Oregon D.O.G.E. Dorchester Day 2: Parents, Patriots & the Blueprint to Reclaim Oregon

Senator Mike McLane: All right, so we're here. Thank you for being on the Oregon D.O.G.E. podcast and As you know, we're here at Dorchester So introduce yourself

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: Yeah, so I'm Rilie Ashby Anderton I work for a turning point USA with Charlie Kirk and I get to Experience the complaints from college students all the time about what D.O.G.E. is doing on their campus So I get to see that firsthand from them Well, of course, that's national D.O.G.E.

Senator Mike McLane: right that that's a Department of Government Efficiency and we're simply a discussion of government efficiency in Oregon. So but it but the name does make those on the left You know head explode a little bit. Yeah Tanner

Tanner Elliott: Tanner Elliott chair of the Young Republicans of Oregon and Currently work for senator Brock Smith your colleague You know DBS DBS he's Always has a bill for whatever your

Senator Mike McLane: yeah, whatever your issue is he has bill in fact He has a new podcast no BS with DBS and so Is this your first Dorchester conference?

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: No, I was an intern last year Josie kind of pulled me on I met her twin sister And so I've been able to kind of connect with them and her family and everything since so did you grow up in Oregon? Yes, I am born and raised Redmond, Oregon. I live in Beaverton now Against my will but I do enjoy Washington County a lot.

It's a it's a beautiful. It's a beautiful little area But yeah, no, if I ever get the chance, though, we'll probably move back to Dechutes County and go back to Redmond

Senator Mike McLane: Well, Redmond's great. I get a represent in the Senate big chunk of Redmond and And of course her sister I know And her brother-in-law I know because we attended the same church for many many years and In Tanner you grew up also in Senate District 30

Tanner Elliott: I did yeah, no, I grew up in John Day. So born and raised there all 18 years well, I Mean lived there a little longer, but you know born and raised in John Day beautiful area great small town grew up with those rural values that I think I think a lot of people could use in Western Oregon. Yeah, I'm a I five. Yes Hard work integrity so But yeah, no and also worked for Your other former colleague Cliff Bentz.

Senator Mike McLane: Yes now congressman cliff Congressman Cliff Bentz from Ontario who is doing yeoman's work on in the house Representatives in Washington DC and of course he's on a great committee commerce and the environment and energy or You know, etc. So what part of Redmond did you live in?

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: I lived in the Northwest Part of Redmond and so I was right on the canyon almost always We moved four different times and each house was right on the canyon, you know, either across the street or right there And so I got to grow up Right along Elton a gray gray kind of area over by the Pappy's Pizza in the Walmart And if you're from Redmond, you know exactly what I'm talking about. That's a very, you know, very big Monument there.

Senator Mike McLane: Well, that that is I know exactly where that's maple and So you also I think that's that's actually Senate District 30 area. So great to have two constituents in The most beautiful district, you know last night they kept talking about beautiful district I didn't compete.

I'm like I'm not gonna compete with the beach and everything but at any event It's always better at the beach as David Brock Smith. I would say and so tell us what you do at Turning Point USA.

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: So I am the field representative. That's kind of my title But I basically every day go on to a different college campus in Oregon and I promote conservative values And as I'm how dare I that's exactly what they say actually Yeah, no, my favorites are probably going to Portland State University of Oregon and Oregon State University because that's where I get, you know The biggest schools is where I get to get have the most like conversation. I did actually on Thursday. I got asked My stuff got stolen and taken by Antifa And they came and visited

Senator Mike McLane: ANTIFA Stole your stuff.

Senator Mike McLane: Yes. So on Thursday,

Senator Mike McLane: I thought they were kind and compassionate

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: Well, you know, they like to say that but they don't like to speak the truth as well So, yeah, no, I have I got the video footage and everything. It was it was really great Because we've been working with Portland State University because I'm bringing Riley Gaines out there on May 5th To the Smith Memorial Union and they have been Getting ready to protest, you know and shut us down because they don't want us to have free speech They don't want to have curve it. They don't want conservatives to have a voice at Portland State University And so they have been actively planning against us. And so I was kind of expecting You know me and my students are going out there with phone boards that say free the first free speech on our campus and one of them said De I didn't earn it Because that's what we at Turning Point USA believe that if you know, DEI means didn't earn it Not in the sense if you are in that DEI description that you didn't earn it But if you get to a certain point because of DEI you did not earn it

Senator Mike McLane: Well, and that is a growing criticism and in Oregon we have Excuse me a few examples were like in the Oregon Youth Authority There was a supervisor who when he found out that he was hired because of that he Was very angry and said he wasn't respected And Mr. Bird bit anyway, there was a scandal associated but so So I'm curious now Riley Gaines, you know for those who are listening is a Swimmer from the University of Kentucky who tied trans woman A Swimmer and then they gave the award to the trans woman swimmer from University of Pennsylvania and Riley Gaines, you know objected and then now whether she likes it or not she became a national figure because it was very frustrating for people to just say time out like It was a tie, but just the thought that There was competition and between a biological male who was in transition to be a woman Was angered a lot of people and that started was like a snowball effect and she became a national figure She spoke at the Reagan Day dinner last year great speaker or maybe it was a year before I can't remember But it any event she did a great job and she's coming to Portland State Which many would view that's like the center of Antifa activity right you remember when they took over the

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: library Yes, we had you know we're obviously in works with security You know you know making sure that everyone stays safe both sides. They save the protesters in our event And they did bring that up And you know they kind of pitted it on us They were like hey, you know you need to listen to me like when I tell you to back down and stop tabling So that we don't have another library incident and my response to that was well Why am I the one that's being told to stop tabling because I'm so called Antagonizing the protesters to do those awful aggressive crimes I'm like why not go after them and put a stop to them I was like why put a stop to me in my free speech when I've Requested my students have requested they've established that they are going to table as a club as a university club They're gonna be there We have the right to be there and we are there to reach conservative students because there are conservative students who have that deserve a voice on that campus and my my student president She her name is Aviva Zelkend and she is running for student government president and they they had their debates the other night and the current student president called her a fascist and a Nazi and You know threw everything at her and those students are just underrepresented They they you know they get called these awful names and that's what I see time and time again like at for instance at University of Oregon It has been a six-month battle trying to get our club a Turning Point club approved on campus The largest public university in Oregon is saying no we don't want to hear your voice conservatives So we're gonna throw every single hoop that we possibly can to make it to where you don't get to have a club And so they've come up with all these little things that I have to do that aren't online For students access and they're not on their forms that say you will have to do this in order to form a club They're throwing out these new things that I've never even found. I can't find never read And they've just they've pushed it and pushed it and pushed it and I now have students actively going into student government Every day telling them hey when are you gonna give me my club when are you gonna give me my club because what it takes is so many Voices and it's ridiculous that it takes so many voices to get one club started It should have taken just me and my president filling up the form submitting it two weeks later getting approval And now here we are six months later

Senator Mike McLane: six months at University of Oregon and in So one of the members, Turning Point USA, is running for student body president, AS PSU president, and during a debate or forum she was called a Nazi?

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: Yes, she called and the current student president who's running against her said that anyone who voted for Trump, she said this out loud, she said anyone who voted for Trump is a Nazi. She goes, you are a Nazi, referring to my chapter president.

Senator Mike McLane: Well first of all, you know, that's incredibly offensive and I can't believe the school wouldn't address when, you know, I mean, it's awful. Somebody is running for a student government position, it gets to, you know, there's, obviously that word must mean nothing to the one who threw it out there because, you know, the Holocaust, you could go down the list of, you know, world altering atrocities, I mean, you know, committed.

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: I'd like to mention that this my student, she is a religious Jew.

Senator Mike McLane: Oh my God.

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: She is Jewish. You're kidding me. No. So this woman called a Jewish student a Nazi for having the audacity to just simply run for student body president? No, because she stands with the, she called her a Nazi and this is her words, she called her a Nazi because she stands with Riley Gaines and she stands with X, X does not equal XY, chromosomes. Right. And so because of that, she, you know, and because she voted for Trump, she said that that's why she's a Nazi.

Senator Mike McLane: Well, I got to tell you, if there are any reporters listening from the Oregonian will I'm a week or something like that, I sure hope that's covered. And if it's not, maybe we can let that be known. That's horrible. And I apologize on behalf of the state of Oregon and our higher education system to your friend. It's despicable.

And, you know, I could go off on that, but I won't. But I do want to address, you know, so on campuses we've got a growing Turning Point, USA, and it's probably its membership bobbed a bit because I remember when Charlie Kirk came out here, I think it was 2014 or something like that. And I was a house leader and hosted them and it was very interesting what he was doing.

And, you know, I applauded it because let's give folks, students who want to be able to hear and express conservative views and opportunity to do that. And but he told me some of the challenges just here in the state of Oregon and it was appalling. But I want to also turn to, you know, Tanner, who is the chairman of the Oregon Young Republicans. Tell us a little bit about the Oregon Young Republicans.

Tanner Elliott: Yeah, so excuse me. So yeah, I just became chairman this past March. So it's been, it's been, we've grown our membership by 90%. It's been exciting just to see that we're getting people, you know, fired up about conservatism in this state.

And we're making conservatism cool again, as we like, as Riley knows that too. And that's kind of, you know, the message that we're putting out that people that want to see a change of leadership that are young and that don't know where to go, that they do have a place to go and they can have a voice to begin to help change the direction and the policy and the leadership of our state. And you know, we're planning on doing, getting people registered to vote.

I do think this fall we're going to be tabling to get some also College Republicans to join as well, just to, you know, to grow our membership numbers because it seems like the College Republicans, Turning Points kind of taking the College Republicans over. So, you know, no offense to college Republicans, but, and yeah, no, we have, we have a great team. We have, of course, your staff are Alex Lopez. We have Calvin Bennett is doing a phenomenal job as our national committee man. So, you know, you have to have a great team to build a great organization. And that's what we're doing.

Senator Mike McLane: So for folks who are listening now to out there who would be younger than me, how does someone become a member of Young Republicans? Because I mean, the age might surprise us is to is there an age limit?

Tanner Elliott: Yes. So it's anyone 18 through 40 have to be a registered Republican in the state of Oregon. And I have to pay a yearly fee, a membership fee. And that's how you join. That's it.

Senator Mike McLane: 18 to 40. And so how does someone find out more online about Oregon Young Republicans?

Tanner Elliott: Well, we have a website, Young Republicans of Oregon. We're also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. And we're also, I think, we're going to start exploring into TikTok. So.

Senator Mike McLane: TikTok? Isn't that now I would I was still I'm a member of the Air National Guard. And we were prohibited from having TikTok on our phones as members of the military.

But my daughter has it and she was showing me how fun it is. And of course, that was like two years ago or whatever. And then I saw all these little things of like politicians doing little dance. And I thought, you know, if you got a like dance on TikTok to get elected, I'm not sure I'd win. And so is that a still a thing?

Tanner Elliott: I think that's more of a left thing when it comes to the dancing.

Senator Mike McLane: Oh, OK. Well, thank God. Yeah. I mean, but Trump's got a kind of a dance.

Tanner Elliott: Yeah, you know, that one does the thing. Yeah, I mean, the Trump dances. That's different, but doing all the really like sporadic, you know, a sporadic dance moves and yeah, we don't.

Senator Mike McLane: All right. Well, that restores some of my confidence in the activities of the Oregon Young Republicans that you're not out there dancing on a TikTok. Although maybe, you know, that could be fun. My my daughter's really into she's 25, but my daughter is a potential member of the Oregon Young Republican. I'm going to have to ask her about that. And and I to get to get it. And Turning Point is college kids. Yes. If you're a student in college, you can be a member of Turning Point, USA.

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: Yeah. If you're 18 or 26 and you go to school, you are more than welcome to join Turning Point USA.

Senator Mike McLane: And how does somebody let's say someone watch it? Because, you know, it's happening, right? Oregon D.O.G.E. podcast has become in the huge everywhere kids everywhere. I mean, there are students at duck games holding up signs.

We love Oregon D.O.G.E. So how does someone who's watching here, because there's going to be thousands and thousands of young people watching, how does someone become a member of Turning Point? How do they find you?

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: We also have a website at Turning TPUSA.com. And then I have my personal Instagram, TPUSA underscore cascade. And that's where I post everything that I'm doing in Oregon. All the events that we're doing, all the fun activities on campus, where I'm going to be. But I know if you felt the get on invalved form, it'll go strictly to me, the field rep, and then I will give you a call.

So if you see a random number, don't worry, it's not scam. It's probably me asking you to get involved and answer the call to make your state and your country amazing again.

Senator Mike McLane: So so two questions before you wrap up. Number one, what's your favorite Senate district in the state of Oregon?

Tanner Elliott: I mean, it's easy. We're Senate District 30. Or

Senator Mike McLane: Senate District 30. That's the answer, by the way, because.

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: Yeah, Senate District 30. I did say that for the record yet.

Senator Mike McLane: And then second, how has your experience been at Dorchester? Tanner?

Tanner Elliott: Well, I'm on the board. I have been the last three years and this is my fourth Dorchester. And, you know, I think that out of all the ones I've been to, we have the most amount of Young Republicans here, younger people. So there's a lot of, I'd say, energy and enthusiasm in the room. And I also want to add that Senator Brock Smith does have the second most beautiful.

Senator Mike McLane: Oh, well, listen, I get it. You work for DBS. You work for this other district, but you grew up in District 30 as did you. So but Rilie how has your experience been at Dorchester this year?

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: I love Dorchester. I always enjoy it. It's super, super fun. I got to last year, I dragged my at the time fiance with me to Dorchester to be interns with Josie. And now we're married. So I get to kind of enjoy that, you know, kind of step back instead of being an intern this year, I get to just enjoy it, you know, with him and and come. And then I got to speak on the panel with Tanner. And and also I'd like to add, Tanner has done a phenomenal job with YRO, like the Young Republicans of Oregon, like he said, has just grown so much.

And I love partnering with him. And I, you know, my students all know about YRO and they know I'm involved in my own personal life, not with Turning Point, because those opinions are my own. And, you know, they all know and they're, you know, they're following they're following suit. And so I'm really excited to see we're going to we really are going to make Oregon great again, like with Tanner's leadership. I'm very excited.

Senator Mike McLane: So if that became a phrase, make Oregon great again, it'd be mogo. Mog. Mogo. Mogo. Moga. We might try Togo. I know that or Pogo Pogo, it's a Pogo stick. So come up, not now with an acronym of. P O G O. That'll take off. Listen, you guys take that. That's my gift to you. I just tell you, and then we have hats that say Pogo. It'll work.

Rilie Ashby-Anderton: Perfect. I love it.

Senator Mike McLane: Thanks for being on.