St. Mary’s Turning Point hosts Fox News contributor Joey Jones
After years of fighting for approval from administration, the Saint Mary’s College Republican Club started a Turning Point USA chapter this school year. As an inaugural event, Saint Mary’s Turning Point welcomed retired Marine Corps veteran, author, and Fox News host, Johnny Joey Jones to Regina Hall for a lecture on November 20.
Turning Point USA is a conservative non-profit organization founded by the political activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September. Its mission is to “identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.”
According to Saint Mary’s TPUSA chapter president Macy Gunnell, the effort to start a TPUSA chapter began in 2021 when then-freshman Claire Gorlich (née Bettag) applied for permission. She was denied after the college raised concerns about TPUSA’s views, which they described as “hateful” and “bigoted.” The College Republican’s club at St. Mary’s continued to meet and applied for a chapter every semester. Each request was either rejected or ignored.
Tensions rose in 2023 when the college announced it would admit biological men who identified as women as students. Conservative students at St. Mary’s, led by Gorlich and Gunnell, publicly pushed back against the decision. Although the college eventually reversed its decision in December, Dean of Students Gloria Jenkins sent an email to Gorlich criticizing TPUSA for its position on transgenderism and LGBTQ+ issues. As the Daily Signal reported, Jenkins wrote: “We decided we could not formally underwrite any programming that uses their name. The content of Turning Point USA’s messaging around LGBTQ+ issues do not align with the mission and values of Saint Mary’s.”
The chapter was finally approved by Saint Mary’s a few months ago after Gunnell resubmitted the application following the September assassination of the organization’s founder, Charlie Kirk.
Gunnell told the Rover, “After four years of fighting for recognition on campus, conservative[s] at Saint Mary’s have finally been liberated from the chains of progressive censorship through the recent approval of the Turning Point USA chapter. There was no better way to celebrate than to bring my friend and Fox News host Joey Jones to share his patriotic, empowering story of overcoming adversity.”
Jones served as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) technician in Iraq and Afghanistan for eight years. In 2010, he was severely injured by an improvised explosive device, resulting in the loss of both legs above the knee, damage to his right forearm, and injuries to both wrists. After recovery, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and began working in veteran advocacy.
Jones later became a media contributor, joining Fox News as a commentator and hosting programs on Fox Nation. A New York Times bestselling author, Jones’ works focus on his experiences as an EOD technician and addresses veterans’ issues, military policy, and support for service members and first responders.
Turning Point USA partnered with the Leadership Institute, a conservative non-profit organization, to host Jones’ lecture on the “American Military under the Trump Administration.”
Jones shared his life story during the lecture, describing his childhood in the industrial textile town of Dalton, Georgia and his service as an EOD until he was wounded while on deployment in Afghanistan.
Jones shared the emotional impact of his suffering, along with the pain of losing his comrade Daniel Greer, who sustained fatal injuries in the explosion. The veteran shared the importance of finding and maintaining hope even in the worst situations, inviting the audience to reflect on the importance of serving others, even those with whom they disagree.
Jones said, “The people in this country are worth serving, they are worth giving up something I care about, my time and life, so they get something out of it, to help someone else. We are a part of this country that is so unique and beautiful, that it is in our DNA as Americans that when we see someone fall, we go to pick them back up and encourage them to walk again.”
Gunnell wrote to the Rover, “Despite being hosted and sponsored by politically conservative organizations, there should be nothing controversial about this event. He came to shed light on everything we are so privileged to have as young women growing up in this great nation. No matter where students fall on the political spectrum, we remain bound by something far greater than our differences: our shared identity as American citizens and the patriotism that identity demands.”
Five protesters stood outside the TPUSA event at Regina Hall, holding signs saying, “Hate never made a country great,” and “Destroying families won’t make your eggs cheaper.”
In response, Vice President of Saint Mary’s TPUSA, Elysia Morales wrote, “While I may disagree with some of their viewpoints, I’m still genuinely glad that they showed up. I don’t have to agree with everything someone says, but I will always defend their right to be heard. Next time though, I encourage them to come inside and participate with us. We have worked so hard to be present and heard on campus, and that means we can never silence someone else. Period.”
In a Letter to the Editor of the Observer, senior Saint Mary’s student Sarabeth Spencer criticized the presence of TPUSA on campus, calling the organization “incompatible with SMC values.” She wrote, “Welcoming TPUSA as an official presence on campus is no less than a slap in the face to the Sisters who founded us, the women who this institution continues to educate and empower, and our Catholic call to justice and unconditional love for all.”
One Saint Mary’s junior, speaking under the condition of anonymity for fear of backlash from professors, praised the opening event, telling the Rover, “It was so exciting to have such a prominent political figure like Joey Jones speak to students and share his inspiring story. My favorite part of his speech was his response, ‘thank you for being worth serving,’ which he says every time someone thanks him for his service. It’s something I will never forget.”
Lydia Poe, a Saint Mary’s senior, wrote to the Rover, “Personally, it means a lot that conservative speakers are finally being brought to campus. Seeing this club finally approved and able to host large-scale events like this, really is an accomplishment. It opens the door for more balanced dialogue on campus and I’m genuinely proud of every student and alumna who kept showing up, speaking up, and stayed true to their values in the middle of an unpredictable administration.
Poe continued, “Hosting Joey Jones at Saint Mary’s feels like a real turning point in the campus climate. Getting this club officially recognized has taken years of persistence from students, so attending this event, with a standing-room-only crowd, shows there’s a genuine hunger for conservative voices, or at least for fresh, honest dialogue.”
Sienna Stephens is a freshman from Cleveland, Ohio studying secondary education and English. Reach out to her with questions or comments at sstephens01@saintmarys.edu.
Photo Credit: Turning Point USA at Saint Mary’s, ND Instagram
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