NYU College Republican President Ousted After Comments About Barron Trump: ‘Why Would I Have Any Ill Intent Toward Him?’
Following her resignation over comments made about Barron Trump — remarks she believes were misinterpreted — the former president of NYU’s College Republican club expressed regret to The Post.
“I’ve been tirelessly supporting the conservative movement,” Kaya Walker, a senior, told The Post. “It’s widely known that being a Republican at NYU is an uphill battle.”
“I’ve dedicated myself to growing my chapter,” she continued. “Attendance has skyrocketed exponentially. This past year has been incredible, with a significant increase in membership and a lot of fun.”
Walker resigned on Sunday night after AF Post, a popular conservative account on X, retweeted her comments made to Vanity Fair, where she referred to Barron as an “oddity on campus.”
“He goes to class and then goes home,” Walker remarked about Barron, who resides at his family’s Upper East Side home instead of the Greenwich Village campus.
“[AF Post] implied that I was judging Barron for being a commuter — which I found absurd because I’m a commuter myself,” Walker explained to The Post regarding the misleading tweet, which garnered nearly 100,000 likes and close to 10 million views, causing many to incorrectly accuse her of mocking Barron.
“They made it seem like I was calling the president’s son weird, but I believe that anyone who can read would understand that’s not what I meant,” she stated.
Instead, she was encouraged by the College Republicans of America to step down — an example of what many could call cancel culture.
Any fair assessment of the February 12 Vanity Fair article clearly shows that Walker deserves to be viewed with empathy towards Barron.
“NYU — especially its business school — lacks a cohesive social scene, with classes and living spaces scattered all over Lower Manhattan,” the article notes, before quoting Walker: “Barron’s classmates described his everyday activities to me as quite limited.”
Labeling Barron an “oddity” is hardly derogatory — it accurately reflects how curious classmates and paparazzi treat him.
“I simply feel bad that he’s facing such a difficult college experience, and I get that he prefers to remain unbothered,” Walker clarified to The Post. “I don’t know Barron Trump personally. I campaigned for his father. Why would I harbor any negative feelings towards him?”
She has a history of defending Barron. When Walker spoke with me for a December article about College Republican clubs, we talked about how the president’s son is viewed at NYU.
“I feel more pity for him than anything else,” she said. “He’s often watched like a zoo exhibit. It’s hard not to notice him; he’s very tall. People frequently take pictures of him during class and share them on Instagram Story, which I find quite odd.”
Since the viral AF Post tweet, Walker reported that she and her family have been overwhelmed with a barrage of hateful messages and threats.
“Honestly, I’m not sure how I’ll navigate through this,” she confessed.
In an official statement, the College Republicans of America — boasting over 200 chapters nationwide, including at NYU — indicated that Walker’s comment “does not align with the values and principles upheld by our organization” and deemed it “inappropriate.” They also extended an invitation to Barron to join their NYU chapter.
Will Donahue, President of the CRA, informed The Post that chapter leaders must seek board approval before engaging with “left-wing journalists” — in this instance, Vanity Fair.
“Left-leaning organizations often misinterpret our words, and an untrained college student can easily become a target for predatory journalists,” he noted.
Donahue confirmed that his organization advised Walker to resign.
“Our conversation with Kaya was straightforward: this situation is escalating unusually, and in order to safeguard your reputation and that of the organization, resigning would be the wise choice,” he explained, emphasizing that “she did so voluntarily.”
Walker declined to comment on the CRA or any interactions with them, stating that she felt compelled to resign but, in hindsight, “I truly regret stepping down.”
The irony lies in the fact that Walker faced cancellation for engaging with a left-leaning outlet, even though Vanity Fair accurately represented her remarks. In contrast, it was the conservative AF Post that misrepresented and amplified them.
Walker receiving media attention from a variety of sources should be considered a positive development.
As a former NYU student myself, I know that it’s far easier to remain silent and go along with the liberal prevailing attitude on campus. The last thing that a courageous conservative student leader needs is public cancellation.
Walker deserves recognition for maintaining her position at NYU and creating a safe space for conservatives who are significantly outnumbered. She joined the club as a freshman at 17, witnessing attendance grow from just 5 to over 40.
Holding her responsible for how a marginal X page misrepresents her statements will undoubtedly have a chilling effect on club leaders and members across the country.
