Student Groups Once Again Condemn CRU’s Campus Visitor

College Republicans United, a conservative political activism club described as a “far-right extremist group” by other republican groups on campus, was condemned by students and several organizations across the political aisle for an event featuring noted white nationalist Jared Taylor on Sept. 2.

It’s not the first time CRU has invited a controversial figure to campus or been condemned for its actions. And it’s not the first time the University has allowed the actions of the club to continue in the name of free speech, something students and clubs have regularly criticized ASU for.

In 2020, CRU said it would donate half of the funds collected over the fall semester to support the legal defense fund for Kyle Rittenhouse, who killed two people and injured another in Kenosha, Wisconsin during a protest. ASU College Republicans condemned the move at the time with a statement, saying there was “no place for this sort of behavior on our campus.”

In that same year, CRU invited former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to speak on campus. The event was met with similar backlash from students and became the scene of a protest outside Coor Hall.

And in 2019, the University began investigating CRU for racist and inflammatory remarks following investigations into the club by The State Press and the Phoenix New Times.

College Republicans President Isaac Humrich said CRU wants to provoke a reaction from the rest of the student body when it invites guests like Taylor to speak on campus.

“They’re provocateurs. They aren’t real serious people,” said Humrich, a sophomore studying political science.

Humrich said College Republicans separates itself from CRU because it is a splinter group and “not real Republicans.”

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Other organizations that classify themselves as politically opposite or apolitical raised concerns and demanded ASU cancel the event. Twenty-eight student organizations, ranging from political advocacy groups to Greek life organizations, signed a letter demanding the University step in.

ASU and University President Michael Crow released statements regarding the Taylor event and said while they do not endorse or condone the message, the event and club had a First Amendment right to invite Taylor to campus to speak.

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Edward Osei, a freshman studying engineering management, was outside of the event and said CRU is constantly pushing its limits.

“They’re definitely using the whole ASU ‘we include everyone and we don’t exclude anyone’ thing to their advantage to try and just cause an eruption,” Osei said.

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