Here are Reasons Why Young Americans Follow President Donald Trump

Former President Donald Trump has made gains with many demographics since his first presidential bid in 2016. This time, he’s hoping to add votes from a new demographic: young men.

There are signs that the bloc could break for Trump in 2024, which could spell trouble for Vice President Kamala Harris in what is shaping up to be a tight race.

As signs of this shift have become more apparent, both parties have sought to reach out to the group.

Trump made a three-hour appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” on Oct. 25, a podcast popular with younger Americans, especially men. According to data from Media Monitors, 71 percent of Rogan’s audience is male, with an average age of 24.

In past cycles, Republican presidential nominees haven’t spent much time courting the youth—voters aged 30 and older have historically been far more favorable to the GOP than their younger counterparts, who have skewed more liberal.

In 2020, for instance, President Joe Biden vastly outperformed Trump in support among young voters. According to national exit polling by CNN, Biden received 60 percent support among 18- to 29-year-old voters, and 52 percent support among 30- to 44-year-old voters.

But those top-line numbers hide a more polarized environment among young voters: Young women are much more Democratic in their voting patterns, while young men have historically been split about 50–50.

This election, Trump may be on track to significantly improve his support among younger voters, particularly those aged 18 to 44—a trend driven by men moving to the Republican Party under Trump.

“What you can see over the three cycles [from 2016 to 2024] is a general rightward shift in younger voters,” Mark Mitchell, chief of polling firm Rasmussen, told The Epoch Times.

Trump supporters cheer as the former president arrives to speak at a campaign event in Racine, Wis., on June 18, 2024. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

About two dozen young men who spoke to The Epoch Times across the United States cited economics as their biggest issue in the election, mentioning housing, tax rates, and inflation as their most pressing concerns.

Several indicated they were drawn to Trump’s masculine persona—a persona that often has the opposite effect on young women. Others say they’ve been left behind by Democrats, suggesting the party focuses too much on issues, such as abortion, that affect men less; others feel villainized by left-wing ideology.

Mitchell said that Rasmussen’s current polling has Trump leading Harris 47 to 46 percent among 18- to 39-year-old men. Women in the same age bracket, meanwhile, prefer Harris 48 to 44 percent.

A New York Times/Siena national poll that concluded on Oct. 23 also found modest gains for Republicans among youth and men. The pollsters have substantially overestimated Democratic support in the past.

Their most recent poll found that Democrats have lost about 4 points of support among men of all ages when compared to 2020, while Trump has gained about 2 points.

The poll also showed substantial improvements for Trump with young voters, winning 7 percent more support among 18- to 29-year-olds than he did in 2020.

Party strategists and voters on the ground have noticed the trend, too: Republicans have sought to capitalize on it while Democrats have sought to reverse it.

Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia, said that dwindling support among young men is a legitimate concern for the Democratic Party this year.

“It is a big problem for them, potentially,” he said. “They’ve counted on getting the very young voters. They don’t? Problem.”

Supporters cheer as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Oct. 28, 2024. Brandon Bell/Getty Images