By: Hunter Klosty
Besides former President Donald Trump, Ohio Senator JD Vance, and other Republican officeholders from across the country, the Republican National Convention over the summer featured seven fraternity brothers from UNC-Chapel Hill.
The fraternity brothers gained national attention after a viral photograph captured students holding up the American flag after anti-Israel protesters tried to tear down the flag in Polk Place and replace it with the Palestinian flag on April 30th. Brothers from at least eight different fraternities were represented in the photograph, including members of Alpha Epsilon Pi, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Delta Upsilon, Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, and Zeta Beta Tau. Only Pi Kappa Alpha, commonly referred to as Pike, was present at the Republican convention.
The Carolina Review was able to speak to two of the fraternity brothers who attended the convention. Hugh Reeves and Tyler Hutchins, both sophomores, were among seven UNC Pike brothers who paraded flags on the convention floor at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
Hutchins told the Review he saw the event take place and saw his fellow fraternity brothers try to save the flag. He says he “intuitively went and helped out.” According to Reeves, he was not actually present to help hoist the American flag. He was in class during the time, but went immediately from class to Polk Place when he was dismissed and was present to sing the national anthem as the flag was being hoisted.
Reeves said that doing his part to help out was important because he was “…proud to be an American” and “…apprecitate[d] all the rights this country has to offer.” Hutchins said that his feelings regarding the flag were simple: “They have a right to protest, but when you are tearing down the flag of the country that gives you the right to protest – that didn’t sit right with me.”
The fraternity brothers received bi-partisan praise with the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calling the fraternity brothers’ act “admirable”, but the brothers claim they received no communication from any Democratic lawmakers regarding their act. Alternatively, the Republican party gave the brothers a primetime speaking slot and showcased them as part of the coalition working to elect former President Trump to another term.
During the Republican National Convention, fellow Pike brother Alex Johnson gave remarks that lasted under one minute. He told the crowd of Republican delegates and the national television audience that he and his fraternity brothers “stood guard” and were “proud to honor our flag again.”
Through interviews with brothers of other fraternities across the campus, the Review learned that the Republican National Committee allegedly reached out to both Pi Kappa Alpha and Pi Kappa Phi, but Pi Kappa Phi fraternity brothers were ordered not to attend the nominating convention by their national organization. The Review was unable to reach both the Republican National Committee and the national Pi Kappa Phi organization.
The fraternity brothers did not formally meet former President Trump, but as they passed his viewing box, Reeves and Hutchins claim that Trump told them “Good job, boys. Great job, gentlemen.” Both Reeves and Hutchins say they support Trump’s candidacy.
In addition to involving the fraternity brothers in his convention, Trump has also engaged in a series of interviews with podcasters and YouTubers, such as Logan Paul and Theo Von, whose main audience skews younger and male. These acts are part of a concerted effort by the Trump campaign to increase his vote share of male Gen Z voters. The annual youth poll by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics found that before dropping out, President Biden enjoyed a 6 percentage point advantage among men aged 18 to 24, as compared to a 24 percentage point advantage during 2020.
Young voters will play a determinative role in the upcoming November election, but time will tell before we know whether Trump’s appeals to young men pay dividends. Whether or not they make a difference in the election, Reeves said attending the convention and playing a part in the festivities was “really special” and Hutchins pressed how young people should be proud to be Americans. “People often take being an American for granted. That needs to change.”