President Donald Trump started an outreach to young Americans during his 2024 campaign. He will continue to reach out to young leaders during his May 1 trip to Alabama. Not only is he addressing the commencement at the University of Alabama, but he is also squeezing in a meeting with a youth leader from Tuscaloosa.
Trump will meet with Brilyn Hollyhand before addressing the graduation ceremonies. Hollyhand is chairman of the Republican National Committee's Youth Advisory Council. The 18-year-old will graduate from Tuscaloosa Academy next month, where he is Student Government Association president. He will then head to Auburn University this fall to major in political science.
On Wednesday afternoon, Hollyhand said, “Just got a call from the White House, and I have a confirmed meeting with the President tomorrow before his commencement speech to talk about our Gen Z success last November and ways he can continue to engage the next generation -- and how he can keep the youth vote for 2026 and 2028.”
Even at a young age, Hollyhand wrote a book, “One Generation Away: Why Now is the Time to Restore American Freedom.” The term “one generation away” in the book’s title is an influence from President Ronald Reagan, who made famous the quote:
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
In 2024, Brilyn published his first book: "One Generation Away: Why Now is the Time to Restore American Freedom." It quickly became a rallying cry for young conservatives and debuted at #2 on the Amazon bestseller list.
Hollyhand is also a political commentator, host of a podcast, “The Brilyn Hollyhand Show,” and the founder and editor-in-chief of the Gen Z newsletter, What's Up, America?
Brilyn's ventures into politics began at 11, when he founded "The Truth Gazette," initially launched as an email newsletter in 2017 while he was in fourth grade.
By his teenage years, Brilyn had become a frequent face on national cable news networks, including Fox News, ABC News and Newsmax, where he provides his unique perspective on current events through the lens of Gen Z.
His commentary and analysis have been sought after, leading to numerous interviews with influential political figures, which he shares on his podcast, "The Brilyn Hollyhand Show," available on major platforms.
Brilyn was appointed to chair the Republican National Committee's inaugural Youth Advisory Council for the 2024 election cycle, a role he embraced to influence and expand the GOP's outreach to younger voters.
In 2022, Brilyn earned the John Lewis National Youth Leadership Award from the National Secretaries of State Association. In 2023, he was named one of LA Weekly's "Top 10 Visionaries to Look Out For," highlighting his role as a political prodigy and an inspiration for young Americans.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
