This year, the College Republicans decided to neither endorse nor disavow the Republican nominee, Donald Trump. This was somewhat understandable to many of us; we would find it impossible to endorse anyone with any affiliation to us who assaulted women or engaged in disrespectful rhetoric as Trump did.
However, by refusing to disavow Trump, they have set themselves up in a similar position to many national Republicans — but without the private power of congressional negotiations to influence Trump for the better.
We recognize now in a post-election world, kind, thoughtful, principled Republican students have the chance to be some of the strongest and most influential young voices of opposition to Trump.
We hope the College Republicans will revert back to their previous statement on the President-elect’s egregious disrespect for women and will become a principled voice of dissent.
It is no secret that this board has historically disagreed with the College Republicans’ politics. Yet we genuinely ask that members of the College Republicans who see the dangers of a Trump presidency continue to hold him accountable.
We hope that our fellow Tar Heels in this organization will stand for a more principled, virtuous conservatism than this, especially since they’re the future of the Republican party. As an ideological college group, there is no reason they cannot speak openly.
If our democracy is to properly function, it is imperative that the more moderate Republicans are able to steer the party away from the hateful, meme-filled direction that it veered toward in 2016.
