While I am only 17 years old, I take my job as an American voter very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that I have decided to participate in the electoral process as the youngest delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2016. It is an exciting, yet daunting task, as my presence will give a voice to the millennial generation.
Without this millennial generation, the party will grow stagnant and cease to exist. That’s why young Republicans like me are trying to grow the Republican Party, but we cannot do it with Donald Trump.
Along with many other young Republicans, I was inspired by the likes of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and the principles of liberty. Principles such as limited government, fiscal responsibility, and a rational foreign policy resonate with us and inspire us. My generation believes these principles to be true, and we will continue to support and fight for them. More importantly, we will fight for and stand alongside the candidates who embody them.
We are your rallied activists — your door knockers, cold callers and envelope stuffers. We are able and ready to put in the work necessary to elect a candidate who is willing to fight for the principles of liberty. But one key issue remains: Donald Trump does not embody these principles.
Take a look at the polls, or rather walk around on a college campus, and you will see that Donald Trump is not the candidate who most young people wish to support. The reality television star turned politician is an opportunist at best. He says what is politically advantageous in the moment and stands on very little principle. As Trump’s true colors reveal themselves through his inconsistencies and falsehoods of true conservatism, it’s inevitable that his support will fade.
While Trump does not have a congressional voting record to examine, what he does have is a campaign based on inconsistencies and shiny objects. With regards to both domestic and foreign policies, he really doesn’t take any consistently principled stances at all.
From protecting the sanctity of life to protecting our second amendment rights, Trump has not taken a strong stance and has illustrated weakness leading up to the general election. He is not pro-liberty, especially in his support for mass surveillance and censorship of the media. These issues are critical to young people, and Trump lost my vote because of it.
