Even though he’s only 15, aspiring journalist Quinn Mitchell has attended over 80 presidential campaign events. He’s earned a reputation for asking presidential candidates like Ron DeSantis very pointed questions. Find out why he got ejected from a recent Republican event in New Hampshire.
Meet Quinn Mitchell
Quinn Mitchell might only be 15, but he already knows what he wants to do with the rest of his life.
The New Hampshire native wants to become a journalist, and, more specifically, it seems as though he would like to become a journalist who covers the political scene. He already has his own blog and podcast that both cover politics.
Mitchell Routinely Attends Presidential Campaign Events
Despite his young age, Mitchell has already been able to earn his fair share of experience when it comes to covering politics.
On his website, he claims that he has attended more than 80 Presidential campaign events, and he plans on attending a lot more of them in the years to come. Since he’s situated in New Hampshire, which is a state that attracts its fair share of these events, he’s able to attend quite a few of them each year.
Mitchell Has Earned a Reputation for Asking Direct Questions
Because of his age, many people, including the politicians he interviews, expect Mitchell to ask softball questions. But he’s been able to earn a reputation for asking direct questions that sometimes make politicians look and feel a little uncomfortable.
These politicians don’t always see these types of questions coming, which often makes them even more pointed than they would be otherwise.
Ron Desantis Had an Awkward First Encounter With Mitchell
One of the politicians who got caught off guard by one of Mitchell’s questions was Florida governor, Ron DeSantis.
During a town hall in New Hampshire back in June, Mitchell asked DeSantis if he thought Donald Trump had violated the peaceful transfer of power as a result of what happened on January 6, 2021. DeSantis responded to the question by asking, “Are you in high school?” before saying that if Republicans start “relitigating things that happened 2, 3 years ago, we’re going to lose.”
Mitchell’s Second Encounter With Desantis Was Also Strange
About a week after the town hall that Mitchell attended, he went to a July 4th parade in New Hampshire that DeSantis was also at. Mitchell attempted to approach him, but handlers for DeSantis wouldn’t let him get anywhere near the Florida governor. A video of this made the rounds online.
Mitchell Showed Up at a Republican Event This Week
The New Hampshire Republican Party held a First in the Nation Leadership Summit this week, and many of the Republican Presidential candidates showed up for it, including DeSantis. Mitchell also made his way to his event and was looking forward to asking questions to former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, according to an interview he did with the New York Times.
The New Hampshire Republican Party had provided Mitchell with a guest credential for the event. But soon after he showed up at the Sheraton Nashua hotel where it was being held, he was ejected from the venue by local police officers.
Mitchell Revealed the Reason He Was Given for His Ejection
Initially, Mitchell said he was confused about why he was being removed from the event. But he revealed the reason he was given while talking to the New York Times.
He claimed a person who was closely associated with the event told him that they knew he had a history of causing disturbances at events like it. They said, ‘We know who you are,’” Mitchell said.
The New Hampshire Republican Party Claimed Mitchell’s Ejection Was a Mistake
After speaking with Mitchell, the New York Times reached out to the New Hampshire Republican Party to get clarification. A spokesperson for the organization responded by saying that Mitchell being ejected from the event was the result of a mistake made by a volunteer.
“During the course of the two-day event, an overzealous volunteer mistakenly made the decision to have Quinn removed from the event, thinking he was a Democrat tracker,” the spokesperson said.
Mitchell Was Eventually Allowed to Return to the Event
The New Hampshire Republican Party spokesperson was also quick to point out that Mitchell wasn’t shut out of the event for long.
They revealed that Mitchell was let back in once the organization realized their mistake. “Once the incident came to our staff’s attention, NHGOP let him back into the event, where he was free to enjoy the rest of the summit,” the spokesperson said.
Mitchell Didn’t Buy the Organization’s Reasoning
The New York Times asked Mitchell if he believed the New Hampshire Republican Party’s explanation. He pointed out that he doesn’t think it was a coincidence that he was ejected from the event right around the same time DeSantis was set to speak.
“They know the story between me and DeSantis,” Mitchell said, alluding to the fact that the two haven’t had the most pleasant interactions in the past, at least from DeSantis’ perspective.
It’s worth noting that Mitchell was able to get back into the Sheraton Nashua hotel in time to hear DeSantis talk. But he said he didn’t bother trying to ask him a question at the end of his remarks because DeSantis only opened up the floor for one quick question.
Could Mitchell and Desantis Run Into Each Other Again?
Mitchell and DeSantis may not have crossed paths at this particular Republican event. But the 2024 New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary isn’t scheduled to take place until early 2024.
That leaves plenty of time for Mitchell to get in at least a few more questions for DeSantis between now and then.
The post “We Know Who You Are” – Why Was a 15-Year-Old Aspiring Journalist Ejected From a Republican Event? first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
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