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The College Republicans of America (CRA) is facing backlash after appointing Kai Schwemmer as its new political director, with critics pointing to his past controversial statements and ties to figures associated with the “groyper” movement.
Schwemmer, who was tapped by the CRA for a leadership role earlier this month, has ties to far-right influencer Nick Fuentes and has made numerous statements that some critics described as antisemitic. He also has a channel on Cozy.Tv, a platform founded by Fuentes and Alex Jones. While the channel appears to be actively gaining followers, the last video listed under the “replays” section was from June 2025.
Schwemmer appeared in a 2021 video promoting Fuentes’ “White Boy Summer” tour and was a “special guest” at Fuentes’ 2022 America First Political Action Conference, according to Jewish Insider.
In a December interview with Reawaken USA, Schwemmer claimed that the CEOs of Raytheon and Boeing were Jewish, grouping them in with “Zionists in America” who would back U.S. involvement in and support of Israel “no matter what,” even though neither of the top executives are Jewish. When asked about his comments, a representative for CRA said that Schwemmer’s “intention was not to be antisemitic or incorrect, but rather that he’d encountered false information while researching.”
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People chant and hold signs at a rally to support Palestinians at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Oct. 19, 2023. (William B. Plowman/Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
College Republicans of America was formed in 2023 amid a disagreement with establishment leadership at the College Republican National Committee. Its goal is to “aid the GOP in cultivating the next generation of Republican activists, staffers, and leaders.”
Several Jewish organizations, like the ADL and StopAntisemitism, condemned Schwemmer’s appointment, citing his controversial past.
“Fuentes holds strong influence over his fans, the ‘Groyper Army,’ and regularly jokes about the Holocaust. Schwemmer has appeared at Fuentes’ conferences, streams on his platform and has spread conspiracy theories about ‘Zionists’ in America,” Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote on X.
“At a time when we have witnessed the real dangers of antisemitism in higher education and know there is a clear and growing problem on campuses, elevating individuals who promote this kind of hate-filled rhetoric undermines the credibility of the organization and the values it claims to uphold,” StopAntisemitism founder and executive director Liora Rez said in a statement to Digital.
Schwemmer, who studies at Brigham Young University in Utah, issued a statement on March 13, saying his past remarks did not reflect his current beliefs.
“Life is a process of growth and refinement. My comments in high school and as a teenager should not be taken to accurately reflect my views or demeanor now. I condemn all forms of hatred, including antisemitism, obviously,” Schwemmer wrote on X in a direct response to Greenblatt. “I’m not a groyper; I am simply and unapologetically an American nationalist. Additionally, all positions I hold are personal ones, not those of the CRA. I reject the ADL’s allegation that the College Republicans or I currently hate or have ever hated Jews.”
Schwemmer acknowledged that in the past he spoke “in ways that were unnecessarily crass or demeaning,” adding that “since returning from my service as a missionary, I have made adjustments to become a better disciple of Christ.” He did not elaborate in the post about which opinions had changed or to what specific remarks he was referring.
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College Republicans of America is standing by its decision to appoint Kai Schwemmer. (CSUDH via Getty Images)
CRA’s leadership did not back down when faced with mounting criticism, with CRA President Martin Bertao saying he would not apologize for choosing Schwemmer.
“Over the last day I have done a lot of reflecting on my decision to appoint Kai as CRA’s political director. And in that reflection I have came [sic] to the decision that I would like to apologize… to absolutely NOBODY, CRA will never back down to the WOKE mob!” he wrote on March 6.
Bertao responded to Schwemmer’s statement, saying that he looked forward to the new political director playing a key role in CRA’s elections efforts to help support Republicans in the midterm elections.
Schwemmer is also listed as a speaker for Turning Point USA’s Pick Up the Mic initiative, which was started to honor the memory of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk.
Turning Point USA didn’t respond for comment.
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The University of Florida. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/The Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
In response to Digital’s inquiries about Schwemmer and the controversy surrounding his appointment, CRA vice president of communications Macy Gunnell pointed to a letter released by CRA Chairman William Donahue, saying that “we are moving forward now not feeding into any divisions among the Right, and instead focusing all of that energy on campaigning and electing Republicans.”
Schwemmer echoed this sentiment in his statement to Digital, saying, “I, along with the rest of the college Republicans, are done feeding into the ‘eat your own’ cancel culture paradigm of division that only seeks to advantage the left. We’re interested in constructing a better future for Americans, and every minute spent focusing on quote-mining and drama is a minute not spent fighting to pass legislation like the Save America Act which will have a real effect on the nation’s trajectory.”
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Schwemmer was critical last month of President Donald Trump over his administration’s handling of the Epstein files.
“We started out not trusting the government, so we voted for Trump and for something new,” he told the New York Times. “And now, we’re watching him turn into the same thing we’ve had for all this time. If a populist, right-wing president is not to be trusted, what does that leave you with?”
