Conservative influencer tailgates at Alabama to recruit voters

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. Conservative commentator CJ Pearson spent Saturday afternoon attempting to mobilize college students at the University of Alabama. He arrived at the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house with William Candill, an internet personality known as Roll Tide Willie, to distribute red hats reading "Make America Party Again." The event took place almost an hour behind schedule, with the 100,000-person capacity stadium visible across the street.

Pearson, 24, organized the tailgate as part of a new political action committee called Next250 PAC. The group aims to encourage young men to vote by blending political messaging with football game culture. Candill, who wears a custom red hat alongside Pearson, urged fans on camera to go out and vote. However, his commitment to the political cause appears wobbly. When asked why he supported the PAC, Candill replied, "I don't know." He added, "All I know is, I love him," referring to Pearson.

Pearson defended the strategy, stating that Candill loves the president and America, which is sufficient for the mission. Pearson noted that the core message is simply to go vote. He emphasized that Candill is not a politician, a quality Pearson believes voters need more of. Pearson has positioned himself as a voice for his generation since a 2015 viral video in which he criticized President Barack Obama. He dropped out of the University of Alabama after two years to work for a conservative advocacy group. He currently advises the Bahamas government and an Israeli tech defense company, earning $20,000 a month from each.

The initiative faces headwinds from recent sexual assault scandals involving Greek Life organizations. Delta Kappa Epsilon is on disciplinary probation until 2030 for hazing violations in 2025. The university found that new members were subjected to personal servitude and degradation. Theta Chi, where Pearson was formerly a member, also faced disciplinary action. Two other fraternities at Alabama were suspended for four years. Pearson acknowledged these issues, arguing that isolated incidents by a minority should not reflect poorly on the entire Greek Life system.

Karlin Klass, the PAC's operations director, joined Pearson for the event. She wore a zebra-print dress and gold jewelry while managing the logistics. Klass described the "Make America Party Again" slogan as a sensible approach to activating conservative student populations. She cited data from Harvard’s Institute of Politics showing that only 31 percent of men aged 18 to 29 said they would definitely vote this year, down from 42 percent in 2022. She noted that many young people are supportive of conservative ideas but fail to register or cast ballots.

At the tailgate, many fraternity members seemed more interested in socializing than politics. Several men who accepted the red hats identified as apolitical. Saint Villere, 21, said he had distanced himself from political arguments. "Like, a year ago, I was into it, but it just sucks," he said. "It just pisses everyone off, and it's not fun." He described voting as too much work that would not change his life.

Henry Lapeyrouse, the fraternity president, helped the reporter find a member willing to speak on record. Carter Drew, a student from Birmingham, said voting is a civil duty. "There's no such thing as a utopia, so not everybody's gonna be satisfied," he said. He suggested the party should move toward the middle but agreed with most current policies. He regularly votes in his hometown.

The tailgate was the third in a series hosted by Pearson. Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds attended an event at Florida State University, and Representative Mike Collins of Georgia visited the University of Georgia. Pearson left the Alabama event for a lunch at the campus President’s Mansion. He said building a relationship with low-propensity voters would take time. An hour after the game started, the yard was littered with empties from the crowd.

By Monday morning, Candill’s political enthusiasm had shifted. He posted a video to Instagram throwing Republican election mailers into a trash can. The caption read, "I don't even vote anymore it's a waste of time." He also asked for lower prices and less mail. Candill, famous for saying he does not care about anything but the Tide, appeared to embody the apathy Pearson hoped to counteract.

A student’s father was seen wearing one of the red hats after the game. He described the slogan as funny but identified as a die-hard Republican. The hats were scattered on tables across the property, with few remaining on heads of the post-win partyers.