Joshua Lioi, a mathematics professor at the University of South Alabama, has repeatedly confronted Turning Point USA chapter members while tabling with slurs issued toward them and the late Charlie Kirk.
“We had a sign up saying ‘is communism bad?’ with a box for yes and no, we table in various locations around campus almost every day and set up debates and discussions for everyone,” chapter president Ethan Kaiser told TPUSA HQ about his first encounter with the professor.
“We have been met with ridicule and criticism but also praise from students but rarely professors, as they typically stay out of political activism events on campus,” Kaiser related. “Assistant professor Joshua Lioi, who teaches math and related topics, felt the need to approach the table and refer to Charlie Kirk as the ‘neck guy’ and then proceeded to tell us he lied about everything. When we asked him what Charlie lied about he couldn’t think of anything then proceeded to call us ‘POS grifters’ and then stormed off.”
“Should there be gun regulations?” Lioi asked the chapter members, according to video footage Kaiser sent to TPUSA HQ.
After some back-and-forth between the professor, the members, and other students, concerning fascism, which Lioi associated with TPUSA.
“I understand you’re a fascist propaganda organization,” Lioi said.
Kaiser and the chapter’s social media manager Ben Klapp refuted the professor.
“Fascist governments disarm their populations,” Klapp said to the professor, referring to the tactics of Adolf Hitler.
The professor said in response that Hitler jailed communists.
“If you could tell me exactly how we [i.e. TPUSA] are fascists, I would love to hear it,” Kaiser asked the professor, who failed to answer this question specifically.
The chapter members also asked Lioi if anyone was put in jail for holding certain views. Lioi answered with “tons of protesters,” referring to those demonstrating against the operations of ICE throughout the US throughout the past few years. Lioi did say that undocumented immigrants statistically are less likely to commit violent crimes than the average American.
Hereafter, some students interjected in attempts to argue with the chapter members about US history. For instance, two students claimed that they had not educated themselves on the founding of the US, arguing that the country was built by “immigrants and black people,” and that the British Protestants who left the United Kingdom for America had less of an influence on building the country.
