Inside Congress & the White House with Campus Reform's Emma Dayton
Campus Reform correspondent Emma Dayton shares her journey from Capitol Hill to the White House Office of Communications, and how her role as a young reporter has shaped her future.
Few college students can say they’ve worked both in Congress and the White House before graduation. But for correspondent Emma Dayton, that’s exactly what her past year has looked like.
In a recent interview with Campus Reform, Dayton reflected on her time serving as a press assistant on Capitol Hill, interning in the White House, and reporting stories she says the mainstream media ignores.
She said her training with Campus Reform prepared her to meet the challenges.
Dayton’s first stop in Washington was serving as a press assistant for Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.). She described the experience as a crash course in how government really works compared to what she learned in her classrooms.
Dayton said the pace of operations shifted noticeably when she moved from Congress to the White House Office of Communications.
“The pace in Congress, it can seem a lot slower at times, but also you have to remember that’s their role to be slow, and it’s been working now for over 200 years, and it’s been successful,” Dayton said. “But there’s so much going on behind the scenes in Congress.”
While legislators focus on constituent communication and working on co-sponsoring bills, she said the White House demands constant urgency.
“You have to use every minute wisely…the Trump admin is wasting no time in getting things done,” she said. “The White House really never sleeps.”
[RELATED: Q+A: Campus Reform alumna named to White House press team]
Beyond government internships, Dayton has built her journalism skills as a correspondent for Campus Reform. Inspired by Cabot Phillips’ visit to Liberty University, she joined the Leadership Institute’s program to combine her passion for politics with her journalism minor.
Through her reporting and “man-on-the-street” videos, she’s uncovered stories ignored by the mainstream press. She said the most “eye-opening” part has been talking to students “who are conservative and who do love their country.”
“I was surprised at how many students at the University of Virginia were just so patriotic and they love their country so much,” Dayton said. “Although all of these policies coming from the Biden administration and getting pushed onto universities are woke and are progressive and left-wing, the students actually don’t think that way,” she continued.
Dayton credits Campus Reform with giving her confidence to tackle fast-moving stories and sharpening her knowledge on conservative policy. She said she was equipped with background knowledge that helped her in her day-to-day operations as a White House intern.
“Understanding those policy issues on the front end before they occur is very helpful to responding to those policies in a quick and fast-paced environment,” she stated.
Dayton’s story is proof of how much impact young conservatives can have when they step up and get involved. From college classrooms to the halls of Congress and the White House, Emma Dayton’s journey shows the next generation is ready to lead.
Watch the exclusive video interview on YouTube.
Follow the author of this article on X and Instagram: @RealEmilySturge
