The University of Wisconsin’s chapter of College Republicans Monday officially endorsed Republican nominee Donald Trump for president.
In a statement, the organization said while they don’t agree with every statement Trump makes or every policy he has proposed, they will support him as the Republican nominee.
College Republicans Chairman Alex Walker said it is important to stand with the Republican nominee just as many elected officials in Wisconsin and Americans across the country have done.
Other College Republican chapters in the country, however, have chosen not to endorse Trump. Earlier in the summer, Harvard University’s chapter announced for the first time in 128 years, they would not endorse the Republican nominee.
Serving as the chairman not only to Madison’s College Republicans chapter, but also to the state of Wisconsin’s chapter, Walker said he has had the opportunity to meet and speak with hundreds of other College Republicans chairs from across the country. He said he found that despite some chapters making the news for not endorsing Trump, an overwhelming majority have chosen to support the Republican nominee.
“I don’t think it’s an issue for chapters that decided not to [endorse Trump]. If they decided not to, then that’s their decision,” Walker said. “But, the overwhelming majority of CR chapters and members across the country have endorsed and support our candidate.”
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Despite the controversial rhetoric Trump has employed in his campaign, Walker said the decision was met with overwhelming support from the executive board and general members.
As the organization stated in their press release that they don’t want to dissuade any members who may disagree with the decision, they will focus on promoting inclusivity through other events throughout the year.
“Our events are not tailored around our nominee, ” Walker said. “We have Sen. Ron Johnson, Speaker Ryan, Gov. Walker —there are all kinds of activities we participate in that don’t involve campaigning for a single candidate.”
Likewise, College Republicans has always welcomed students with conservative ideals regardless of if they support Trump or not, Walker added.
But as the election cycle moves forward, so will College Republican’s support for their respective nominee.
“For us, it wasn’t a difficult decision because we understand that a Hillary Clinton presidency is something that millions of Americans can’t afford,” Walker said.
