New Young Conservative Group Rallies Behind Vance’s Vision for GOP’s Future

A new conservative organization is betting the GOP’s path forward runs through its youngest members — and increasingly, Vice President J.D. Vance.American Ascent, a 501(c)(4) that launched Monday, plans to recruit and train a new generation of “America First” candidates to challenge the party’s aging leadership ahead of 2028. The group is led by Ryan Neuhaus, former chief of staff at the Heritage Foundation, and is backed by a network of Vance-aligned organizations, including Turning Point Action, the Claremont Institute, and the Oversight Project.“For too long, the Republican Party has relied on rerunning candidates over and over again,” Mr. Neuhaus told Politico. “The American people told us pretty clearly that they want to see younger, more energetic politicians leading in America, representing them. They want to feel closely connected to them, and American Ascent is going to accomplish that.”Mr. Neuhaus singled out the 42-year-old Vance alongside Representative Brandon Gill, of Texas, Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri, and Representative-elect Jace Yarbrough of Texas as figures who are “inspirational to the base,” according to Politico. The group’s strategy leans heavily on Mr. Vance’s brand of new-right populism, even as Mr. Neuhaus insisted the effort is not a “Vance political project.”That alignment extends to American Ascent’s financial backing. GOP megadonor Thomas Klingenstein is putting up an initial $12 million, continuing his support for Vance-adjacent causes like Andy Surabian’s American Leadership PAC. “America needs statesmen who understand we are fighting against an enemy that wants to destroy us,” Mr. Klingenstein said in a statement to Politico.American Ascent says on its website it’s time to get rid of the elderly Republicans who run the show and support a new wave of young politicians. “We believe many of these future statesmen already exist. Our task is to scout out the path, equip them for the journey, and elevate their achievements. We will unite these future statesmen, marshal them, give them a common purpose, and equip them with the messaging, relationships, and virtues they need to turn the temporary victories of the last decade into a permanent achievement for the next century,” the group says.The Ascent website does not mention President Trump.The creation of the new conservative organization comes as some college Republican groups are splintering. Rutgers University College Republicans President Andrew Joseph and Monmouth University College Republicans President Frank Dige said in a letter on Sunday their groups were leaving the New Jersey College Republicans (NJCR) over a disagreement about the College Republican Patriot Coalition (CRPC).“We reject affiliation with CRPC as a basis for excluding students from leadership,” the pair wrote in a “letter of succession.” “A statewide federation should support its chapters through cooperation, fair treatment, and respect for their independence. Our members should be able to organize and lead without their chosen associations becoming grounds for exclusion.”Chairman of the New York Federation of College Republicans Xavier Engelin also announced his group will no longer align with the College Republicans of America (CRA).“Recent events within both the Northeast region and national ecosystem has left me unconfident in the leadership of the Northeastern region of the College Republicans of America and the College Republicans of America itself,” he wrote. “Leading the New York Federation of College Republicans means giving the federation’s members and chapters the best opportunities and connections possible while protecting them from threats from within the state or outside, which has become significantly more difficult as members of the CRA in recent weeks.”In March, the campus College Republicans chapter at the University of Florida was disbanded after the Florida Federation of College Republicans accused its leadership of antisemitic conduct — a controversy that has reignited questions about who speaks nationally for young conservatives.That fight has impacted Mr. Vance’s orbit. Journalist Sloan Rachmuth, who flagged the antisemitism allegations that led to the UF chapter’s suspension, drew a public rebuke from Mr. Vance in November after she claimed Buckley Carlson, Tucker Carlson’s son and a Vance staffer, supported white nationalist Nick Fuentes, according to Politico.Supporters of American Ascent argue young voters — who shifted sharply toward Democrats in last week’s midterms — remain receptive to hardline immigration and America First messaging. “Republicans lost on the economy. They did not lose on the immigration agenda,” said Bradley Devlin, who will lead the group’s communications, per Politico.Jackson Hines, the group’s incoming vice president, put it more bluntly: “We watched a complete rebuke of the type of Republicans that were in Congress. Old ideas are for old people,” he said.

New Young Conservative Group Rallies Behind Vance’s Vision for GOP’s Future

New Young Conservative Group Rallies Behind Vance’s Vision for GOP’s Future

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