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Students for Trump
ChairmanCharlie Kirk
National ChairmanRyan Fournier
HeadquartersPhoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Mother partyRepublican Party
Websitetrumpstudents.org

Students for Trump (S4T) is an American group whose mission was to elect President Donald Trump. The group was founded in 2015 by two college students, Ryan Fournier and John Lambert. In July 2019, Charlie Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA, became chairman of Students for Trump.[1]

History

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Charlie Kirk, the group's chairman since July 2019

Students for Trump was founded in 2015 by Ryan Fournier and John Lambert, students at Campbell University in North Carolina, United States, who started tweeting positively about Donald Trump.[2] The Houston Chronicle reported that George Lombardi,[3] a New York City real estate developer and friend of Donald Trump who—among hundreds of Trump-supporting Facebook groups—had set up a "Students for Trump" Facebook group, acted as an advisor.[4] On August 6, 2015, Fournier and Lambert were impressed by then high schooler Alexander Chalgren, who appeared as a questioner on the first Fox News Republican primary debate.[5] Alexander asked a question of the candidates concerning ISIL, which was cited as the "most important" question of the evening. The question sparred an intense debate between then Mr. Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz. Students for Trump founders reached out to Mr. Chalgren via Instagram inquiring as to his political affiliation, and found him to be an early supporter of Donald Trump. After a brief interview and screening process, Chalgren was offered an integral early position within the organization as South Carolina Director, but eventually rose to the post of National Director. Mr. Chalgren is South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster's adopted cousin.[6] Alexander made his second debut onto the national scene in his This American Life interview with Zoe Chace in 2016.[7] According to the New York Times, Chalgren was the most famous young Trump supporter in America.[8]

Fournier's first television appearance for the organization was on TBS.[9] Students for Trump activities were highlighted in a BBC documentary, "Trump's Unlikely Superfans,"[10] and an NBC News exclusive titled "Students for Trump: Meet the Millennials Who Want Him to Win."[11] In 2016, the organization switched from a traditional campaign model with Regional, State, and Chapter coordinators, to a model with Campus Ambassadors that perform roles similar to that of a campaign field intern. In August 2016, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that the organization "had nearly 300 campus chapters and a bevy of social-media followers – 29,000 on Twitter, 59,000 on Instagram, thousands more on Facebook."[12]

James Allsup on air

The campaign however, had numerous problems before and after the election. In April 2016, a Students for Trump Florida chapter placed a "Make America Great Again" ball cap on a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. just days after the anniversary of his death, prompting widespread outrage.[13] Salon magazine reported that Ryan Fournier worked with white nationalists when he was head of Students for Trump.[14] Media Matters said that Fournier hired white nationalist James Allsup as director of the Campus Ambassador Program. Allsup was a member of the American Identity Movement and marched at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.[15][16]

By March 2017, following Trump's election as President of the United States, The College Fix reported that the organization's chapters had "largely disbanded or halted meetings."[17] In February 2018, The Daily Beast reported that Students for Trump had never correctly complied with making reports to the Federal Election Commission as a political action committee.[18] The FEC wrote nine letters to the organization requesting information about donors without response, but ultimately decided to take no action other than to warn the political action committee.[19]

On June 23, 2020, Students for Trump held their Arizona Convention at the Dream City church in Phoenix with featured speaker President Donald J. Trump. The event occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic that peaked in the region. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallegos said that masks would not be required for the event and officials of the Dream City church claimed that air ionizers would protect participants, despite the lack of evidence for its efficacy.[20][21][22]

Acquisition by Turning Point Action

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On July 2, 2019, Charlie Kirk, founder and CEO of Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action, reported that the latter had acquired Students for Trump along with "all associated media assets."[23] He became chairman and launched a campaign to recruit one million students for the 2020 Trump reelection campaign.[24] The unsuccessful effort led to TPUSA and the Trump campaign blaming each other for an overall decline in youth support for Trump.[25]

Later in July 2019, Fournier was invited to the White House to discuss liberal bias in social media.[26]

In 2023, Students for Trump are reclaiming their assets back from Turning Point Action. National Chairman Ryan Fournier wanted to keep the brand focused on Trump and disagreed with a proposed revenue route from Turning Point Action's COO Tyler Bowyer that would give a portion of donation money to social media influencers who aided in fund raising.[27]

Co-founders Fournier and Lambert

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Ryan Fournier

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The group's founder, Ryan Fournier

The organization's co-founder, Ryan Fournier, is from Long Branch, New Jersey.[28] Fournier became politically active following his volunteer work for the Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign.[28] Prior to launching Students for Trump, Fournier was involved in various local and state political campaigns within North Carolina.[28] Along with being the co-chairman of Students for Trump, Fournier also serves as the president of OpenPoll and xStrategies.[29]

In 2015, Fournier and John Lambert launched Students for Trump as a Twitter account while they were studying at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina.[30] Fournier graduated from Campbell University in May 2019 with a degree in political science.[31] He is also a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity, Zeta Psi chapter.[32] Fournier is a recipient of the Red Alert Politics 30 Under 30 Award.[32]

In July 2018, Fournier launched a boycott against Walmart for selling shirts labeled "Impeach 45," which resulted in the hashtag #BoycottWalmart trending on Twitter.[33] Walmart pulled the items from its online store, issuing the following statement: "These items were sold by third-party sellers on our open marketplace, and were not offered directly by Walmart. We're removing these types of items pending review of our marketplace policies."[33]

In November 2023, Fournier was arrested and charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of assault on a female, as he allegedly grabbed his girlfriend by her right arm and pistol whipped her.[34][35]

John Lambert

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Lambert, a Tennessee native, was arrested in Tennessee in April 2019 on federal charges of wire fraud for posing online as a corporate and patent lawyer from 2016 to 2018, swindling consumers and businesses out of more than $46,000.[4][36] He pleaded guilty in 2019 and signed a plea deal in 2019 whereby he will forfeit $46,654 and not appeal any sentence of up to 21 months of imprisonment.[37][38] In May 2021, he was sentenced to 13 months in prison.[39]

Projects

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"Trump Wall" events

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On May 9, 2016, a group of students at the University of Washington constructed an 8'x10' "Trump Wall" out of plywood and lumber in the center of the Red Square courtyard. The event, led by UW College Republicans president Jessie Gamble, UW Students for Trump president Chevy Swanson, and S4T senior advisor James Allsup, lasted for approximately an hour and a half, and was met with 10 Trump supporters and over 100 protestors.[40] The wall was painted with a brick design, with "Trump Wall" written on it. At one point, a student attempted to scale the wall. Shortly after this, the organizers were asked by the University Police to take the wall down, which they did.[41] Portland State University Students for Trump, a group unaffiliated with the S4T national organization, hosted a similar event on June 10, 2016.[42]

References

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  1. ^ Singman, Brooke (July 2, 2019). "Charlie Kirk launches GOTV campaign to enlist 1 million 'Students for Trump' in 2020". Fox News. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  2. ^ Glum, Julia (December 1, 2015). "Students For Trump: Meet The Millennials Helping The Donald Nab The Youth Vote". International Business Times. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  3. ^ Vinocur, Nicholas (December 5, 2016). "Donald Trump's European fixer … is his neighbor". Politico. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Schreckinger, Ben (May 9, 2019). "He Founded 'Students for Trump.' Now He Could Face Jail Time for Impersonating a Lawyer". Politico. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  5. ^ "Annotated transcript: The Aug. 6 GOP debate". The Washington Post. August 6, 2015.
  6. ^ Peoples, Steve (June 26, 2018). "Henry McMaster, backed by Trump, wins South Carolina governor primary". PBS. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  7. ^ "That's One Way to Do It". This American Life. February 19, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  8. ^ Denizet-Lewis, Benoit (January 11, 2019). "For Gay Conservatives, the Trump Era is the Best and Worst of Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  9. ^ Baddour, Dylan (March 25, 2016). "Trump's teen fans take grass-roots campaign online". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  10. ^ Field, Chloe (January 20, 2017). "Student Gets First-Person View of Trump's Inauguration". College of Charleston. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  11. ^ "Students for Trump: Meet the Millennials Who Want Him to Win". NBC News. March 15, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  12. ^ Brown, Sarah (August 2, 2016). "Meet the Young Republicans Who Founded 'Students for Trump'". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  13. ^ Silverstein, Jason (April 11, 2016). "'Students for Trump' group posts photo of Martin Luther King statue wearing 'Make America Great Again' hat on University of South Florida campus". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  14. ^ Rozsa, Matthew (July 11, 2019). "Trump's "social media summit" is a haven for far-right fringe figures". Salon. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  15. ^ "James Orien Allsup". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  16. ^ Kaplan, Alex (July 9, 2019). "Here are the extremist figures going to the White House social media summit". Media Matters. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  17. ^ Critchfield, Kaitlynn (March 15, 2017). "Students for Trump goes into hibernation, leaving campus chapters without direction". The College Fix. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  18. ^ Markay, Lachlan (February 27, 2018). "Pro-Trump College Group Won't Tell the Feds What the Hell It's Doing". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  19. ^ Markay, Lachlan (February 27, 2018). "Pro-Trump College Group Won't Tell the Feds What the Hell It's Doing". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  20. ^ KTAR.com (June 22, 2020). "Phoenix Mayor Gallego: Mask policy won't be enforced at Trump event". KTAR.com. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  21. ^ Diaz, Elvia. "Problem solved? The Arizona church hosting a Trump rally claims it can kill COVID-19". www.azcentral.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  22. ^ Abbruzzese, Jason; Chow, Denise; Hillyard, Vaughn (June 23, 2020). "Can air filtration stop coronavirus at a Trump rally in Phoenix? Experts doubt it". NBC News. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  23. ^ "Turning Point Action Launches 2020 Expansion, Acquires 'Students for Trump'". Students For Trump. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  24. ^ Singman, Brooke (July 2019). "Charlie Kirk launches GOTV campaign to enlist 1 million 'Students for Trump' in 2020". Fox News. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  25. ^ Orr, Gabby (November 27, 2020). "Blame game erupts over Trump's decline in youth vote". Politico. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  26. ^ Jackson, David; Wu, Nicholas; Collins, Michael (July 11, 2019). "'We have terrible bias': Donald Trump rails against conservative censorship on social media". USA Today. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  27. ^ "Charlie Kirk's right-wing empire loses a key asset: Students for Trump". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  28. ^ a b c Katz, Celeste (June 2, 2016). "Meet the 20-Year-Old Mastermind Behind Students For Trump". Yahoo. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  29. ^ "Ryan Fournier". Official Website of Ryan Fournier. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  30. ^ Brown, Sarah (August 2, 2016). "Meet the Young Republicans Who Founded 'Students for Trump'". Yahoo. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  31. ^ Fournier, Ryan. "Fournier Graduation Photo". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  32. ^ a b Buswell, Brent (November 5, 2017). "Fournier Named to Red Alert Politics 30 under 30". Kappa Alpha Order Journal.
  33. ^ a b Stump, Scott (July 3, 2018). "Walmart selling 'Impeach 45' apparel sparks online outrage, calls for boycott". Today. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  34. ^ Rosen, Jacob; Linton, Caroline (November 29, 2023). "Ryan Fournier, students for Trump co-founder, arrested on assault charges". CBS News. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  35. ^ Helmore, Edward (November 29, 2023). "Students for Trump founder arrested, accused of striking girlfriend with gun". The Guardian. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  36. ^ Newsham, Jack (April 17, 2019). "Feds Bust Phony Lawyer Whose Website Cribbed From Cravath". New York Law Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  37. ^ Casiano, Louis (August 7, 2019). "Students for Trump co-founder pleads guilty to $46,000 fraud scheme". Fox News. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  38. ^ Brown, Stephen Rex (August 6, 2019). "Students for Trump founder pleads guilty to posing as lawyer in $46K scam". nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  39. ^ "Founder of 'Students for Trump' Gets Time Behind Bars for Posing as Lawyer, Scamming 'Clients'". May 11, 2021.
  40. ^ "The UW Trump Movement Is a Perfect Microcosm of the Donald's Ridiculous Campaign". Seattle Weekly. May 20, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  41. ^ Long, Katherine (May 9, 2016). "College students erect 'Trump wall' at University of Washington". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  42. ^ "PSU 'Students for Donald Trump' group builds wall at rally". KATU. June 10, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
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