The president of Turning Point USA’s chapter at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, says membership has stayed flat because students are afraid to join, citing harassment, spitting incidents and vandalized signs tied to the group’s activities.
“In general, a lot of students are afraid of being ostracized by their peers or … not being [accepted] — it’s a very minority group,” Chapter President Rachel Cook told Fox News Digital. “Being a conservative on campus or even having conservative-leaning beliefs is not a popular idea here. We have seen a lot of disrespect and not a lot of people who are open to having civil discussion and discourse.”
Cook took over the chapter to push for more ideological diversity at the college, saying it needs more balanced political dialogue. She described specific incidents targeting members and allied activists.
“An officer has gotten spit at when we table, and we have had people be harassed,” Cook said. “We work a lot with pro-life community members who come to campus and do their advocacy whenever we’re not able to stand with them. Even in these past couple of weeks, people have come up to them, ripped their signs and attempted to hit them. A lot of people choose not to press charges.”
The stagnant enrollment comes roughly a year after the student government’s decision to formally recognize the chapter triggered a fierce backlash on campus, much of it captured on video obtained by Fox News Digital.
David Peters, former chair of the La Plata County GOP and a retired Chevron executive, said the fallout from that fight is still shaping recruitment. “Their membership has been essentially flat. The issue is that a lot of students are reluctant to join the chapter for fear of retaliation,” Peters said.
Fort Lewis College disputes that any harassment has been formally reported this year. A college spokesperson said campus safety remains a top priority and that the school responds to all reported concerns. “Fort Lewis College has not received any reports this academic year involving harassment of members of the college’s TPUSA chapter. Fort Lewis College has a system in place for students to report negative experiences,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
How the chapter got here
Then-senior Jonah Flynn first pushed to establish a Fort Lewis TPUSA chapter. The Associated Students of Fort Lewis College student government initially rejected the proposal before reversing itself and approving the group during an emergency session. That vote drew immediate protest from opponents outside the meeting room. A campus police report put attendance at roughly 70 people, with verbal confrontations spilling into the building’s lobby.
The tension at Fort Lewis is playing out against a national backdrop of surging interest in TPUSA chapters following the Sept. 10, 2025, assassination of TPUSA co-founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. The organization says it has since fielded more than 120,000 inquiries from students looking to start local chapters.
Despite the friction, Cook says the Durango chapter is moving forward. “Our vision for this year is to really talk about policy coming up in Colorado that affects us as a community here,” she said. “We just finished up our vigil for Charlie Kirk, which was a beautiful memorial here at the college. We also have events planned for the Second Amendment — we are going shooting soon — and while a lot of things are still in planning, we’re really excited for everything to come this semester.”
