Before Fort Lewis College senior Jonah Flynn became president of the newly formed FLC Turning Point USA chapter, he described himself as a liberal-leaning atheist.

Flynn, a senior studying philosophy and Spanish, gained local and national attention after the Associated Students of Fort Lewis College initially denied his request to start a Turning Point chapter at an Oct. 29 meeting. Outcry from conservative students and community members led to an emergency on Nov. 7 meeting, where the Associated Students decision was reversed.

Since then, the 25-year-old has appeared in numerous news outlets, including CBS and Fox News, where he spoke on a panel alongside activist Jack Posobiec.

Flynn said he has been heckled on campus and that some friendships have become strained as a result of his association with the group. Still, he said he has “thick skin” and he remains proud of the chapter’s presence at FLC.

The death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University event on Sept. 10 motivated Flynn to launch the group on campus, he said.

Early life and influences

Flynn was born in Connecticut but grew up in Texas with his mother and father – now separated – and four brothers and three sisters. He is the third-oldest.

His family was Catholic “only in title,” he said. He found his way to faith – specifically Christianity – as he grew older.

Flynn said he enjoyed growing up in a large family and praised his mother for her kindness, spirituality and character.

He had harsher words for his father, from whom he is now estranged.

Though he supports Republican candidates and said he would run as a Republican if he pursued politics, Flynn rejects strict party labels.

“I voted for Trump, and I think he’s a great president, but am I a Republican? Absolutely not,” he said. “Like, do I love Ted Cruz? (Expletive) no. You know, people like that – those kinds of typical boomer Republican politicians – are so not what I identify with, at all.”

Flynn dropped out of high school before serving three years in the Army as an indirect fire infantryman. While stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, he met his wife, Sheyanne, to whom he has been married for two years.

Flynn said Sheyanne’s influence – and his military education benefits – led him to pursue higher education at FLC, where the two now study together.

He initially aspired to become a teacher but has since shifted his focus toward politics or law enforcement.

“The longer I thought about being a teacher, the more I realized I don’t really believe in the public school system,” he said. “When I was in school, I wasn’t being challenged. I was just miserable.”

When he met Sheyanne, Flynn said he was searching for his own beliefs after being raised in a Republican, Catholic household.

“One thing leads to another, and you just start to deconstruct everything,” Flynn said of the time he leaned liberal and was nonreligious. “But then, at the end of it, you sort of realize that you just deconstructed everything and now there’s nothing left. So, I started to move back and build up my ideas about the world from scratch.”

Flynn said he and Sheyanne discovered religion and conservatism together, and that he now aligns with most – though not all – of Turning Point’s tenets.

“My personal beliefs and values are more gospel-based than (Turning Point or) Republican Party-based,” he said. “They center around the Christ message, and they center around what’s good for America and what’s good for our people and our neighborhoods, and not necessarily (what’s good for) the people of the whole entire world.”

He added: “I’m definitely an ‘America first’ person. America first all the way – maybe even America only, for the time being.”

‘Warrior for the gospel’

Flynn said criticism of his affiliation with Turning Point has been difficult at times – especially when it comes from friends – but he’s been able to bounce back.

His friend and classmate Caleb Martin called him “a contrarian who enjoys difficult conversations.” The two met three years ago in a U.S. government class.

Martin said he respects Flynn’s ability to explain his beliefs but acknowledged they’ve had their share of arguments.

“I’ve come to disagree with him plenty, and we argue all the time, but we’ll always have a conversation about it, and that conversation always feels very rigorous,” he said.

Flynn rejects the idea that his views – or the existence of a Turning Point chapter on campus – could cause harm.

“This idea is dangerous, that speech is violence,” he said. “What do you mean by ‘violence?’ Like, who exactly is being physically harmed? Could I kill somebody with my words? No. I just think that’s pretty wild.”

Flynn said he hopes to be seen as humble, gentle and a “warrior for the gospel.” He said he wants Turning Point’s presence to inspire courage across political lines.

“Courage is the first virtue,” he said. “You can’t have any of the rest without the courage. … Hopefully, people can be courageous and stand up for what they do. Otherwise, they’ll just be bystanders and then they’ll be guilty of whatever crimes occur in front of them, and that’s horrific.”

Elizabeth Pond is a staff writer at the Durango Herald.