FIX EXCLUSIVES
ANALYSIS: Truman Scholarship program continues to subsidize the careers of Democratic activists
Roughly 80 percent of the 2017 and 2018 Truman Scholars remain in liberal politics within a decade after winning the federally funded scholarship, according to a College Fix analysis.
The Fix reviewed the current public activities of Truman Scholars from the 2017 and 2018 cohorts and found at least 98 of the 122 winners have a clear connection to liberal politics, such as working for Democratic members of Congress, advocating for progressive causes, or teaching classes with a liberal focus.
In contrast, none are currently involved in conservative politics. The other winners’ ideologies could not be ascertained based on publicly available information.
The Fix similarly found 75 percent of Truman Scholars from the 2015 and 2016 cohorts remain involved in liberal politics a decade later. Only a single winner from those years could be found who today works for conservative causes.
The federally funded $30,000 scholarship is awarded to approximately 50 students annually who promise to spend three of their first seven years after attending graduate school in public service.
While the prestigious award is supposed to be nonpartisan, it has been overwhelmingly awarded to students involved in progressive causes for at least the last decade, according to annual reviews by The Fix.
The determinations were based on a combination of the winners’ official biographies, self-reported work histories on LinkedIn, and social media profiles and posts.
Most recently, The Fix found the 2025 cohort of Truman Scholars consisted of 43 openly progressive students, compared to only three who are openly conservative.
Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who sits on the Truman Foundation board, in May called for the foundation to address the “troubling patterns of political imbalance in the Foundation’s scholarship award process.” She also called for the foundation to revoke the scholarship of 2025 Truman Scholar Eva Frazier for having “publicly espoused support for Hamas.”
She told The College Fix in a statement this month that her fellow board members should “uphold the integrity and nonpartisan mission of the Truman Scholarship, which is to create and support future public service leaders, not a disturbing ideological litmus test that effectively sidelines talented students who hold mainstream conservative views.”
“I will continue to work with Board members to proactively initiate a comprehensive review of its current recruitment, nomination, and selection practices to address troubling patterns of political imbalance.”
Frazier, lead organizer for the Palestine Solidarity Committee at Harvard University, is still listed as a 2025 Truman Scholar.
Where are they now?
Multiple members of the 2017 and 2018 cohorts currently or recently worked for progressive politicians.
Among others, Sam Harris was a legislative assistant for former Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) until 2023, Akshayaa Chittibabu was a health policy advisor for Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, and Joe Russell is a legislative assistant for Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
Additionally, some of the Truman Scholars have pursued careers in academia or research.
Ashley Sorensen, a doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota, taught LGBTQ Politics and Policy at Macalester College in 2022 and 2023. Laurel Hiatt, an MD/PhD candidate at the University of Utah, is a “queer scientist” who previously worked as a researcher at the Vanderbilt Program for LGBTQ Health.
Others working for progressive causes include a paralegal at the ACLU Voting Rights Project, an intern at the Center for Reproductive Rights, a liberal candidate for mayor of Jersey City, and a group facilitator at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center.
A small number of the awardees, working in fields such as national security, had no discernible political views.
As for the handful of conservatives found during the 2017 and 2018 cohorts, The College Fix’s original review of the 2017 awardees found only three who worked for conservative organizations or politicians. Its original review of 2018 Truman Scholars found zero conservatives among the cohort.
Of those three, none remain involved in conservative-leaning causes.
David Laszcz, who was awarded the scholarship in 2017 and listed as a conservative, interned for a congressional Republican and later worked as a staff economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisors during President Donald Trump’s first term. Today he is an associate at McKinsey & Company.
Daniel Wassim, also listed as conservative in the 2017 cohort analysis, had interned for a former Republican attorney general of North Dakota. Today he appears involved with progressive causes, such as LGBT activism.
And the third conservative from the 2017 class, Dontae Bell, was a staff assistant for Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) from 2013 to 2014, but he later worked for a Democrat. He is now an officer in the Air Force.
Additionally, 2017 winner Athena McNinch interned in the Trump White House after earning the Truman Scholarship, but had previously interned for a Democrat. She has worked for the Department of Labor since 2023.
‘Troubling patterns of political imbalance’
A spokesperson for Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), another Truman board member, told The Fix, “Sen. Moran is committed to making certain the Truman Scholarship – a taxpayer-funded program – is investing in the next generation of American leaders representing a wide range of backgrounds, values, and perspectives.”
“This includes ensuring all students are selected based on merit and are treated fairly throughout the entirety of the Truman Scholar selection process,” the media representative said.
Truman Foundation Executive Secretary Terry Babcock-Lumish did not respond to two emails from The Fix about whether the foundation is working to ensure the next pool of scholars is not as ideologically lopsided or if Frazier’s scholarship has been revoked.
Babcock-Lumish told The College Fix earlier this year that the program is “committed to identifying aspiring leaders throughout the United States, regardless of ideology.” She said, “Our application process does not inquire about political affiliation, nor will it. Each year, we strongly encourage eligible students to compete.”
However, a visiting fellow with the Heritage Foundation and former deputy assistant secretary in the Department of Education has a different view.
“The Truman scholarship program has political biases built into its structure, such as excluding MBA students from the sphere of ‘public service,’” Adam Kissel told The Fix via email. “This is an element of the larger anti-market forces that sneer on for-profit business and privilege leftist critiques of capitalism.”
Because “graduate studies outside the hard sciences are extremely lopsided to the left,” Kissel said he believes “this program is inherently biased and should not exist.”
The Truman Foundation’s board includes George W. Bush-appointed federal Judge Laura Cordero, San Diego Democratic Mayor Todd Gloria, former Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, Rhode Island Democratic Representative Gabe Amo, and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.
MORE: For 11th year in a row, Truman scholars go overwhelmingly to liberal students
IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: The Truman Scholarship logo; Truman Scholarship Foundation
