Brilyn Hollyhand was the very last person to meet with President Donald Trump before Trump was whisked from backstage to speak to the commencement at the University of Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum.
When young Hollyhand was talking with the President, he saw coach Nick Saban coming toward them. Saban was to introduce Trump onstage. Hollyhand stepped back, knowing it was time for Trump to start his famous waving walk to the podium.
The 18-year-old had been contacted by the White House on Wednesday to set up a meeting with the President just before his UA speech. Why?
Brilyn Hollyhand has become the face and voice of Generation Z in the conservative movement.
Hollyhand, who will graduate high school this month from Tuscaloosa Academy, is Co-Chair of the Youth Advisory Council to the Republican National Committee. He has authored a book being used to involve youth in the Republican Party and the Trump movement.
After the Trump speech, Hollyhand gave this report to 1819 News about his meeting with the President:
First thing he said was he saw me on Fox yesterday morning - said “you killed it,” turned to Karoline Leavitt and said, “This kid killed it, he killed it.”
We started talking about how we make sure 2024 wasn’t just an anomaly and how we keep Gen Z for the GOP in 2026 and 2028. I told him he has a secret weapon, and he asked what it was. I said, “Our strategy to keep Gen Z’s vote is this new novel concept in politics called doing what we campaigned on and actually keeping our promises to voters! I know this out-of-the-box thinking is unheard of, but it’s why Gen Z is moving more to the right by the day.”
He told me, “Gen Z has the potential to be greatest generation if we work hard and put our mind to it.”
He asked me about the crowd size and I told him there’s 15,000 students out there waiting to hear from him.
He asked if they’ve played any good music because he loves music, and I told him I’ve been down here in the basement waiting for him but I did hear ‘YMCA’ earlier, and he was happy to hear that and said, “You know that’s my favorite song” as he laughed and did his dance.
I was the last meeting before he went on stage, so when I saw Coach Saban at the doorway waiting to escort him on stage to introduce him, I knew that was my cue.
That was it for the short meeting of America’s present and America’s future. Hollyhand provided 1819 News with what else he would have talked about if he had had more face time with the President.
He said as follows:
THE FAMOUS REAGAN QUOTE IS, “ARE YOU BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE 4 YEARS AGO,” BUT WE CAN SIMPLY ASK MY GENERATION IF WE’RE BETTER OFF THAN WE WERE 100 DAYS AGO. THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING “YES.” PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU PERFORMED CPR ON THE AMERICAN DREAM, AND MY GENERATION CAN ONCE AGAIN FILL UP OUR GAS TANK, BUY A HOME, START A FAMILY, AND WALK FREELY ON THE STREETS WITHOUT THE FEAR OF BEING MURDERED BY AN MS-13 GANGBANGER. THAT’S QUITE A LOT OF CHANGE IN JUST 100 SHORT DAYS! THATS HOW THE GOP KEEPS MY GEN’S SUPPORT
Last November, 84 of the 88 major college campuses saw Gen Z shift to the right by 11 points. A double-digit shift to the right of the age group we were told was long gone and owned by the DNC! This isn’t a fluke or anomaly - this is a cultural shift towards common sense and a rejection of the radical, woke Left!
Hollyhand will head to Auburn University this fall to start his college studies, majoring in political science.
Even at a young age, Hollyhand has written a full-length book, “One Generation Away: Why Now is the Time to Restore American Freedom.” The term “one generation away” in his book’s title is an influence from President Ronald Reagan, who famously said:
“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.”
The book 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 founder and editor-in-chief of the Gen Z newsletter, What's Up, America?
Brilyn has 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 "The Brilyn Hollyhand Show" podcast, available on major platforms.
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.
How will Brilyn Hollyhand serve during the last three years and nine months of the second Trump administration? How will the Republican National Committee and the Alabama GOP utilize this young leader?
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].
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