Chairman Ryan Fournier (NC) Spokesperson Sarah Hagmayer (NJ) Mother party Republican Party | Treasurer Hayley Hall (NC) Headquarters Raleigh, NC | |
Vice-Chairman John Lambert (leader) (TN) | ||
Students for Trump (S4T) is an American non-profit political organization whose stated mission is to "see that Donald Trump is elected as the next President of the United States and that the Republican Party is placed back into power in Washington." The group was founded in 2015 by Ryan Fournier and John Lambert (leader), students at Campbell University in North Carolina, United States.
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The organization hires Campus Ambassadors at college and high school campuses across the country, and encourages chapters to participate in on-campus advocacy, host events, and persuade students to vote for Donald Trump. Currently, the organization reports that it has over 5,000 volunteers, 280 chapters, and over 13,000 vote pledges.
History
The organization was founded in 2015 by Ryan Fournier and John Lambert (leader), students at Campbell University in North Carolina, United States.
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.
Organizational structure
The following people comprise the organization's national leadership team:
In addition to the national team, the group has Campus Ambassadors on 280 college campuses across the country as of July 20, 2016.
The Chalkening
In March and April 2016, college students at universities across the United States used chalk to write slogans in support of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The event was publicized on Twitter by Dan Scavino and the Students for Trump official account.
The event, and ensuing student reaction, led to DePaul University to ban the use of chalk on campus property.
"Trump Wall" events
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 an approximately an hour and a half, and was met with ten Trump supporters and over 100 protestors.
The wall was painted with a brick design, with "Trump Wall" written in gold paint, and "Blues Lives Matter" and "Make America Great Again" written in blue. 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.
Portland State University Students for Trump, a group unaffiliated with the S4T national organization, hosted a similar event on June 10, 2016. The wall was smaller at this event, and beforehand organizers announced on Facebook that “Mexico and Black Lives Matter are going to need help paying for the wall so we’ll be holding a collection.”
Controversy
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. This caused a wide array of social media attacks towards the organization.