On November 5th, inside the Senate room of Princeton’s Whig-Clio, an election night watch party is in full swing. Three TV monitors flicker with live news, red and blue solo cups scatter across tables littered with pizza boxes, and students sit in rows, trying to focus amid the hubbub. A small circle of people watches the commotion from a corner, their satisfaction with the night’s outcome growing. They wear scarlet blazers, red collared shirts, and burgundy sweaters. In this group are editors of the conservative campus publication, The Princeton Tory, affiliates of the right-wing Federalist Society and James Madison Program, and leaders of the College Republicans. Princeton’s conservative leaders stand in discussion, as the political ascendancy of the country’s right-wing movement becomes increasingly certain.
The pipeline from Princeton into conservative politics is well-established, with notable alumni like Texas Senator Ted Cruz ‘92, Fox News host and Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth ’03, and J.D. Vance’s chief of staff Jacob Reses ‘13. As I meet more members of the conservative student circle, they describe their connection to one another as a part of this “orbit”: the minority conservative community on campus that follows the trail blazed by Princeton’s Republican hall of fame.
Their voices grow louder as results start trickling in. The group’s conversation shifts to Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, critiquing her bold media strategies and her “horrible” choice of Tim Walz as her running mate, as one member notes. Soon after, their spirits rise as Donald Trump wins North Carolina. Sporting a bright red blazer and suede tote bag, another member smiles at her phone, turning the screen around to show others, hoping to make them laugh. When the phone makes its rounds to me, I see an image of Harris, defeated, sitting at a table next to a gargantuan mound of cocaine and a glass of wine the size of her head. Above it are the words, “Kamala rn.”
Later that night, a decisive win for Trump heralds what will become a Republican-controlled government.
Two weeks after election night, on November 20th, the Cliosophic Society invites Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, to address young people, including conservatives, energized by the post-election momentum. The Heritage Foundation, an influential think tank and the creator of Project 2025, is at the forefront of shaping conservative policy and fostering the next generation of right-wing leaders – Trump has already started to appoint some of its leaders to positions in his administration.
“Every generation of Americans delivered a majority of their votes to Trump because they understand the urgency of the moment,” Roberts says to a packed room of students and faculty, and a livestream viewed by more attendees in an overflow room.
Roberts emphasizes the role of institutions like Princeton in shaping principled leaders for government. “Institutions are important for men and women to get great formation,” Roberts says. Roberts underscores this mission, which he previously described as “institutionalizing Trumpism,” as a way to cultivate a strong-minded government. “[Americans] understand that Trump gets it. He’s authentic,” Roberts declares. “That’s what we are starving for in Washington.” His vision resonates with many in the two lecture halls. Students lean forward intently, some scribbling notes as others nod along.
For conservative think tanks like Heritage, seeking to collect a crop of young conservatives that have gone through a robust “formation,” right-wing groups within a prominent institution like Princeton provide an ideal recruitment ground. Heritage’s line of communication with the Cliosophic Society, the organization that invited him, allows for the think tank’s presence to manifest on Princeton’s campus through speaker events, alumni networks, and faculty connections — one of the ways that conservative institutions identify and prepare the leaders of its future.
As the younger generation of Princeton conservatives network within these institutions and with faculty or alumni, they are building a new movement, one that election night seems to provide with a mandate to help shape the nation’s future. College Republicans member Santhosh Nadarajah ‘25 foresees a future of efficiency for the federal government, depending on “how much Republicans are able to get done in these next two years.” With some Princeton conservatives like Nadarajah graduating just next year, their efforts will determine in part how much their Party can accomplish in this timeframe.
It’s past midnight on election night. The watch party winds down, and most students pack up, tossing cups and pizza crusts into the bins. The group in red, though, lingers, glancing at their screens with growing smiles. To this “orbit,” this election is more than a victory for the Right — it sets the stage for a future that they’re ready to command.
As Sierra Sun researches and reports, she is building a new movement, one that seems to provide Second Look with a mandate to help shape the future.