The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has added Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and PragerU to its annual “hate map,” listing both conservative organizations under the category of “anti-government extremist groups.”
This marks the first time TPUSA, a prominent conservative youth organization, has been included on the SPLC’s controversial list.
The SPLC’s updated Year in Hate and Extremism report was released Thursday, documenting 1,371 so-called “hate and extremist groups” across the United States in 2024, down from 1,430 the previous year.
The SPLC’s entry for TPUSA alleges the group “sows and exploits fear that white Christian supremacy is under attack by nefarious actors, including immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community and civil rights activists.”
The report continues, stating that “TPUSA and its spokespeople often warn their audience that their children, wives, religion, way of life and they themselves are under attack by various constructed enemies.”
It further accuses TPUSA of “exploit[ing] complicated feelings of insecurity and anxiety to manufacture rage and mobilize support to revive and maintain a white-dominated, male supremacist, Christian social order.”
Turning Point USA, founded by Charlie Kirk in 2012, is widely known for its presence on college campuses and its advocacy for limited government, free markets, and American constitutional principles.
The group has held major student leadership conferences and worked with numerous conservative figures and elected officials.
Charlie Kirk responds:
“Being on their list is a badge of honor. It means they’re terrified that we’re so effective. Keep crying, SPLC—America’s done with your scam.”
Also listed in the SPLC’s 2024 report is PragerU, a nonprofit that produces educational videos and digital content from a conservative perspective.
PragerU was founded by conservative commentator Dennis Prager and has gained widespread attention through its short-form videos on history, economics, religion, and politics.
Like TPUSA, this is the first time PragerU has appeared on the SPLC’s “hate map.”
The SPLC’s new classification of these groups follows similar designations in recent years.
The organization previously listed Moms for Liberty, a parental rights group, under the same category, sparking backlash from parents and education advocates across the country.
Although the SPLC was originally established to fight legal battles against violent racist organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan, its critics argue that it has since shifted into a partisan advocacy group, targeting conservative and religious organizations under vague or politically motivated labels.
Despite the controversy, SPLC data continues to be cited by media outlets and researchers.
The Guardian, which reported on the SPLC’s new findings, noted that the total number of groups identified by the organization has decreased.
According to the outlet, this is due in part to what the SPLC believes is a mainstreaming of certain ideologies, which it says are now more embedded in politics, education, and broader society.
“The 5% drop in hate and extremist groups in 2024 can be attributed to the fact that many feel a lesser sense of urgency to organize, because their beliefs have infiltrated politics, education and society in general,” the SPLC report claims.
The SPLC’s updated map and report are already drawing reactions from conservative organizations and public commentators, who argue the group continues to conflate political disagreement with extremism in order to maintain influence and visibility.
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