Liberal professor Nicholas Creel of Georgia College & State University has openly defended his role as faculty advisor for his school’s Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter in a recent New York Times guest essay. As a business law professor and self-described liberal critic of Donald, he explained that advising the conservative group founded by Charlie Kirk does not inherently contradict his own political views. Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to embody the principles of democratic engagement by fostering open dialogue and mutual respect.
Creel recounted how a student approached him to help start the TPUSA chapter at his university after other faculty members declined. While he acknowledged his own ideological differences with the group, he emphasized his commitment to free speech and the importance of ensuring all student groups have equal access to campus resources. The professor expressed surprise at a later conversation with a conservative student leader who, after discussing the planned memorial for Charlie Kirk, revealed she regularly read his opinion articles. This moment, Creel argued, highlighted the potential for intellectual engagement across political divides and served as a reminder that meaningful debate is still possible in today’s polarized climate. He concluded that the TPUSA students’ actions following the assassination of Charlie Kirk demonstrated that the ‘messy work of democracy’ can still be practiced, and that such efforts offer a model for bridging divisions in a divided society.