The NYU College Republicans and Young America’s Foundation hosted Fox News anchor and Breitbart columnist Jedediah Bila on Thursday, who reflected on the 2016 presidential election.

Bila is currently a co-host on “Outnumbered,” a panel discussion airing weekdays on Fox News Channel as well as a guest co-host on ABC’s The View. Bila is a well-known columnist and has been contributing as a co-host on a number of television shows and radio stations throughout the country.  

Stern senior and College Republicans Vice President Ryan Whiting said the group was thrilled to host Bila and expected this event to be one of the most lively discussions of the semester, aiming for it to be both a lighthearted discussion as well as a serious talk on policy and issues that concern voters.

“Jedediah represents a refreshingly smart brand of conservatism that is sorely missing on the national stage — and a brand of conservatism that has definitely proved appealing to our club’s members,” Whiting said.

Believing that this year’s election means a great deal to the College Republicans group at NYU, upcoming president and SPS junior Eli Nachmany said the group is more focused on the conservative movement overall.

“We are more concerned with substantive, policy-based discussions in which we challenge one another to rethink perceived notions about legislative implication,” Nachmany said.

At the event, Bila touched upon many points concerning the development of the election in both the Republican and Democratic parties. Responding to any questions coming from the audience, she touched upon the fragmented state of affairs the GOP finds itself in, specifically pointing at its inability to reach out to young voters.

Questions ranged from what reasons she believed were behind this year’s presidential candidates, her opinion on the value of social media as a political debate platform and the greater social issues of gay marriage, abortion and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I really enjoy coming to NYU and speaking to students. It’s really about trying to have a conversation rather than a lecture”, Bila said when asked about the event. “The questions I was asked were all very clear and thought-provoking”.

Stern senior James Bazakos said this event is important because, when it comes to politics, people are often emotionally swayed and reluctant to hear credible arguments from the other side.

“To me this event was an opportunity to step outside of the silos on social media that promulgate heavily opinionated viewpoints,” Bazakos said.
Bila proposed that the Republican Party should make some adjustments, especially to appeal to the younger generation. She suggested that a system be created to provide opportunities for people to climb to the top without selling the false promise of “free everything.”

Email Ludovica Grieco at [email protected].