RNC Youth Chair Brilyn Hollyhand Criticizes AOC, Sanders, and Crockett for Failing to Engage Gen Z Voters

Brilyn Hollyhand, 18-year-old chair of the Republican National Committee’s Youth Advisory Council, criticized the Democratic Party's strategy for engaging Gen Z, claiming figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Rep. Jasmine Crockett fail to inspire young voters. Hollyhand argues the GOP is gaining Gen Z support through tangible accomplishments and social media outreach. He suggests Democrats' promises, like free college, are ineffective. Hollyhand's comments reflect a GOP strategy to appeal to Gen Z by focusing on results and digital communication, as Democrats face internal debates on youth engagement.

GOP Youth Leader: Democrats Are "Out of Touch" with Gen Z

Brilyn Hollyhand, a Gen Z political commentator and rising figure within the Republican Party, has become a vocal critic of the Democratic Party’s youth engagement strategy. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Hollyhand said, “They've actually put up figures like Jasmine Crockett and AOC and Bernie Sanders as their leaders. None of those people are inspiring Gen Z. None of those people are bringing more voters into the party.”

Hollyhand, who was recently invited to meet one-on-one with Donald Trump during the former president’s commencement address at the University of Alabama, emphasized that the Democratic Party’s current messaging is alienating young voters. “It’s just making this weird, radical wing of the party be the vocal voices,” he said. “So, by all means, let Jasmine Crockett, AOC and Bernie Sanders be the voice, the future of the DNC. It'll make our job easier come the midterms and come 2028.”

A Shift in the Youth Vote

The 2024 election cycle saw a notable shift in youth voter behavior, with many Gen Z voters swinging toward the Republican Party. Hollyhand attributes this trend to Trump’s targeted outreach efforts, including appearances on youth-oriented podcasts and a strong presence on TikTok. “The youth vote had long been in the Democrat Party's court before Trump upped the ante on youth outreach,” Hollyhand explained.

He also noted that Trump’s messaging resonated with young voters because it focused on results rather than rhetoric. “Gas is cheaper, the border's secure, and the president performed CPR on the American dream,” Hollyhand said, summarizing what he believes are key accomplishments that appeal to Gen Z.

Criticism of Democratic Messaging

Hollyhand argued that the Democratic Party’s strategy of offering promises such as free college and lower living costs, while simultaneously attacking Trump and other conservative figures, is not effective with younger voters. “Democrats have dangled promises of free college and cheaper costs of living to young people, while comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler and Elon Musk to a king,” he said. “Many Gen Zers are able to see through the false bill of goods from the Democrats.”

He further criticized the party’s ideological direction, stating, “It’s a really weird position that they’ve taken to go more radical than Kamala Harris. And that’s why Kamala lost, because she was too radical.”

A New Strategy for the GOP

During his meeting with Trump, Hollyhand proposed several ideas to maintain and grow Republican support among young voters. One suggestion was to modernize Ronald Reagan’s famous campaign question, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Hollyhand recounted telling Trump, “Now all you have to do is walk out on that stage and ask Gen Z, ‘Are you better off than you were 100 days ago?’”

He also floated the idea of reviving President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats in a digital format, allowing Trump to speak directly to voters in a virtual setting. Hollyhand believes that such direct communication, combined with a clear list of accomplishments, will be difficult for Democrats to counter. “That’s a really hard thing to campaign against,” he said.

Democratic Response and Internal Debate

While Hollyhand and other conservatives have pointed to a decline in Democratic support among young voters, some within the Democratic Party are acknowledging the need for change. In a recent discussion hosted on Substack’s Hopium Chronicles, Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg and Gen Z researcher Rachel Janfaza examined the party’s challenges with youth engagement.

Janfaza noted that younger Gen Z voters, particularly young men, have drifted away from the Democratic coalition. Rosenberg emphasized the importance of putting young people at the center of the party’s strategy moving forward. “If we want to succeed, we will need to put young people at the center,” he said.

The conversation also referenced recent polling data and analysis from CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), which showed a drop in youth support for Democrats in 2024 compared to previous cycles.

The Road to 2028

Looking ahead, Hollyhand is confident that the Republican Party can continue to build on its momentum with Gen Z. He believes that the Democrats’ current leadership and messaging are out of step with the priorities of young voters. “The Democratic Party will be the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean come 2028,” he said.

Hollyhand’s remarks reflect a broader narrative within the GOP that sees an opportunity to reshape the political landscape by appealing to a generation that has traditionally leaned left. Whether this strategy will hold through the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election remains to be seen, but for now, the RNC’s youth chair is betting that authenticity, results, and digital outreach will continue to win over America’s youngest voters.

References

• AOC, Sanders fall flat with young voters as Gen Z rejects 'weird, radical wing': RNC youth chair
• AOC, Sanders fall flat with young voters as Gen Z rejects 'weird, radical wing': RNC youth chair
• A Big Win In North Carolina, Fighting Trump's Unprecedented Corruption, A New Pod On The Youth Vote