By Ben St. Clair

Like voters across the country, Fordham’s College Republicans are torn. In March, an email from then President Sebastian Albrecht, FCRH ’17, to current and prospective club members described members’ concerns with the possible nomination of Donald J. Trump.

“Many of our club members have approached me, saying that they cannot support Trump in the general election and would rather vote for Hillary Clinton,” wrote Albrecht at the time.

Now with Mr. Trump’s nomination in July and just under seven weeks before the election, the club’s executive board must decide whether or not to endorse Mr. Trump’s campaign. According to conversations with three of the four members, the board is divided in their support of Mr. Trump and over whether or not to issue an endorsement.

“While the e-board remains split in our personal opinions about this election year, I believe that we will agree to put forth a vote to our club to determine an endorsement,” said Colton Hillman, GSB ’19 and treasurer of the club.

Albrecht, who now works as the volunteer director for the state of New York for libertarian presidential candidate and former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, recalled that only a few of the clubs’ members were supporting Trump when he sent that email last year.

Since then, the attitudes of club members have changed. According to club vice president Matt Johnson, FCRH ’17, an informal vote during the club’s first meeting revealed that approximately half of those who attended planned to vote for Mr. Trump.

Hillman, who said he has supported Trump since December, said he had he brought up the issue during a College Republicans executive board meeting earlier this semester. “Trump’s the nominee; we should vote for Trump,” Hillman said in an interview. “We need to be united.”

Former club President Luke Zaro, FCRH ’16, could not recall if the club had endorsed a candidate during the 2012 election, when he served as a freshman liaison.

Current College Republicans President Robert Gray, FCRH ’17, declined to comment for this article, but Gray has recently been critical of Mr. Trump on his Facebook page.

“Trump is absolutely doomed and the GOP needs to cut its losses now and re-direct all available resources to saving what is left of our down-ballot,” Gray wrote in a Sept. 13 post.

According to a review by The Fordham Ram, the club’s constitution does not stipulate how it would endorse a candidate. But members of the executive board said that the process would involve a vote of members present at one of the club’s meetings — after the executive board came to a consensus.

Johnson said he remains hesitant to move forward with the endorsement process. Both he and Secretary Sebastian Balasov, GSB ’18, expressed concern over the possible response from Fordham’s administration, citing the school’s reaction in 2012 when the club attempted to bring conservative commentator Ann Coulter on campus.

“We all know that Trump has said some very controversial things in the past, some things that may not align with ‘Fordham’s Jesuit values,’” Balasov said in an email.

The proposed Coulter event generated controversy among the student body, with 2,100 people signing an online petition in opposition. In a statement on Nov. 9, 2012, Reverend Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, did not forbid the club from hosting Ms. Coulter, but expressed concern with the club’s invitation.

“To say that I am disappointed with the judgment and maturity of the College Republicans, however, would be a tremendous understatement,” McShane wrote in the statement at the time.

The controversy generated national and local news coverage and eventually led to an impeachment hearing for two executive board members, according to Zaro. The final vote fell short of impeachment, Zaro said.

“It certainly wasn’t a great moment for the club in any respect,” Zaro told The Fordham Ram in a recent interview.
In an interview, Albrecht said his main goal during the Republican primary earlier this year had been to maintain the club’s unity.

In an effort not to exclude members, Albrecht said he did not consider endorsing a candidate. “It was always the most important thing to keep the club together,” he said.

Albrecht said he now worries that an endorsement could lead to conflict among the club’s members, and he commended Gray for his handling of what he considered a “difficult situation.”

Both Johnson and Balasov, though, said they doubt the club will move forward with the endorsement process. Club member and supporter of Trump Paul Ingrassia, FCRH ’17, also does not think an endorsement is likely.

“While I strongly urge the club to swallow their pride and support Trump, realistically I do not believe this is going to happen,” Ingrassia said in an email last week.

But Hillman plans to push for a vote. “I’ll make sure they do [call a vote],” he said in an interview. “We can’t be afraid to say we like Trump.”

Regardless of whether or not the club moves to endorse Trump, Johnson and Balasov said they hope to maintain a welcoming atmosphere at meetings this semester.

“We’re trying to be as neutral as possible,” Johnson said of the executive board’s attitude. Added Balasov, “We welcome all types of discussion.”

Fordham’s other partisan political club, the College Democrats, plan to endorse a candidate this election, according to club President Thomas Palumbo, FCRH ’17, who said that he anticipates the club will back the Democratic nominee and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

For the College Republicans, this election cycle remains different from the last presidential election. “It was pretty much assumed that the Republicans were for Romney,” Zaro said in an interview.

At least one e-board member wishes this election were similar. “I would much prefer this to be a 2012,” Johnson said.