Ned Ryun is an American conservative activist who is the founder and CEO of American Majority, a conservative organization that trains candidates and activists.
Education and background Ryun is the son of Jim Ryun, the former Republican congressman and distance runner.David Boyce, Ryun Twins Following in Their Father's Footsteps-Sort Of, Kansas City Star (May 20, 1990).Elena Schneider, Feingold State Department documents won’t pop before 2016 election, Politico (September 8, 2016).Elena Schneider, Each party's Senate hopes rests on least-known candidate, Politico (November 2, 2016).
Career in government and as conservative activist Ryun was a speechwriter for President George W. Bush.Brady Dennis, National Wisconsin protests continue; counter-demonstrators support governor's bill, Washington Post (February 20, 2011). He is the founder and president of American Majority, a Virginia-based conservative political training institute allied with the Tea Party movement.Jerry Markon, Tea party stays on the sidelines as Obama, Republicans in Congress tackle fiscal cliff, Washington Post (December 23, 2012).Trip Gabriel, A Tea Party Leader Tells Bachmann to Quit, New York Times (October 28, 2011). The group was founded in 2008. Its 501(c)(4) affiliate is American Majority Action, of which Ryun was CEO.Robin Bravender, Tea party making its voice heard, Politico (August 2, 2012). Ryun has been a board member of the American Conservative Union.Alan Rappeport, Will Rule Changes Break Pauls' Monopoly on CPAC's Straw Poll?, New York Times (February 24, 2015).Nick Corasaniti and Alan Rappeport, At CPAC, Pushing Republican Hopefuls to Dive Into Policy Specifics, New York Times (February 27, 2015). During the 2011 Wisconsin protests against Republican Governor Scott Walker's proposal to restrict collective bargaining and organized labor, Ryun helped organize counter-demonstrations in favor of the legislation.Wisconsin protests continue; counter-demonstrators support governor's bill, Washington Post (February 19, 2011).Wis. governor predicts Democrats will return to debate union rights, Reuters via Washington Post (February 20, 2011).
A career Republican Party operative, as of 2013 Ryun was the CEO of Voter Gravity, a Republican data firm used for the party's get out the vote efforts; the company created "tablet and smartphone accessible canvassing maps, walk lists, voter information and dialing tools." In 2016, Ryun was a long-shot candidate for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee.Kyle Cheney & Shane Goldmacher, Short list emerges for RNC chair, Politico (November 14, 2016).
Ryun is a staunch ally of Donald Trump.Alex Isenstadt & Marc Caputo, Trumpworld clashes over Barrett vs. Lagoa, Politico (September 22, 2020). In 2017, Ryun critiqued the Republican tax proposal for not going far enough, accusing the bill of being "a grab bag of goodies for the uberwealthy globalists."Anna Dubenko, Right and Left React to the Republican Tax Plan, New York Times (November 21, 2017). In September 2020, after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, Ryun pushed for Trump to fill the vacancy created by Ginsburg's death before the November 2020 presidential election.Margaret Sullivan, The tortured logic from right-wing media about replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Washington Post (September 19, 2020). He pushed for Trump to nominate Amy Coney Barrett over Barbara Lagoa. Ryun was appointed by Trump to his 1776 Commission, which produced a report on American history that linked progressivism to fascism. The New York Times noted that the report was criticized by mainstream historians.Michael Crowley & Jennifer Schuessler, Trump's 1776 Commission Critiques Liberalism in Report Derided by Historians, New York Times (January 18, 2021). In 2023 Ryun was listed as the Director of Over the Horizon Action, an organization linked to the Rockbridge Network, which has ties to the Trump administration.
Ryun has spoken in support of the second Trump administration; he has appeared on Fox News praising the administration for its efforts to reduce or eliminate federal grant money to universities and for the "somewhat punitive" tariffs that it has levied against some countries, and has said that critics and protesters of the Trump administration are "irrational" and called Trump derangement syndrome "an incurable disease".
Works Ryun is the author of three books:
The Adversaries: A Story of Boston and Bunker Hill (2021) Restoring Our Republic: The Making of the Republic and How We Reclaim It Before It's Too Late (2019) American Leviathan: The Birth of the Administrative State and Progressive Authoritarianism (2024)
In addition, he has co-authored two books with his father and twin brother, Drew Ryun: Heroes Among Us (2002) The Courage to Run (Gospel Light Publications: 2006),
References
External links
Official website