President Donald Trump’s backing among young men has declined since his victory in last November’s presidential election, according to two recent polls.
Why It Matters
Trump made notable gains with young men during the 2024 election, strengthening his path back to the White House. He carried men ages 18 to 29—a group he had lost four years earlier to former President Joe Biden. Since returning to office, however, Trump’s overall approval rating has slipped amid rising economic concerns.
Republicans are closely tracking these numbers ahead of the 2026 midterms, when every House seat and a third of Senate seats will be contested. A loss of support among voters Trump gained in 2024 could hurt the GOP, while maintaining that backing could prove decisive in competitive races.
What to Know
According to CNN exit polls, Trump narrowly won men ages 18 to 29 in 2024 by a single point over former Vice President Kamala Harris, 49 percent to 48 percent. In 2020, he lost that group to Biden by 11 points. Trump also improved his standing with men ages 30 to 44, winning them by seven points in 2024 after edging them by just one point in 2020.
Those results marked a clear overperformance among a generation long viewed as more progressive than older voters. But more recent surveys suggest that momentum may be fading.
A Harvard Youth Poll released earlier in December found that most Gen Z men are dissatisfied with the administration. Sixty-two percent said they disapprove of Trump’s job performance, while 32 percent approved.
That discontent does not translate into strong enthusiasm for Democrats. Just 24 percent of respondents approved of congressional Democrats, compared with 71 percent who disapproved. When asked about control of Congress, 36 percent said they would prefer Democrats, while 28 percent favored Republicans.
The poll surveyed 2,040 people ages 18 to 29 between November 3 and 7, 2025, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.94 percentage points.
An earlier Harvard Youth Poll from spring 2025 showed slightly stronger numbers for Trump among young men, with 34 percent approving and 59 percent disapproving of his performance.
Trump’s earlier gains with young men were fueled in part by his visibility on podcasts and livestreams popular with Gen Z audiences, according to Mark Beal, a professor of communication at Rutgers University and an expert on Gen Z.
“These long-form, unscripted channels hosted by figures like Theo Von and Joe Rogan effectively reached Gen Z men, many of whom were voting for the first time in 2024,” Beal said. He noted that Gen Z tends to avoid traditional television news but consumes large amounts of digital content.
Both Trump and Democrats, Beal added, will need to meet young voters where they are—on podcasts, livestreams, and similar platforms—and address issues that matter most to them.
“Concerns around the economy, inflation, healthcare, prescription costs, insurance, mortgage rates, and even Social Security will grow more important as older Gen Z voters advance in their careers, start families, and buy homes,” he said. “These are the issues both parties will need to prioritize to win Gen Z support in 2026 and beyond.”
The University of Chicago’s GenForward survey echoed those findings. In that poll, 34 percent of men said they approve of Trump’s performance, while 55 percent disapproved. The survey included 5,390 adults ages 18 to 42 and was conducted between October 24 and November 10, 2025.
What People Are Saying
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X in October that Trump had returned to TikTok and told Gen Z they “owe me big” for saving the platform.
Trump said on Truth Social in November that polls showing declining support were “Fake Polls” pushed by “Radical Left Media,” adding that despite the criticism, he was “sitting in the Oval Office.”
Conservative activist Brilyn Hollyhand wrote in a December 24 post on X that Republicans cannot take Gen Z votes for granted, arguing that the party must actively engage students on campuses and in trade schools and community colleges.
What Happens Next
Trump’s approval rating among young voters is likely to remain a key factor heading into the 2026 midterms, with potential consequences for both the outcome of those elections and the future direction of the Republican Party.
