A MAGA takeover over the College Republicans is finally underway as different state chapters join a new federation centered around America First principles.
College Republicans of America (CRA) announced that eight additional states, including Michigan, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Indiana and Delaware, have broken away from the College Republican National Committee (CRNC) and joined their ranks. This has come after a six-year protracted battle between the different factions, but it appears the CRA has finally come out on top.
The CRNC has grown unpopular because of its unwillingness to stand with President Trump throughout the past decade. As a result the College Republicans have waned in influence, being replaced by groups like Turning Point USA that have been more accepting of the MAGA influence on the conservative movement. CRNC leadership has frequently alienated their base and policed its ranks based on political correctness and appeasing the Left on campuses.
The CRNC’s former chairman, Chandler Thornton, penned an op/ed in Fox News where he stated that white supremacy was the biggest problem in the modern Republican Party, citing the virulently communist Anti-Defamation League’s statistics in making his case. Thornton bragged about witch hunting for the white supremacist boogeyman in College Republican chapters throughout the nation.
The previous CRNC Chair, Alexandria Smith, threw President Trump under the bus after the infamous Access Hollywood leaks were dropped shortly before the 2016 election: Smith tweeted the following: “The Party of Lincoln is not a locker room, and there is no place for people who think it is. Definitely not with her, but not with him.” After Trump overcame this dirty trick and won the 2016, that same anti-Trump attitude continued to persist within the CRNC.
It was this long-standing culture of RINOism that caused individual chapters to revolt. The CRA has been most adept at tapping into this anger toward the College Republican establishment and organizing a counter structure that will stand for the America First values that are embodied in today’s Republican Party. State chapters disaffected with the CRNC have taken notice, and CRA is now an unrivaled force within the College Republican movement nationwide.
“Today we celebrate a powerful act of unity in the College Republican family. Our purpose has always been to bring conservative students together and equip them to lead. With 280 active CRA chapters – roughly four times NFCR and CRNC’s combined footprint – we represent the clear majority of College Republicans nationwide,” said CRA founder Will Donahue in a press release.
The CRA hopes to receive recognition from the Republican National Committee (RNC) as the official College Republicans affiliate of the GOP now that they have overtaken the CRNC and other competitor organizations.
The battle for the future of the College Republicans is emblematic of the different fights that are currently going on at all levels of the Republican Party. In every precinct, county, district and state, there is a battle going on to shape the trajectory of the Republican Party. There is a nationwide America First insurgency that is chipping away at the old guard to achieve the institutional renewal of the GOP.
The America First troops have the numbers, but the RINOs have the institutional knowledge and know all of the procedural tricks to be able to cling onto power. They want to keep their titles and soak up whatever prestige and benefits that comes with it. The RINOs hope that by being unfair that they can drive the America First forces away. The America First contingent cannot let that happen. The pro-Trump forces cannot settle for anything less than total victory.
What the CRA has demonstrated is that even when there is an organization that refuses to change and will not budge with the times, it is possible to outcompete them. Building alternative organizations that can supplant the old ones is a method that can yield positive results. It involves hard work and determination, but it will ultimately pay off as it has now with the CRA overtaking the CRNC.
The work that goes on behind the scenes in the trenches will craft the foundation for the America First movement beyond Trump. Now is the time to get in the fight. Regardless of your age or background, there is a battle going on where you can be useful. As Tip O’Neill once said, “All politics is local.” There is much truth in that maxim. Get involved, get organized and make a difference for future generations.
