Scandalous Provocation: MAGA Group Kicked Off Campus by Black University (TSU) Students, Calls for School Budget Cuts Due to “Race Riots”

Tennessee State University (TSU), one of the proudest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with a rich history, recently found itself at the center of a political and cultural storm. A conservative activist group calling itself “The Fearless Debaters,” led by alt-right personality Cam Higgby and political commentator David Kate , decided to make a provocative “visit.” The moment they entered the TSU campus with their bright red MAGA hats and controversial placards, they found not an open dialogue, but a wall of staunch opposition.

The incident quickly spiraled into an online and offline mess, forcing the group to retreat within minutes, escorted off campus by police. But the story didn’t end there. The incident exposed a blatant “view-seeking” strategy, where deliberate provocation was used as a form of content, and the safety and reputation of a historic educational institution was put at the expense of the group.

Provocative Purpose: Aiming at the Heart of HBCUs

The Fearless Debaters have built their reputation on a simple but effective formula: show up uninvited at colleges, make shocking and controversial statements, then film the resulting chaos to create viral content. Their visit to TSU—the first HBCU on their tour—was by no means a coincidence.

Shortly after arriving, the group took a photo and posted it on social media with a defiant caption: “Here we are at Tennessee State University in Nashville, the first HBCU we visited on our Fearless Tour. Let’s talk.” The statement sparked a strong reaction, with critics calling it “pure provocation.”

They set up a table, carrying signs with explicitly political messages, including a controversial one that read: “DEI should be illegal.” Bringing a message against DEI—a core concept of HBCUs’ identity and existence—onto a predominantly Black campus, wearing MAGA hats, was seen as “pouring salt” on a historical and political wound, not an invitation to debate.

Students’ Immediate Reaction: The Wall of Pride

It didn’t take long for TSU students to respond to the provocation. Videos circulating on social media show a crowd of students quickly gathering, not to listen or debate, but to shut down the event. The atmosphere shifted from potential dialogue to intense tension. Students surrounded the table, using words and actions to express their displeasure.

In one captured moment, the conservative group’s signs were taken away, and tensions rose to the point where it was impossible to continue. David Kate later claimed that things became so “hostile” that they didn’t have a chance to speak before the crowd “completely shut down” their event.

The standoff was brief. Overwhelmed by the student body’s strong reaction and uncompromising opposition, the Fearless Debaters were forced to pack up. Campus police and university staff quickly arrived to disperse the crowd and escort Cam Higgby and David Kate off campus. It was a humiliating retreat, ending a visit that had been boldly planned but ill-prepared and disrespectful.

The Blame Game: Turning Failure Into a “Race Riot”

Immediately after being escorted off the TSU campus, the conservative group employed their usual tactic: playing the victim and spinning the story .

David Kate and Cam Higgby quickly took to Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), attempting to turn their failure into a story about the suppression of free speech at Black institutions. One of their first posts, a photo of an empty table, deliberately used inflammatory language: “We set up a table. It caused an apparent race riot at Tennessee State University.”

The language, intended to shock and spread across conservative channels, was immediately criticized by critics as grossly overstating the situation and denigrating TSU and its students. But the group didn’t stop there. They posted another post publicly calling for TSU’s budget to be cut because of the student response, a move that was seen as a direct attack on one of the most respected HBCUs in the country, further fueling the outrage among TSU’s supporters.

Kate was particularly adamant in refuting TSU’s claim (discussed later) that they were asked to leave because they lacked permits. He insisted that the police decided to escort them away for “our own safety” due to the presence of a “hostile crowd.” In this way, he attempted to paint TSU students as an aggressive and uncultured mob, a racial wedge designed to polarize the debate.

The Official Response: Respect and Etiquette

Realizing that the story was being twisted for political purposes, Tennessee State University quickly issued an official statement to clarify the situation. The university’s statement not only addressed the situation but also directly “slapped” the victim narrative of the Fearless Debaters.

TSU stressed that the group was “a group of individuals not affiliated with Tennessee State University” and appeared on campus “without prior notice.” Under university policy, any protest or debate activity must be pre-approved and permitted.

More importantly, TSU’s statement concluded with a particularly emphatic line: “At all times, TSU students have conducted themselves in a professional and respectful manner .”

The statement was more than a policy statement. It was a straightforward rebuttal, declaring that the students had acted with dignity and respect, while the uninvited guests were the ones who were deliberately causing trouble. TSU ended by reaffirming its commitment to the safety and well-being of the community and maintaining a “safe, welcoming, and orderly” environment.

Counterproductive: Complaining with Humor

In an attempt to prove that TSU students were not “professional and respectful,” David Kate posted a clip of his own group’s Black security guard being “harshly mocked” by TSU students. Kate thought the video would expose the students’ lack of respect.

The clip, however, quickly went viral in a completely different way. Viewers on X and other platforms turned it into a meme, praising the TSU student for handling the situation not with violence, but with humor , confidence, and sharp ridicule —a powerful form of cultural and spiritual resistance.

This backfire further reinforced the narrative that the conservative group had come looking for a physical fight to play the victim, but instead were “played” by TSU students with words and unwavering attitude. One viral comment read: “I don’t understand why these people think Tennessee State is a university to be challenged. They ran smoothly off campus.”

Many social media users have accused Cam Higgby and David Kate of being “ clout chasers” who are willing to confront Black students just to incite outrage and gain attention on right-wing platforms. They have targeted HBCUs, a symbol of Black self-determination and history, as a way to maximize confrontation.

Ultimately, while David Kate and Cam Higgby did create the viral content they wanted, the question remains: Were these people really looking for a healthy exchange of ideas, or was the entire visit just a carefully calculated trap to incite students and use the footage for political purposes?

Regardless of which side of the culture war you fall on, the story of TSU and The Fearless Debaters is a reminder that in the digital age, provocation has become a commodity, and the line between debate and violence has blurred to an alarming degree. But the message from TSU students is clear: their campus is not a stage for staged antics.