Viral Conservative YouTube Star Renounces Conservatism

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

CJ Pearson, the 13-year-old viral YouTube star made famous for his rants against President Barack Obama, has renounced conservatism, according to a Friday interview with CNN.

Pearson told the network in an email that the GOP’s stance on racial and gender disparity compelled him to change.

“I was tired of being a champion of a party that turned a blind eye to racial discrimination,” Pearson told CNN. “Tired of being a champion of any cause that denies equal rights to every American. Tired of being a champion of a party that doesn’t care about the issues important to young people.”

Pearson’s made headlines in September after he made a video from his Georgia home questioning why Obama had invited that “Muslim kid” to the White House. He was referring to Ahmed Mohammed, the Dallas-area student who brought a homemade clock to his high school.

Pearson also said he is no longer working with the presidential campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). He previously was the chairman for Teens for Ted.

The video of 17-year-old Lacquan McDonald being shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer changed Pearson’s mind. He called the shooting “an issue where conservatives and liberals should come together” in a video published last week.

Pearson said his views will not be dictated by one party.

“I don’t want to be the conservative wonder kid that people follow because I make them feel good and like young people are part of their movement. I want to be followed because I’m the voice of a generation that doesn’t have a voice at the table,” he told CNN.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Yep. We’ve seen this story before.
    Republicans, voice of angry tweens.

  2. Avatar for bkmn bkmn says:

    Any chance he could knock some sense into Ben Carson? Not likely.

  3. Avatar for wwss wwss says:

    Well after reading his latest comments I can see why he had to leave the Republicans … he pays attention and thinks for himself … and realized that he didn’t want to end up another Kim Davis … used by the Republicans for their own evil ends. Welcome back to reality kiddo!

  4.  The video of 17-year-old Lacquan McDonald being shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer changed Pearson's mind.
    

    Wish that it had not taken something so horrible — But still…a breath of fresh air —

  5. You can either grow up or be a Republican, but not both.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

66 more replies

Participants

Avatar for valgalky23 Avatar for lestatdelc Avatar for dr_coyote Avatar for fgs Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for alcaray Avatar for old_curmudgeon Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for liberaljesus Avatar for sconosciuto Avatar for trumpdog Avatar for crackerjack Avatar for carlosfiance Avatar for frankly_my_dear Avatar for sherlock1 Avatar for spocksblackpants Avatar for justamarine Avatar for robcat2075 Avatar for kitty Avatar for dickweed Avatar for pshah Avatar for emilianoelmexicano Avatar for massie

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: