Oliver Krvaric, president of the San Diego State group, said a split exists between establishment Republicans and the next generation.
Krvaric, 21, a senior studying international security and conflict resolution, said he'd rather the group focus less on helping conservative students land political jobs, a traditional role for College Republican groups, and instead work to wage the "culture war." For instance, although he wouldn't say where he stood on issues such as same-sex marriage, he said generally men and women are better suited for different roles. Many group members oppose abortion rights and hold hard-line views on immigration.
Ronnau said he is unconcerned that the San Diego chapter's views could be seen as reflective of the federation as a whole.
We want to let clubs operate kind of more or less the way they see fit, Ronnau said. San Diego State is much farther to the right than other clubs in our state federation, but we all coexist together.
Ronnau doesnt expect a return to the era of Republicanism that would be familiar to the Mitt Romney- or John McCain-types. He said many young people support the president, and more young people will step up to push the right-wing populist agenda.
Kirk and his fellow Republicans used to be some of the most vocal conservative voices on college campuses. But some young Republicans view him as too moderate.
Jeremiah Childs, vice president for the College Republican group at the University of Maine, pushes an America first agenda that's unabashedly Trumpian in support of strict immigration policies. The group often posts criticism of Democratic presidential hopefuls and support for gun rights and the military.
He said groups such as Turning Point spend too much time talking about economic issues rather than cultural ones, such as the anti-abortion movement. Childs said he worries about the rise of concepts such as nontraditional gender roles and third-wave feminism.
In October, the group posted a message on Facebook in support of Columbus Day, describing some Native American tribes as corrupted by rampant ritual sacrifice and cannibalism. The post generated backlash. Childs said that the intent was not to rile and that he didn't think Native Americans in the area cared about the controversy over Columbus Day.
An indigenous student group protested the post, according to Inside Higher Education. A tribal ambassador of the Penobscot Nation told an NBC affiliate she was in favor of stripping Columbus' name from the holiday, calling him a "war criminal."
Childs said the outrage was the result of "left-wing activists."
The College Republicans at the University of Maine recently also came under fire for their plans to bring in Malkin. The hotel hosting the event pulled out, but the students found a new venue, Childs said.
The group's adviser resigned after the students invited Malkin. Dan Demeritt, spokesman for the University of Maine, said the club isn't official without one. Childs said they have candidates lined up.
Malkin supports Nicholas Fuentes, a far-right writer. Though he said he is not a white nationalist, he attended the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a gathering of white nationalists. Counterprotester Heather Heyer was killed after James Alex Field drove a car into a crowd of anti-racist demonstrators.
Fuentes has joked the Holocaust didnt happen. His fans have coordinated attempts to heckle speakers from Turning Point USA and another conservative group, the Young America Foundation, according to the Daily Beast.
Childs said his group does not endorse Fuentes and is not associated with him.
The Maine group posted a poll featuring Kirk of Turning Point USA, whom Childs described as a Country Club Republican, and Fuentes.
The major question, the Maine students wrote, seems to be should the Republican Party move towards 'Nationalism/America First,' or towards 'Libertarianism' with a softer approach towards social issues and immigration? In the students poll, Fuentes represented the first option, Kirk the second. Eighty-two percent of the 5,200 who voted went with Fuentes, the rest for Kirk. (These types of internet polls can be easily gamed, especially by young digital natives.)
Childs said he doesnt think conservative critics understand the circumstances of poor and rural Americans. He said they probably come from prosperous backgrounds.
Childs' sentiment reiterates what many of these young conservatives say about each other: They just dont get it.