College Republicans say conservative students mischaracterized, ‘met with hostility’
Conservative students at the University of Pennsylvania describe receiving “threats” and facing “alienation” when discussing their political views on campus.
The school’s College Republicans chapter told The Daily Pennsylvanian “that conservative students are becoming more reluctant to vocalize their support for Trump, ‘as open discussion is often met with hostility, alienation, or even threats,’” the school newspaper reported Thursday.
“The majority of Americans have voted for Trump, which speaks volumes about the concerns and needs they believe he addresses for all Americans—yet here on campus, many mischaracterize this choice with hyperbolic, misinformed rhetoric rather than seeking to understand it,” the group said in a written statement to the student newspaper.
The students also said conservatives on campus have been villainized “due to assumptions and accusations that they are ‘working against others’ rights.’”
“While President Trump was not my initial choice in the Republican primaries, and I do not align with all of his goals or beliefs, I saw him as the candidate best positioned to foster a thriving economy, project strength on the global stage, and prioritize American interests,” College Republicans President Peter Kapp told the newspaper.
Another student, freshman Jacques Papescu, said that while he was unable to vote, he would have supported Trump due to his concerns about economic, social, and national security.
He said many conservative students are afraid to speak up about their views as “people will sever ties simply over political beliefs.”
Similarly, college senior Isabella Corman told the newspaper students “can walk on this campus with a Harris-Walz hat, button, pin, sticker, backpack, and be admired and people would smile at you or … just ignore you.”
However, Corman said, if “you have a Republican ‘Make America Great [Again]’ hat on … you stick out like a sore thumb, and I think people would fear for the confrontations they would reach.”
The conservative student also said she was surprised by the number of UPenn students who voted for Trump in the election.
Still, 81.6 percent of on-campus votes on election day went to Kamala Harris, the newspaper reported. However, Harris received less student support than President Joe Biden and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2020 and 2016 elections, respectively.
The Daily Pennsylvanian conducted a survey prior to the election and found that for Democrat voters, abortion and threats to democracy were the top concerns. For Republican students, however, inflation and cost of living were their priorities.
The University of Pennsylvania was one of multiple Ivy League schools where faculty canceled classes over Trump’s victory.
Neuroscience Professor Michael Kaplan canceled his classes the day after the election “for his own well-being” and to adhere to his policy against political discussions during lectures. He said it seemed “ridiculous” to lecture without addressing the election, The College Fix previously reported.
Similarly, anthropology Professor Caroline Jones postponed an exam in response to numerous emails from students worried about focusing on their studies immediately after the election results.
MORE: UPenn works with Harris adviser’s group for voter outreach
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