The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPR chapter.
There are few figures as controversial as President Donald Trump. Love or loathe him, he seems to stir up strong emotions, no matter who from. His platform–and opponents–are raucous and loud, further deepening the party lines that divide the United States. This was none more apparent than in the 2024 elections, where according to AP VoteCast, a survey conducted nationwide, most voters aged 18-29 swung red, coming to the coalition with sharply different views and interests than older conservatives or other Republican leaders. In fact, they weren’t even overwhelmingly conservative. Approximately 32% of the younger voters self-identified as moderate, and 13% as “very or somewhat liberal.” With that in mind, how was he able to amass such large swaths of supporters, considering his rhetoric? The president has not hidden his four-year agenda, and the people he surrounds himself with are telling enough. So what caused this development and what appeal does the president have to younger voters?
Supporters listen in to his speech at a rally in Raleigh, N.C., just before election day.
Source: Jabin Botsford
Optimism about the future is dwindling. According to a recent study at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, many students, regardless of political affiliation, blamed politicians for the existing problems in American society. There is a profound disconnect between the American people and their government, with many young adults and teenagers feeling disillusioned with a system and elected officials that don’t reflect the needs of the people. With rising costs, the plans for loan-debt forgiveness falling through, and a lack of media presence, many younger voters began turning away from the Democratic Party, citing that there doesn’t seem to be a clear plan for building America up. In the middle of all of this, Donald Trump begins, somehow, to look more appealing. Many remember him for lowering prices, and associate his presidency with a flourishing economy. Generally, poll after poll showed that voters had more faith in President Donald Trump’s ability to make good economic policy choices compared to Joe Biden’s. More than that, even after Kamala Harris substituted Joe Biden in his bid for candidacy, the feeling persisted, many seeing her as an extension of the current administration and their unpopular decisions. Was the economy the only reason that so many young voters chose President Trump? Not quite.
If there is anything people can’t deny, it’s that the current president has a strong media presence. He posts almost daily, and makes no reservations about having public appearances — in fact, he seems to soak up the attention like a sponge. Because of this, many feel like they know what’s going on, that they have a strong connection to him. Think of influencers, and the relationships that they cultivate with their audiences; the key factor here is trust. President Donald Trump being so open, so frank with Americans after decades of confusing and conflicting messages to many, feels refreshing. During his campaign, he cycled through the bro podcast circuit, speaking to Joe Rogan, Logan Paul, and other known figures. He seemed down-to-earth, saying what “everyone else was saying behind closed doors.” To young men who had no clue about politics, he seemed to appear naturally on their feeds, speaking rationally and in an entertaining manner about topics that worried them in their day-to-day lives. He just seemed so approachable, like you could have a beer with him. Compared to the Democratic Party’s “cringy” ads, the Harris candidacy seemed out of touch, and young men found that they liked Donald Trump, and how he seemed unapologetically masculine. His “machismo vibe,” to put it in New York Young Republican Club President Gavin Wax’s words. But did Donald Trump only appeal towards men?
Donald Trump, on the October 21 episode of Six Feet Under, a wrestling themed podcast.
Source: SixFeetUnderwithMarkCallaway
In the 2024 presidential election, Harris seemed to lose ground with female voters in comparison to Biden in the 2020 election, according to Holly Honderich in BBC News. Despite most of Harris’ message being about reinforcing reproductive rights, that support for abortion in many states didn’t translate for a vote towards her. Results from polls showed that a large percentage of women who stated that abortion should remain legal also remarked negatively about the economy, leading to conflicted voters, which Trump won a significant share of. His comments about leaving reproductive rights to the states solidified those feelings, leading women to ignore the more uncomfortable aspects of his politics in favor of his economics. Jackie Payne, the founder and executive director of Galvanize Action, which studies moderate White women, stated that women who supported Trump believed that he would deliver economic security for their families, and avoided or resisted information that would make them feel guilty about voting for him. Even if they were shown clips of Trump making threats or using crude language, “They thought he was just being hyperbolic,” Payne said, “They were choosing to believe a vision of him that was aligned with what they wanted to get out of him—a strong economy—and they were absolutely discounting anything that felt extreme as disinformation or hyperbole, even if he said he would do it.” In general, women were uneasy about Trump, but they gave more weight to immediate concerns — like inflation and crime. “The women who were most driven by abortion, health care, democracy and freedom and rights, which pulled it all together, chose Harris overwhelmingly,” said Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, chief strategy officer for Way to Win, a liberal group that focuses on electing candidates of color, “But in this election, the more brass tacks, immediate impact (issues) won the day.” However, Fernandez Ancona also states that if the cost of living fails to go down, they can’t access Plan B, and they see the effect of the lack of vaccines, Democrats might have a chance to push through to engage with them.
“The people voted for major government reform,” is a slogan that has been thrown around in the first few months of Donald Trump’s presidency. Yet, the president’s approval ratings continue to sink, especially as it concerns their more specific policies. According to Elliot Morris, in a recent poll by ABC News, around 46% of adults oppose the president’s agendas. His popularity among Gen Z is falling dramatically, with a survey from YouGov showing that 57% disapproved of him. It seems that the people who voted for Trump are seeing the sweeping changes that are occurring, and realizing that this isn’t quite what they had in mind for his presidency.
