U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has plummeted among young people, according to new survey data.
According to analysis by data journalist G. Elliott Morris posted in his Substack blog Strength In Numbers, Trump’s net approval among people aged 18 to 29 has declined by 35 percentage points since November 2024.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Newsweek: “President Donald Trump is keeping his promises and Making America Great Again: whether it’s securing the border, securing historic investments in American manufacturing, taming Biden’s inflation crisis, or fighting against the Democrats’ radical demands of free health care for illegal aliens.” Referring to a Rasmussen Reports poll from September 25, she added: “That’s why over 57 percent of Americans approve of the President and the incredible job he’s doing!”
Why It Matters
Young people tend to support the Democratic Party, but a conservative shift among younger voters proved key to Trump’s success in the November 2024 elections.
According to AP VoteCast, voters ages 18 to 29 supported Joe Biden by 61 percent to Trump’s 36 percent in 2020. But four years later, the proportion of Democratic-supporting young people declined and 51 percent voted for then Vice President Kamala Harris and 47 percent opted for Trump.
If the trend toward the GOP is reversing and the Democrats are seeing success among young people once more, Republicans may struggle to hold onto gains they made in 2024.
What To Know
Morris analyzed 7,000 interviews delivered over the course of five months and compared them to previous reports from the poll respondents about their 2024 election choices to track changing opinions.
He found that Trump’s approval rating among this group has declined by 35 percentage points, from -3 to -38.
He said that in particular, Trump had lost the support of young Hispanic voters, something he said had occurred because of Trump’s tariff and immigration policies.
However, other polls suggest Trump’s fortunes with young people are less bleak. As per new polling by AtlasIntel, Trump’s approval rating among adults ages 18 to 29, has improved by 35 percentage points in two months.
Meanwhile, in July, YouGov/The Economist polling found that Trump’s favorability among Gen Z was improving. His net approval among this group stood at -28 percent percentage points, an improvement on July when this figure was -38.
What People Are Saying
Speaking to Newsweek Olivia Julianna, a Gen-Z political activist said: “Since Donald Trump took office, the cost of living has gone up everywhere—housing, groceries, fuel, utilities. If Republicans keep the government shutdown, health care prices will be next.
“Many young people supported Trump because they thought he had real answers. Instead, they’ve seen a president more focused on culture war stunts—renaming the Department of Defense, fighting over the name of the Gulf of Mexico, and attacking celebrities from official accounts.
“All the while, he’s been focused on enriching himself and his donors, not helping the people who believed in him.”
Thomas Whalen, an associate professor who teaches U.S. politics at Boston University, told Newsweek: “Well, they weren’t enthused with Biden, so it’s no surprise they’re not crazy for Trump, who is equally ancient and out of touch in their eyes.”
What Happens Next
Trump’s popularity among young people and other voting demographics will likely fluctuate throughout his presidency. The midterm elections in November 2026 will test this popularity in earnest.
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