President Trump is losing young men.
Recent numbers from the Harvard Youth Poll show that confidence in Trump’s ability has cratered among men under the age of 30, with nearly 70 percent of them disapproving of his performance in his second term. That same number also disapproves of the Republican Party at large.
Seventy-four percent of men under 30 disapprove of how Trump has handled the economy, with the majority of them saying that their financial situations had either gotten worse or remained unchanged since he entered office. Furthermore, over half of young men said they’re entering midterms with the frame of mind to vote against Republicans rather than for Democrats, and 42 percent said their vote was a “vote in opposition to President Trump and his policies”—perhaps an indictment of both Trump and the Democratic establishment.
Trump’s success with young men was a key factor in his 2024 election victory against Vice President Kamala Harris. Men under 30 turned away from Democrats in droves, shifting nearly 30 points to the right since 2020. But much like the Black and Latino red wave that Republicans bragged about after that election, their ability to keep young men in their base has been fleeting. Rising costs, uncontrolled development of artificial intelligence, a lack of future security, and a general disapproval of the direction of Trump’s administration are all playing a part. Aside from the men, only 9 percent of young Americans in general think that the country is currently going in the right direction—presenting an ominous message for Trump as midterms rapidly approach.
View the full polling here.