The College Fix

ANALYSIS: Trump’s strong focus on policy resonated with young voters

Many young voters may not like Donald Trump as a person, but they believe his policies will make their lives better, according to election polls and interviews.

While the so-called youth vote, those aged 18 to 29, still gave candidate Kamala Harris a majority of their vote, it was by a much smaller margin than President Joe Biden received in 2020.

Trump’s strong focus on policy appeared to resonate with young voters. Videos emerged after Trump’s victory of college students dancing in the streets.

“At the end of the day, I have to look at who I think is better fit, and although Trump says things that are at times, kind of out there and crazy, his policies still are better aligned with the things I believe in,” Laney Jackson, 20, told The College Fix via email.

The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement reported that while “young voters overall supported Kamala Harris by a 6-point margin in this election, that was a much smaller margin than the 25-point support young voters gave President Biden in 2020. Much of that shift appears to be driven by young men.”

Trump improved his position with this age group, earning 42 percent of its vote nationally compared to 36 percent in both 2020 and 2016.

The economy was a leading factor in Harris’s weakness among this demographic, according to interviews and polls.

“I don’t like Trump as a person. I don’t think he’s a great person. And I think he needs to get Twitter taken away from him — please — because he has some really loud opinions that aren’t the best. But as a whole, his policies are much more aligned with my beliefs,” Madelyn Dwyer, 20, who voted for Trump, told Politico. “Our economy right now is in the gutter. I’m 20 — so I’m going into adulthood — and I want to be able to buy a house. I bought my first car and it was so much money. And I don’t want to be in crazy debt.”

A pre-election poll backed up those sentiments.

“Three in 10 voters under 30 years old say that inflation and the cost of living is the most important problem currently facing the country — three times more than the share calling ‘threats to democracy’ their most important issue, which was the next highest issue among young voters,” NBC reported in September.

Concerns about illegal immigration also proved to be another strong issue for Trump.

“I voted for Trump because he helped the economy improve when he was president, and he will close the borders, which have led to deaths, kidnapping, and other issues these last four years,” Morgan Rochat, 21, a student at John Carroll University, told The College Fix. “Trump really wants the best for the American people, and as a woman I feel safer with him in office.”

Trump’s appeal to men helped him gain favor among the youth vote, as well. In Pennsylvania, a key swing state, 56 percent of men under age 30 voted for Trump. Biden won this group in the state by 9 points in 2020.

“The gender gap widened substantially among voters ages 18 to 29—with 58% of female voters supporting Harris, a decline of seven percentage points from Biden’s performance in 2020. Trump made significant inroads with younger male voters, winning 18- to 29-year-old men by 15 points. In 2020, Biden carried the same group by 14 points,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

Many scholars have been quick to blame this shift on racism and sexism instead of Trump’s strength on the economy, job creation and border security, as well as his “unapologetic” image and agreement with some conservative views that stand against “woke” progressive policies.

Liam Murphy, a Pepperdine University student, told the Journal that the “only ad I’ve seen directed at me is from a group supporting Kamala Harris, suggesting that Republicans would restrict my access to pornographic content online.”

“This ad exemplifies everything wrong with Democrats’ outreach to young males,” Murphy said. “Modern society often views young white men as problems to be managed, yet their lives are marked by declining social mobility, lower wages, rising rents and fewer opportunities for marriage and meaningful relationships.”

MORE: ‘Devastated’: Classes at Harvard, Penn, Columbia, Swarthmore and others canceled over Trump win

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