The Young Republicans: An Interview with Ashton Munholland

If you take a look around, take in the current political climate, the current economic trajectory, the current state of our culture, and the current government’s insistence on ignoring vital at-home issues, it’s incredibly easy to feel hopeless. What has this great nation come to? Where are we going? What sort of nation are we leaving our children?

What’s worse, it may even feel like those children we worry about saddling with a crumbling country don’t even care. But let us offer you a glimmer of hope—they do! In fact, there are organizations such as The Young Republicans National Federation, with thousands of members (and counting) who care very much!

Recently, it was our honor to speak with Ashton Munholland, President of the Palm Beach Young Republicans, about her work, the Young Republican vision, and what it means to her to fight for her country. Since stepping into the role of president, Ashton and the Young Republicans have spearheaded voting efforts, endorsed Donald Trump for President in 2024, established both a men’s club and a women’s club, and engaged Palm Beach Republicans in the political conversation through interviews with political leaders, a book club, events, and more.

It’s not every day that we see a woman in politics who is genuinely engaged with her local community and striving to make a difference at the grass-roots level. Ashton understands the importance of community and human connection, and knows that the work done at home is often the most influential. Thanks to women like Ashton, young Republicans will hopefully find their voice, push back against the destructive narratives dominating America, and put this country back on track to being the force of nature we know it can be.

“Because I was so strong in my core convictions, I often found myself on the opposite side of the debate with my professors and colleagues. I got very comfortable being the dissenter in many situations.”

An Interview with Ashton Munholland

Could you share a bit about your background and what initially sparked your interest in politics?

I was always an outlier growing up. I was a girl who played golf, had a job at 15 and had parents who never let me get away with anything! I learned personal responsibility very quickly. I grew up in Leawood, Kansas with an entrepreneur father and a very conservative mother. My parents really emphasized a strong work ethic and character development when I was growing up.

When I ended up moving back to Florida for college, I went to a very small, private, liberal arts college that emphasizes a lot of progressive themes like feminism, DEI and socialist ideologies. However, because I was so strong in my core convictions, I often found myself on the opposite side of the debate with my professors and colleagues. I got very comfortable being the dissenter in many situations.

I have a genuine love and passion for people, and I believe our inherent value comes from being made in the image of God—and people are worth fighting for. My draw into the political realm was never about being “in politics” but fighting for people. Politics affect government, and (unfortunately) government affects every aspect of our life.

Tell us about Palm Beach Young Republicans—how did you get involved, what is your role as president, do you engage with Young Republican groups in other states?

I was actually recruited by previous members of the club to recharter the Palm Beach chapter. So we completely re-branded and re-launched with a new vision in mind. As President, my role is to ensure the direction and the growth of the club is actually impacting our generation and local government. The Young Republican clubs are designed to engage young voters in the political process and equip them for effective political service. We coordinate with other republican clubs in our county for elections and work to recruit young people to the Republican Party!

 

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Ashton’s first year with the Young Republicans was spent building community: “I can’t tell you how many people comment that our group is “surprisingly fun” and filled with genuine, kind people.” It is through this community that the Palm Beach club has been able to flourish, building momentum, and make their mark on the political environment in Florida.

“We think of [our strategy] as a two fold process: recruiting & training. First we want to recruit people that might not have ever been interested in the political sphere or hesitant to join because of the political tension we live in. Secondly, we want to equip these people with tools & knowledge to effectively engage in dialogue and influence others.”

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“I want to see more young people rise up and take responsibility for protecting our country.”

In your opinion, why is it crucial for young individuals to be actively involved in politics?

I think right now a lot of Gen Z and Millennials have been “black pilled”, meaning they have lost hope for our future and in the systems of this country. It’s completely understandable after everything we’ve experienced the past few years. So much corruption has been exposed, the very government that is supposed to be upholding our rights and safety as citizens has been caught red-handed working to completely undermine the integrity and sovereignty of our nation.

From the COVID cover ups and working with the CCP – to starting and funding more wars, our generation is on the brink of giving up on engaging the system entirely. But that’s exactly WHY we need to engage the system and our peers to think deeply about the future we want. America has been a beacon of hope for the world, and if America goes down, you can be sure we are headed for a complete globalist takeover.

You stated: “I think right now a lot of Gen Z and Millennials have been “black pilled”, meaning they have lost hope for our future and in the systems of this country.” What message would you share with Gen Z to inspire hope for America? Do you have any specific stories or examples that resonate with their generation?

Good and evil will always be at odds – there’s nothing new under the sun! If you are only committed to a cause for a specific ending, you will waver when you’re faced with pushback and challenges. Be committed to the principles of the process—building your character, convictions, courage and compassion. Virtues can be built, strengthened and contagious. We face failures as a country every day, but we also have wins. No matter what happens, I still believe we ALL have a God-given responsibility to become leaders in our community and steward the nation we have.

Can you discuss any specific initiatives or campaigns you’ve been involved in to encourage younger voter participation in politics?

The best strategy we’ve seen is to create an environment where people want to bring people. If we want young people to embrace conservative/republican values—then we have to become good examples. We work very hard to protect the environment we have created within our group so that we can grow and influence young independents to join us.  We are also working on a digital media initiative that is going to reach a broader audience online and educate them on Palm Beach County and how they can get plugged in. More to come on that!

How do you navigate and address issues that specifically affect younger demographics within your political activism? 

I think right now jobs, technology (AI), inflation, and the economy are the biggest threats to the well-being of our generation. I think the financial strains we face are a part of why socialism seems so attractive to young people, especially ones who don’t understand economics or history.

We are working on collaborations with the America First Policy Institute and successful American entrepreneurs who can inspire and educate young people on free-market policies. We will be hosting some non-partisan events this year to attract a more diverse audience and influence them to vote red.

“America has been a beacon of hope for the world, and if America goes down, you can be sure we are headed for a complete globalist takeover.”

What advice would you give to other young people who are interested in becoming more politically active?

Just do it! Find a mentor, or someone you admire in the political sphere and serve them. Every time I have served someone that I looked up to, it always resulted in my own personal growth, development and advancement! Serving is one of the most powerful things you can do to get into alignment with where you’re supposed to be. If you feel called to run for office, go work in your state rep’s office or build a successful business in your community and begin to support your local leaders.

It feels like there is a new trend emerging; celebrities like Joe Rogan, Patrick Bet David, Lil Pump, Snoop Dogg and more are openly supporting Donald Trump, or his policies. There’s a shift away from big pharma, big media, and even a resurgence in ‘Old Money’ fashion. Additionally, recent studies show that Gen Z males are leaning towards Conservatism. What are your thoughts on these developments?

Our generation has come to a pivotal tipping point. We’ve realized that the direction mainstream media (big pharma, big food, etc.) have been guiding us in is a complete and total farce. The “experts” that we were taught to trust in our big-pharma/big-food funded school system, are actually not experts but pawns used to indoctrinate us into their system. The truth has surfaced from the deep rabbit holes of the internet and it’s not going back in the vault. I believe that our generation is actually desperate for life’s basics; family, health, peace, joy, etc. And they’re going backwards to try and find it. Culture will always swing on a pendulum when it’s not grounded in truth. I think we are seeing the pendulum swinging again.

It’s great that Gen-Z males are trending Conservative and I have seen that data. I do believe the red-pill community online is a large part of that influence. However, my concern is that the Gen-Z women are trending left more than ever, which signals a major clash of the sexes. I’m concerned that if we don’t reach the young women, the men will struggle to hold that trend.

Is there a stereotype or media misconception about Conservative women that you’d like to clarify or dispel?”

I think the media likes to paint Conservative women as your stereotypical 1950s wanna-be homemaker who just stays at home, cooks, cleans and homeschools 4 children. I understand why they like to label us like that—because it’s not relatable anymore—but it’s also not true. Conservative women are some of the most dynamic and capable women I know—business owners, media strategists, community leaders, etc. Not only do they value family and quality education, but they value it so much that they use their time to build their community in a way that nurtures it. Conservative women value people, and they fight for them.

Share a success story, or an anecdote, on how Palm Beach Young Republicans has impacted your life or views on politics.

I think the biggest success I’ve seen while running this club has been the community that has developed. I am a connector and watching people make friends, business partners, referrals for new jobs in the political realm has been amazing! I feel like my responsibility in being president has been to help launch people into their purpose—whether it’s with a specific campaign, job, consultant, etc. It’s been amazing to see people come alive in new opportunities!

Looking towards the future, what changes or developments do you hope to see in terms of young people and women’s involvement in politics? 

As we look to the future, I hope we see more people get into politics and government who genuinely love this country and are built to withstand the vicious culture we now live in. I hope to see men and women fight together to protect our rights, our sovereignty and our prosperity as a nation. We need to be a team—the infighting of our party has been deeply damaging to the morale of our country and without hope, we have nothing to fight for. I want to see more young people rise up and take responsibility for protecting our country.