Despite a conservative presidential platform of issuing mass-deportations, clamping down on women’s reproductive rights, and repealing protections for LGBTQ+ people, former President Donald Trump made surprising gains within a generation known for its progressivism. It turns out, Gen Z, or at least some swaths of the generation, showed up for Trump on Election Day, helping cement his strong win over Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.
Last election, President Joe Biden beat Trump by 11% among men aged under 30. This time around, Trump edged out Harris by 2 points, per NBC News exit polling. Trump also carries more favor when it comes to young women, as Biden’s 35-point lead shifted to only 24 points for Harris.
Gen Z leaning Trump wasn’t anticipated, despite young men’s turn to conservatism being well-documented. Young registered voters reported to favor Harris (53%) over Trump (33%) respectively, according to a poll from Harvard Kennedy School of more than 2,000 undergraduate students. Her lead diminished to 9 points in key swing states.
On Election Day, a different reality for young voters emerged.
Some Gen Zers likely fibbed about their vote
During a divisive election, it appears as if some voters held their cards close to their chests. Almost a quarter (23%) of Americans reportedly lied to someone close to them about who they were voting for, according to an Axios poll of more 1,800 registered voters, conducted by the Harris Poll.
The younger generations were most likely to lie, at 48% of Gen Zers and 38% of millennials compared to just 17% of Gen Xers and 6% of baby boomers. And men were more likely to lie than women, at 30% and 17%, respectively.
While it was unclear from the poll who they were lying to, it now appears that some Gen Z men backed Trump in silence.
Perhaps people are fibbing so much because their generation is splintered. Men in the U.S., Germany, and South Korea are tilting increasingly conservative, according to Gallup data as covered by the Financial Times. In the same countries, women are leaning more liberal.
Trump met some young men where they were at, speaking on Joe Rogan’s podcast and snagging endorsements from YouTubers like Jake Paul and other influencers who curry favor with his intended audience. “What [Trump] is doing is sitting down and doing a podcast with some podcaster, and that’s where he has made gains in this election,” Dan Pfeiffer, former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, told Fortune’s Jane Thier.
Trump also attempted to soften his image on these shows. “They think of Trump as an anti-hero and not a villain. … I think it’s less about policy and much more about personality,” John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, told Axios.
Trump capitalized on disillusionment and economic fatigue
Young people across political leanings are disillusioned with their leaders. Gen Zers want politicians to become more involved in critical issues, like climate change, economic inequality, and democracy’s future. And they report feeling fatalistic about the government’s failure to do so, per two studies from UC Berkeley researchers.
It’s a given that the incumbent party often struggles to win, when so many people feel unsatisfied with the current reality. But Trump was able to capitalize on the working-class vote this cycle. Most voters felt pessimistic about the economy under Biden and Harris, with 64% rating it “not good” or “poor,” according to exit polls. Increasingly burdened by the cost of housing and groceries, voters sought an alternative to the current administration.
“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who campaigned for Harris, wrote. “While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.”
And younger generations that often report feeling especially left behind, as they struggle to afford life milestones like buying a house while dealing with a volatile economy and student loans. While many economists spoke out in favor of Harris’ economic plan as better for the nation, some Gen Zers appeared to be so disillusioned with the state of affairs that Trump’s courtship started to work.
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