02 #turning point usa #charlie kirk #college #self identity #miscellaneous

[dontmean2bepoliticalbut]

#us politics #twitter #tweet #x #charlie kirk #turning point usa #vivek ramaswamy #2024 Republican primary #2024 elections #the serfs #gender dysphoria #transgender #trans rights #trans pride #lgbtqia+ #lgbtqia+ rights #republican presidential debate #republican primary #american psychiatric association #the new york times

[dosesofcommonsense]

“Socialism and Communism aren’t the same.” True. Socialism works inside a textual document. You cannot achieve Socialism in real life, because a big government doesn’t stop taking.

The mentality of “I know what’s best for you” doesn’t stop because the government must also be more well off than you. Its principles are built on selfishness, envy, and the pursuit of more. What you get is Communism, where the government “owns” everything and everyone, and its slaves are happy with nothing…oh, you’re not happy?

Well, step on this train and join the group. We’ll find you a nice place to rest and feel better - of course you won’t be feeling much after the bullet, but you’ll get some rest inside the mass grave filled with other dissenters.

#truth #globalist playbook #socialism #communism #turning point usa

[tomorrowusa]

Republicans won't stop at abortion. They want to be overseers of all reproduction. They won't be happy unless they are able to monitor every bedroom and doctor's office in the US.

We recently saw how the Republican Alabama Supreme Court ruled against IVF. That ruling was peppered with copious references to Christian fundamentalist beliefs.

Now Republicans are turning attention to birth control. The unhinged MAGA crank Charlie Kirk ranted about this recently.

Charlie Kirk, the head of the MAGA propaganda behemoth Turning Point USA, recently unveiled a novel theory as to why young women tend to vote for Democrats. Unwilling to admit that women can think for themselves, Kirk floated the theory that birth control pills cause brain damage. "Birth control like really screws up female brains," he falsely claimed before a crowd at a recent church event streamed on the far-right site Rumble. Claiming the pill "increases depression, anxiety [and] suicidal ideation," he then blamed women's voting patterns on hormonal contraception. "It creates very angry and bitter young ladies and young women," Kirk argued.

I would argue that Trump and his followers are the ones with screwed up brains. There is a strong tendency of misogynistic patriarchy in the GOP. They feel a need to control women – possibly because of their own feelings of sexual inadequacy.

But of course, Kirk is not sincerely mistaken and he certainly isn't concerned about the wellbeing of women, which all reputable research shows is dramatically improved by having control over their fertility. Kirk's doctor cosplay is part of a much larger and semi-coordinated strategy among right-wing leaders to demonize birth control and train the GOP base into believing that restricting, or even banning, contraception is justified.  As the Washington Post reported last month, right-wing activists have been flooding social media with the same lies that Kirk was echoing in this video. It's a well-financed disinformation campaign, getting a major boost from MAGA billionaire Peter Thiel, who has aggressively financed teams of messengers to falsely claim that hormonal birth control "tricked our bodies into dysfunction and pain." Doctors report that the tidal wave of misinformation about birth control is creating a health care crisis, including women who "come in for abortions after believing what they see on social media about the dangers of hormonal birth control." 

Female empowerment is anathema to many on the far right. And the right to control one's body is part of that empowerment.

At heart, Republicans are anti-freedom.

Of course, the real reason MAGA leaders don't like birth control is they oppose the freedom and opportunities that it has afforded women. Kirk barely bothers to hide that this is his real agenda. In the very same talk, he also tries to threaten women who hold out for Mr. Right instead of settling for Mr. Incel: "In their early 30's they get really upset because they say the boys don't want to date me anymore because they're not at their prime," he claims, echoing the unevidenced revenge fantasy that dominates misogynist message boards. 

Roe v. Wade had been the law of the land for over 49 years until the Trump-Bush Supreme Court rescinded it in 2022.

Birth control medications have been around since 1960. Despite that 64 year precedent, don't think that Republicans won't try to find some way to ban them if given a chance.

#birth control pills #contraception #charlie kirk #turning point usa #incels #maga #donald trump #the far right #patriarchy #misogyny #republicans want to ban birth control #peter thiel #anti-birth control misinformation #ivf #abortion #roe v. wade #reproductive freedom #election 2024 #vote blue no matter who #protect freedom – vote democratic

[acrownforaking]

Hey guys! This is making the rounds on Facebook, thought I'd spread it to Tumblr if someone hasn't already. Please reserve a ticket for this and then don't show up. Let's make it so Rittenhouse spews his hateful shit to an empty room.

(Tickets are free, btw)

#kyle rittenhouse #blm #social justice #turning point usa #racism #anti gun #signal boost #this is either gonna get 2 notes or is gonna break containment and i'll get death threats for the next week #let's find out! #activism

[dragoneyes618]

"I keep hearing that this situation is "complicated," but it doesn't seem very complicated to me. If you massacre civilians at a music festival, you are the bad guy. There is no world where good guys do something like that. Pretty simple equation, really."

- Matt Walsh, Turning Point USA, October 11

#matt walsh #turning point usa #israel hamas war #pro israel

[coochiequeens]

Let me just clarify this: I don’t like Turning Point USA or other conservative media sources or that Riley was part of that. However violence against a woman because she has”wrong think” is still violence against women.

Footage of ex-college swimmer Riley Gaines being chased and verbally abused by protesters, who shut down a talk she had been due to give at San Francisco State University (SFSU), has been widely shared on social media.

Gaines alleges she was "physically hit twice by a man," with video posted on Twitter showing her being escorted to safety by police whilst demonstrators chant and heckle.

An intense debate has developed about the role of trans athletes in women's sport, with Republican-controlled states passing a wave of laws banning their participation.

On Thursday Gaines had been due to address a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event at SFSU, but this was unable to proceed after demonstrators gained access to the venue.

A video Gaines shared on Twitter, which appears to show her being escorted out of the venue whilst protesters chant "trans rights are human rights," has been viewed more than 180,000 times.

Gaines commented: "The prisoners are running the asylum at SFSU...I was ambushed and physically hit twice by a man. This is proof that women need sex-protected spaces. Still only further assures me I'm doing something right. When they want you silent, speak louder."

Another video of Gaines leaving the room, whilst being protected by police officers, was shared on Twitter by David Llamas, the "TPUSA College Field Representative for the Bay Area."

In this footage, demonstrators chant "trans women are women," whilst one protester shouts slurs at Gaines, labelling her a "b*****."

This footage, which was retweeted by Gaines, has received over 280,000 views.

Nancy Hogshead, CEO of the 'Champion Women,' campaign group, tweeted that "trans radicals punched Riley Gaines" who "is in police protection now." This post, which added "male violence is the bane of our existence," was also retweeted by Gaines.

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Eli Bremer, Gaines' agent, commented: "Instead of a thoughtful discussion tonight at SFSU, Riley was violently accosted, shouted at, physically assaulted, and barricaded in a room by protesters. It is stunning that in America in 2023, it is acceptable for biological male students to violently assault a woman for standing up for women's rights."

Newsweek has contacted San Francisco State University and Turning Point USA for comment by email.

Gaines had previously competed against Lia Thomas, a University of Pennsylvania student who in March 2022 became the first trans woman to win the NCAA Division I women's 500-yard freestyle event.

Speaking to Fox News in December, Gaines accused Thomas of having "an utter disregard and disrespect towards women."

Thomas insisted trans athletes aren't a threat to women's sport, during an interview with ESPN in May 2022.

She commented: "Trans women competing in women's sports does not threaten women's sports as a whole.

"The NCAA rules regarding trans women competing in women's sports have been around for 10-plus years. And we haven't seen any massive wave of trans women dominating."

In August Gaines appeared alongside former President Donald Trump at a Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event in Dallas.

#USA #San Francisco State University (SFSU) #Riley Gaines #trans activism is male violence #Turning Point USA #Champion Women