Barron Trump's presence at New York University has contributed to a significant rise in College Republican Club memberships nationwide.
The New York Post reported that Trump's reelection campaign has led to a doubling of memberships in College Republican Clubs at various universities, including NYU.
At NYU's Stern School of Business, where Barron Trump, a freshman, is currently enrolled, there has been a notable surge in interest in the College Republican Club.
Initially, curiosity about Barron sparked this interest, but the political climate has sustained it.
According to Kaya Walker, the club president, membership has skyrocketed from about five to 40 members during her tenure. "Interest was piqued initially by the fact that Barron Trump had matriculated as a student at our business school, but the election motivated a lot of people to act," Walker stated.
Walker further noted that Barron Trump himself is not a member of the club, although there is high interest in his participation. "It’s more curiosity than anything. People would come up to us and ask us, ‘Oh, is Barron in the club?'” she explained.
Despite Barron's high profile, Walker expresses sympathy for him, describing his experience on campus as being under a microscope. "He’s kind of watched like a zoo animal. He’s kind of hard to miss. People post pictures of him in class on their Instagram Story, and I think that’s really strange," she said.
This trend is not isolated to NYU. Other universities such as Penn State and the University of Michigan also report significant increases in their College Republican Club memberships.
The University of Michigan, home to the oldest College Republican Club in the country, now boasts 445 members, about half as many as its Democratic counterpart. Similarly, UNC’s club membership surged from 120 to 250 in just two months.
At Babson College, the club size has also doubled over the semester, reaching 73 members, reflecting a broader acceptance and visibility of conservative students on campuses.
Conservative students are increasingly visible and active, a shift from the traditionally liberal-leaning campus environments. This visibility is often marked by students wearing MAGA hats and participating openly in conservative activities.
Tristin Kilgore, a club member, comments on the changing attitudes, "The amount of people who are willing to go out there and support President Trump and to be vocal about being a conservative in general is so much higher." Kilgore also reflected on his high school years, noting the challenges faced by conservative students then.
Alexander Richmond, another club member, believes that college campuses are moving away from their left-wing cultural biases. "On college campuses, people are rejecting the status quo of what we would normally think is the [left-wing] culture and bias on campus," Richmond stated.
With the political winds shifting, club members are optimistic about the future of conservatism on their campuses. "This election made a lot of people more optimistic about the future of conservatism in general, I think, although [our] presence on a liberal academic campus like NYY is still generally looked down upon," Walker shared.
Richmond also predicts a continued increase in club memberships. "I think that in the coming months, especially with the new presidency, we’re going to see much greater membership," he anticipated.
Matthew Trott, another club member, highlighted the increased involvement, "People are getting more involved now that they’re realizing we’re not just three guys with a thick pair of glasses sitting in a corner of the room."
Neko Kady, a club member at Babson College, speaks to the enthusiasm within the club. "I don’t think there are many anti-Trump, Lincoln Project-type Republicans on campus," Kady mentioned. "I would say the vast majority of our club is jumping with joy."
Kady also noted the increased visibility of Republican sentiments on campus. "There is definitely an increase in pro-Republican sentiment like we even had kids walking around with MAGA hats in the library," he observed.
