For this article, Wisconsin Standard interviewer and essayist Telemachos Gregoriadis spoke with Billy
Blathras, the Chair of Wisconsin College Republicans and an outreach director for the College Republicans
of America. The discussion delved down Blathras’ political journey, his involvement in various
organizations, and the 2024 presidential campaign in Wisconsin.
Blathras detailed his involvement with the College Republicans, both at the University of Wisconsin and
as the Chair of the Wisconsin College Republicans. He expressed his initial dissatisfaction with the
direction of the club’s leadership, prompting him and his friends to get more involved. Now that he is
Chair, Blathras is focused on building the party’s infrastructure in preparation for the upcoming 2024
elections and advocating for students’ rights and conservative principles within the state party.
Blathras also discussed his role as the outreach director for the College Republicans of America (CRA), a
newly formed political activism network uniting college Republicans across the nation. The CRA aims to
revitalize the Republican Party by cultivating new leadership and activists, providing training and
support to students. Blathras highlighted the overlap between his work with the Wisconsin College
Republicans and the CRA, emphasizing the importance of these organizations in strengthening the
conservative movement. Specifically, these projects have helped make a big boost in the youth political
energy of the state and across the country.
Blathras traced his political evolution, highlighting how his views shifted from a liberal mindset during
his early years to becoming a conservative in high school. He recalled the influence of humorous
content and memes during the 2016 Trump era, which gradually piqued his interest in conservative
ideas. His faith, Orthodox Christianity, also played a significant role in shaping his political beliefs,
emphasizing the importance of aligning concepts and ideas with his religious convictions. Blathras
stated: “If a concept or idea doesn’t align with Orthodoxy, it has to be evaluated and reconsidered. And
how that can be put in line with my faith. There shouldn’t be any tension.” Blathras discussed the
importance of maintaining a solid spiritual life while being involved in politics, emphasizing the necessity
of prioritizing faith, prayer, and church attendance to avoid compromising on core principles and stay
true to who he is.
When asked about his preference between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, Blathras firmly sided with
Trump, citing his transformative impact on the GOP in 2016. Blathras likes the bold rhetoric and new
ideas that Trump brought to the table. “I think as a leader of the movement, Trump has shown himself
as that figure,” Blathras said, “and I don’t think DeSantis is necessarily the future of the country, the
future of the movement that we want… a DeSantis presidency would be much more of a regression
from where we were at before.” While Blathras acknowledged there might be other politicians he
agrees with on a local level, he saw no viable national-level candidates besides Trump.
Blathras expressed interest in smaller-name candidates running against DeSantis, as their presence
would likely fracture the non-Trump camp, benefiting Trump’s chances. Regarding Robert Kennedy Jr.’s
announcement of a presidential run, Blathras said: “I think he is a really interesting figure. I think if the
Democrats put him up as the nominee, he could beat any Republican, because he kind of speaks to
where the majority of the people in the country are, the kind of anti-woke and anti-progressive
mentality, but also kind of being left-wing on other issues. I think fortunately that’s not going to be the
case, because I think it would be foolish for party unity for the Democrats to abandon their own
President. But, his campaign is something really interesting and he is polling pretty high for a challenger
to a sitting president in the party.”
In response to the question about the biggest problem facing our country today, Blathras expressed his
concern about the consequences of the disregard for our past and cultural heritage. He remarked, “It’s
that next step beyond what we’re seeing with Progressivism. I think that’s the biggest danger.” Blathras
emphasized the need to prevent the spread of such ideas that undermine the foundational values of the
West. He acknowledged the rise of right-wing parties in Europe and viewed figures like Trump as
natural responses to this phenomenon. Blathras stressed the importance of holding dear to the values
of family and faith, as it was the disregard of these ideas that led to the current predicament. By
reestablishing these principles at the forefront, he believes we can navigate its challenges and ensure a
better future.
We learned about Blathras’ multi faced involvement in the struggle for our culture and country. His
political odyssey is inspiring and gives hope for current students who are right now more liberal but
could soon turn around when given the guidance and encouragement they are currently lacking. We will
continue to monitor his career and projects in the movement, for in his unwavering dedication lies the
promise of a great future, where the legacy of our forefathers shall be preserved and cherished for
generations to come.
