Members of the WSU Young Democrats and College Republicans debated about the future in Trump’s America in the CUB Auditorium yesterday, moderated by ASWSU Sen. Kevin Schilling.

In response to whether facts and reasoning have a place in President Donald Trump’s America, College Republicans President James Allsup said facts can support both sides of a narrative.

“No side has a monopoly on facts,” Allsup said.

We need to look at the truth behind these issues, he said.

Mario Vega, another member of the College Republicans, said that facts are more important to Americans than feelings are, and Trump told the country the reality.

Young Democrats President Gavin Pielow said people should embrace statistics and facts, and also brought up the current administration denying the science behind climate change.

“Science has a monopoly on facts,” Pielow said.

Allsup agreed, saying we need to value science and embrace statistics as well.

“We need to tell the truth about uncomfortable statistics,” Allsup said, “We can’t be afraid to tell the truth.”

Both sides were asked what the U.S.’s response should be to this morning’s terror attack in London.

Pielow said cutting the state budget by $11 billion should not be the country’s response. He also said the Iraq war and the democracy ex-President Bush attempted to instill there was not only impossible, but created the terrorist attacks we see now.

“This is the consequence of a lot of failed foreign policy,” Pielow said.

Young Democrats member Josh Maasberg said increasing military presence, as Trump has shown a willingness to do, is not the answer.

“The U.S. government, traditionally and statistically, has really played a large role in the destabilization of the Middle East,” he said.

Allsup disagreed and said the mistakes of the Iraq War are inconsequential at this point, and the nation needs to talk about moving forward now.

Schilling also asked both sides where their parties stood on women’s rights and women holding public office.

Pielow said the Democratic Party is the party of equal rights for all Americans.

“It’s crucial for women to be involved, to empower women,” Maasberg said.

It is a fundamental right to choose what happens to your own body, Pielow said. The Republican Party cannot defend history trying to silence women, he said.

Allsup responded by saying the Civil Rights Act passed because of Republicans in the 1960s. He went on to say Trump is the only presidential candidate in history to hire a female campaign manager, KellyAnne Conway.

In regard to Hillary Clinton losing the election, Vega said most millennials did not vote because they saw how corrupt Clinton was.

“Clinton lost because she sucks, and everybody knows it,” Vega said.

Pielow responded by saying the Republican Party of the ‘60s is not the same party today, and the current ideology is different.

This debate was hosted by the WSU College Republicans and the Young Democrats of WSU.