Ducey spoke to oft-scrutinized group

Gov. Doug Ducey was not aware that conservative group Turning Point USA had faced repeated claims of racism and anti-Semitism when he appeared at its Arizona facility opening earlier this month, he told reporters Thursday.

Responding to questions after an unrelated news conference, Ducey said he knew the student-founded organization as “a group that was getting onto high school and college campuses and talking to young people about limited government and free markets.”

“I’m against any extremism, and I’ve been outspoken on that,” Ducey said. “That’s not going to change.”

The appearance came three months after the governor faced criticism for appearing in photos with members of Patriot Movement AZ, an activist group known for carrying guns to protests and heckling those in favor of migrant rights, gun control and other causes.

At the time, the Governor’s Office said Ducey was unfamiliar with that group and called the photo insignificant.

Turning Point USA bills itself as a group wanting “to educate students about the benefits of limited government, capitalism, and freedom.” Its strategies include on-the-ground advocacy work, leadership summits and original publications.

The non-profit’s national field program works to “build the most organized, active, and powerful conservative grassroots activist network on college campuses across the country,” according to its website. It claims to have “a stronger, more organized presence than all of the left-wing campus groups combined.”

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