The leaders of ASU College Republicans signed a letter published on Jan. 15 urging national, state and local Republican leaders for a change of course within the party.
The letter was written in response to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, a riot that resulted from rhetoric by former President Donald Trump and many other Republican leaders.
"If we are to remain a party committed to the preservation of liberty and our constitutional republic, these dangerous and radical elements must not be at the helm of our party," the letter stated.
Written by Gen Z GOP, over 100 young Republicans have signed the letter, including Joe Pitts and Clay Robinson, the president and vice president of College Republicans, respectively.
"We weren't happy, to say the least, (about) what happened on Jan. 6 and the strain (it placed) on our country, as we think we've got to correct course (within) the conservative movement," said Pitts, a sophomore studying business.
Robinson, a sophomore studying economics and civic and economic thought and leadership, recognizes that the moment for change within his party is now.
"It was kind of a tipping point for me," Robinson said. "If something is going to change, we have to stand up and do something about it — we just can't let this keep happening in our own party."
Pitts and Robinson, who both traveled to Georgia with College Republicans and other young conservatives to campaign for Republican Senate candidates in the run-off election, were in the air when the insurrection occurred.
READ MORE: ASU College Republicans sends students to Georgia for runoff elections
"We checked our phones and we're like, 'what the heck is going on,'" Pitts said. "I landed in Phoenix that night, and I remember looking at (Robinson) and we were just like 'damn.' It was almost a state of shock."
Robinson described a feeling similar to Pitts'.
"My initial reaction was just kind of utter shock that something like this would happen on American soil," Robinson said. "Then (it) kind of molded into feelings of frustration and anger at the party that I worked so hard for in terms of volunteering and campaigning and everything."
Despite condoning his actions, College Republicans endorsed Trump back in September, and both Pitts and Robinson voted for him.
"We are a Republican organization ... we're clearly not going to endorse a Democrat in the general election," Pitts said.
For Robinson, he personally plans to leave the endorsement of Trump in the past.
"We're probably not too concerned about reconsidering that endorsement, only because our focus now is 2022," Robinson said. "We have different priorities now."
Still, Pitts expressed his disappointment with Trump.
"I think what really reasserted for me was (that) character matters," Pitts said.
On Jan. 23, the Arizona GOP voted to censure some of the state's top Republicans — Gov. Doug Ducey, former Sen. Jeff Flake and Cindy McCain.
Ducey was censured for his COVID-19 policies, which the Arizona GOP has criticized for being too restrictive, while Flake and McCain were censured for not agreeing with some outspoken Trump policies or rhetoric. The censures overall represent a growing schism within the Republican party.
In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, Ducey said it is an "action of very little consequence."
The students who signed onto the letter hope it could signal a change in the GOP, especially young Republicans everywhere.
"I think it's a wake up call for our generation, young people like me, this is what we're going to inherit, and we have the opportunity to change the direction and I think it's really needed," Robinson said.
One of the changes that Pitts hopes to see is the GOP having a clearer platform.
"Republicans (have) got to run for something, we can't just keep running against something," Pitts said. "I think many people felt the same way in 2020, when the GOP basically said we're not going to do a new platform, our platform is the President's achievements."
Going into the future, College Republicans is looking toward more policy focused platforms, specifically health care, climate change and racial inequality.
"We can't stop ignoring health care, we can't just keep ignoring climate change and the environment," Pitts said.
Robinson spoke specifically about the Green New Deal and climate change.
"All our responses are 'that's really bad,' and then we never come up with anything else, so I think it's up to use to offer the alternative," Robinson said. "Climate change is here, it's real and I think it's something that we need to recognize."
In the end, they are hoping for change within the Republican party, and hope that the younger generation will follow that change.
"I know many people in my generation who are conservative don't see what is happening right now as sustainable, nor do we see it as moral and upright," Pitts said.
Reach the reporter at mcfisch4@asu.edu and follow @morgfisch on Twitter.
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Morgan Fischer is the politics editor, she works with her desk to cover topics related to politics in the ASU community. She has previously worked as an intern for RightThisMinute.
