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Newsweek
7 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Gen Z is Shifting Back Toward Democrats
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After months of wavering support and signs of growing disillusionment, new polling suggests Gen Z voters are beginning to drift back toward the Democratic Party. The latest Pew Research data shows that 49 percent of Gen Z voters lean toward the Democrats, while 43 percent lean toward the Republicans. That marks a shift from 2024 when more Gen Z voters leaned toward the Republicans than the Democrats for the first time ever, with 47 percent backing Republicans and just 46 percent identifying as Democrats. Why It Matters In the 2024 election, Trump made inroads with young voters, narrowing the Democrats' traditional lead among Gen Z—a group that has typically leaned left in recent cycles. According to AP VoteCast, voters ages 18 to 29 supported Kamala Harris over Trump by just 51 percent to 47 percent. By comparison, in 2020, Joe Biden carried the same age group by a much wider margin, winning 61 percent to Trump's 36 percent. Now, that shift appears to be reversing among a generation that had showed signs of warming to Trump's populist messaging. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (Democrat of New York) lead House Democrats to a press conference denouncing the Senate-passed spending bill on the steps of the US Capitol... House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (Democrat of New York) lead House Democrats to a press conference denouncing the Senate-passed spending bill on the steps of the US Capitol Building in Washington DC, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. More Aaron Schwartz/AP What To Know In 2020, Gen Z leaned Democratic by an 18-point margin (55 percent to 37 percent), a gap that widened to 32 points in 2021 (63 to 31). Support narrowed slightly over the next two years, with Democrats holding a 17-point lead in both 2022 and 2023 (55 to 38), before collapsing in 2024. The 2024 shift was widely attributed to economic frustration, discontent with President Biden, and the GOP's increasingly aggressive outreach to younger voters—especially on social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. But the latest numbers suggest Republicans may have peaked, as Democrats begin to regain ground with a generation that strongly supports issues like climate action, abortion rights, and student debt relief. The shift comes as Trump's approval rating among Gen Z has fallen to historic lows. The latest CBS/YouGov survey, conducted between July 16—18 among 2,343 adults, found just 28 percent of voters aged 18 to 29 now approve of Trump's performance, while 72 percent disapprove—a net approval rating of -44. That's down from -20 in early June and -12 in late April. Morning Consult's latest poll, conducted between July 18—20 among 2,202 registered voters, recorded similar numbers: 71 percent of Gen Z disapprove of Trump's job performance, compared with just 24 percent who approve, giving him a net rating of -47. And the poll shows the sharp downturn is being driven by growing discontent over Trump's handling of the economy, inflation, immigration, and key policy decisions. Economic frustration remains the dominant factor. Gen Z voters—many of whom are burdened by rising living costs—have turned sharply against Trump on economic issues. In February, he held a net +4 approval on the economy among young voters. By July, that had collapsed to -42. His approval on inflation fell even further, from -10 in February to -46 by mid-July, amid continued price hikes and discontent over tariffs. Meanwhile, the latest poll showed that nearly half (49 percent) of Gen Z voters now blame Trump's policies for the current state of the economy, while just 14 percent say the same of Biden, and a growing majority—62 percent—believe the economy is getting worse, and 58 percent say they are personally worse off under Trump's second term. His immigration crackdown has also begun to backfire. After briefly gaining support in March, Trump's immigration approval among Gen Z dropped to -40 by July. While the administration has reduced unlawful border crossings and increased enforcement, many young voters are alarmed by expanded ICE raids and detention centers—especially as broader public sentiment moves in the opposite direction. According to new Gallup polling, only 30 percent of Americans now support reducing immigration, down from 55 percent in 2024. Support for maintaining or increasing immigration has grown across party lines, and 79 percent now say immigration is a "good thing"—a record high that surpasses sentiment during Trump's first term. Gen Z's disillusionment extends beyond economics and immigration. A growing majority disapprove of Trump's broader agenda: 71 percent oppose his "Big Beautiful Bill Act," which critics say favors tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of social programs. Meanwhile, 84 percent disapprove of how Trump has handled the Jeffrey Epstein files—the highest disapproval on that issue among any age group. Back in April, polling analysis by pollster G. Elliott Morris showed that young voters are not particularly fond of Trump's policies, with his immigration and tariffs policies attracting the largest amount of discontent from Gen Z. Morris argues that Gen Z's shifting political behavior is less about ideological alignment and more about disaffection with the political system itself. As he puts it, "young people weren't very 'Trumpy' to begin with, and they're not particularly prodemocratic now. Instead, they're anti-incumbent." Rather than being deeply partisan, Morris describes young voters as viewing politics "as a transaction, rather than a contest between ideas." In his view, their vote is less about loyalty to a candidate or party and more about asking, "what have you done for me lately?" He paints a bleak picture of Gen Z's reality, noting that for many, "the economic future looks out of reach, and it seems like the government isn't doing much here at home to help you, in particular." This fuels what he calls a "scarcity, anti-system, anti-party mindset," where even traditionally left-leaning young voters are willing to turn on Democrats—or Trump—when they feel neglected. In explaining why Gen Z turned on Trump after briefly supporting him in 2024, Morris writes: "If young people are mostly just elastic, anti-system voters, then the young Trump converts in 2024 aren't really MAGA Republicans so much as stressed-out, ideologically unaware, alienated young adults, in want of a party." And in his conclusion, Morris sums up the dynamic driving Gen Z's political volatility: "Young people did not move toward Trump in 2024 because they're more MAGA, they moved toward Trump because they're sensitive to economics and don't trust 'the system.' And that's ultimately why Trump has lost them, too." What Happens Next Party affiliation data is likely to fluctuate throughout Trump's second term.
New York Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
In Epstein, Democrats Find Unlikely Weapon Against Republicans
In his last news conference before House members left Washington for a five-week summer break, Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader, attacked Republicans for their signature tax cut legislation, accusing them of taking food and health care from poorer Americans to bolster the wealthy. Then, he ceded the lectern to Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the No. 2 Democrat, who made a jarring pivot to a different topic. 'Instead of standing up for kids, for families, instead of standing on the side of transparency and accountability, Republicans are running away — all to avoid the release of the Epstein client list, all to cover up for pedophiles,' Ms. Clark said on Wednesday. Shut out of power in Washington, Democrats have been searching all year for ways to throw a wrench in the works of Congress and gain the upper hand against a Republican majority that routinely bulldozes over them. They have focused relentlessly on making the economic case against President Trump's agenda, bashing Republicans for backing policies they argue will hurt ordinary Americans. But the deep G.O.P. fissure over the Trump administration's refusal to release files on Jeffrey Epstein despite promises to do so has shaken that focus, giving Democrats an opening they have eagerly seized to gum up the works at the Capitol and stoke public anger about how Republicans are governing. Over the past two weeks, Democrats have effectively paralyzed the House floor by insisting at every turn on forcing votes Republicans do not want to cast on whether to insist on the release of files related to Mr. Epstein, the financier who died by suicide while in federal custody on sex-trafficking charges. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Keller: Republicans could face hot-button issues at town halls this summer
The opinions expressed below are Jon Keller's, not those of WBZ, CBS News or Paramount Global. The Speaker of the U.S. House is sending members home a day early for their summer recess, a move Democrats said is aimed at ducking high-pressure votes on the Jeffrey Epstein case. But that and other hot-button issues are sure to come up if and when they hold the traditional town hall meetings with constituents. Remember those angry town halls during the 2009 August recess clamoring against Obamacare? If Revere Rep. Katherine Clark and her fellow Democrats have their way, it'll be Republicans taking the heat this time around. "They cannot hide from the destruction that they have caused," Clark, the House Minority Whip, said at a press conference with other top House officials. I asked Amy Carnevale, chair of the Massachusetts GOP, to respond to some of the Democrats' attack points laid out by Clark. CLARK: "Republicans are running away, all to avoid the release of the Epstein client list, all to cover up for pedophiles." CARNEVALE: "That's ridiculous, Republicans have called on release of additional files and the president has supported the release of additional files." CLARK: "The big, ugly bill kicked 15 million Americans off their health insurance." CARNEVALE: "I don't know where she's getting her numbers but I do take issue with the assertion, particularly here in Massachusetts." (Fact check: The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the budget bill will cause 10 million people to lose their coverage and increase the federal deficit by $3.4 trillion.) CLARK: "[The spending bill] takes food from 16 million kids," a reference to cuts in the SNAP program. CARNEVALE: "We will see that here in Massachusetts, and it'll be really on Governor Healey and the legislature to understand how to prioritize state dollars and dollars coming from the federal government." CLARK: "They run up the debt to give tax breaks to billionaires, and they run out of town to hide sex crimes for the rich and famous." CARNEVALE: "The more Republicans can talk about individual provisions like no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, child tax credit, the better Republicans will be." Back in 2009 there definitely was an effort by conservative groups to whip up anger and channel it into those town halls. But Carnevale told me she doesn't recommend ducking them, that Republicans need to make sure their message gets out there or risk being drowned out by their critics. So if you're reading this in a state where there are Republican members of Congress, stay tuned. Your local town hall might be the hottest show of the summer.
CNN
17-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Top House Democrat blasts Trump's 'nightmare' agenda
Democratic House Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts spoke with CNN's Pamela Brown about President Donald Trump's agenda, including tariffs and the recent passage of Republicans' 'One, Big Beautiful Bill.'
CNN
17-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Top House Democrat blasts Trump's 'nightmare' agenda
Democratic House Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts spoke with CNN's Pamela Brown about President Donald Trump's agenda, including tariffs and the recent passage of Republicans' 'One, Big Beautiful Bill.'
