Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke at a Turning Point USA UT event on Monday about the role young people can play in the conservative movement.

Paxton entered the stage to a standing ovation, following guest speakers TPUSA contributor Savanah Hernandez and Aaron Reitz, Texas Attorney General candidate. He opened his short speech reflecting on the time he first met TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September.

Paxton’s appearance at UT comes after he participated in TPUSA events in Houston and at Texas Tech University earlier this year. He has also launched numerous investigations surrounding “leftist terror cells” that criticized Kirk after his assassination.

“I’m guessing that when Charlie Kirk named the organization, he wasn’t thinking that his death would actually be the turning point, but … it can be if each of you decide that it is,” Paxton said.

Paxton spoke to the audience of approximately 120 students and community members about the adversity he faced throughout his career, including his impeachment trial and his inability to publicly respond to the resulting media coverage due to a gag order.

“Someday you’ll be in your rocker in the nursing home, and the best memories are going to be things that you thought were your worst moments,” Paxton said. “You found a way to overcome them. You didn’t let adversity stop you.”

After 10 years as the Texas Attorney General, Paxton announced his intentions to challenge incumbent Texas Sen. John Cornyn in April. He went on to endorse Aaron Reitz, a UT Law School alumnus and his former deputy attorney general for legal strategy, for Paxton’s open seat. Reitz also spoke at the TPUSA event on Monday.

“I think about the people on the left who have created an intellectual environment that (has) excused, aided, abetted and even celebrated left-wing political violence that has culminated in the assassination of our hero, Charlie Kirk,” Reitz said. “My life’s purpose is to destroy them and to advance our conservative values.”

Paxton’s parting message was to “think about Charlie Kirk” and his vision for the country.

“Let’s not let down the main turning point,” he said. “Let’s not let down the memory of Charlie Kirk. Let’s not be fearful of the fight. Let’s take on the evil. Let’s save America.”