Which Ivy League Republican Clubs support Trump?

Harvard says no, Yale says yes. Where does your school stand?


For years, the Ivy League has been known as a hub of young political conservatism. After all, the majority of Ivy students throughout history have been rich, white men – a population that still overlaps heavily with the Republican Party.

But last week, the Harvard Republican Club made history by refusing to support this election’s GOP candidate, Donald Trump. And the following week, the Yale College Republicans announced its official endorsement of Trump.

While one club does not speak for an entire university, an official endorsement by a school’s Republican club does represent a significant political population of students within each community.

Curious to see where your school stands? Take a look below (listed in order of universities’ founding dates).

Harvard: Hell no

The oldest university in America made headlines when its Republican club released an official statement refusing to endorse Trump, calling him a “threat to the survival of the Republic,” and saying he lacks “the temperament and character necessary to lead the United States through an increasingly perilous world.” Here’s an except of their statement on Medium:

“Donald Trump holds views that are antithetical to our values not only as Republicans, but as Americans. The rhetoric he espouses – from racist slander to misogynistic taunts– is not consistent with our conservative principles, and his repeated mocking of the disabled and belittling of the sacrifices made by prisoners of war, Gold Star families, and Purple Heart recipients is not only bad politics, but absurdly cruel…

“He isn’t eschewing political correctness. He is eschewing basic human decency.”

Mic drop.

Yale: It’s complicated, but officially yes

Late last Sunday night, someone impersonated the Yale College Republicans on Twitter, claiming they were refusing to endorse Trump, like Harvard.

But the next day, the Yale Republican co-presidents responded with an official endorsement of Trump:

“While not every member of our organization supported Trump in the primary, as an organization and branch of the GOP we support Republicans up and down the ballot. And yes, that includes supporting Donald Trump for president. We remain dedicated to achieving victory in the White House, here in Connecticut, and in our hometowns.

“Come November, voters will make their individual choices. We will work from now until Election Day to support our party and welcome any Yale student into our organization who wishes to do the same.”

Penn: Unofficially no

The Republican Club of Trump’s alma mater has yet to release an official statement. When asked about the matter earlier this week, a Penn Republican responded: ‘We have not yet officially endorsed or denounced Donald Trump.”

But since then, ABC News quoted Matthew Shapiro, executive director of the club, saying: “Everybody hates Trump…People are almost embarrassed he went to our school. People love to say that he transferred here: ‘Oh, at least he didn’t start here.’”

Princeton: You do you

The Princeton College Republicans have decided not to take an official stance on Trump, encouraging instead each voter to decide for themselves who to vote for:

“At this time, the Princeton College Republicans are not taking a definitive position on Donald Trump’s candidacy. Like the above statement points out, we encourage people to vote for candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to Republican policies, the kind of policies that will improve the daily life of the average American…individual voters can and should determine for their own purposes if any given candidate (for President, Congress, or any other office) sufficiently supports those policies and is therefore worthy of their vote.”

Columbia: Quotes Trump

Columbia University College Republicans Facebook page

I’m going to take this as a yes?

Brown: No comment

The Brown University Republicans have yet to respond to inquiries on their Trump stance. For what it’s worth, their About page reads: “Kicking ass since 1897.”

Dartmouth: Trump as cover photo

Dartmouth College Republicans Facebook page

Even in the green overcast of this photo, Trump still remains remarkably orange.

Cornell: Conflicted

cornellsun.com

cornellsun.com

The Cornell Sun wrote the articles pictured above only two months apart. Granted, each article quotes different members of the Cornell Republican Club.

Still, the contrast between the two headlines represents a greater divide within the Republican party: those who choose to support Trump (however reluctantly) and those who refuse to do so (either by voting for Clinton, for a third-party candidate, or by not voting at all). While the lines may be blurred now, come November, the polls will show where the GOP majority stands.