As the principal outreach organization of the Conservative Movement, Young America’s Foundation routinely surveys the rising generation to glean fresh insights regarding the priorities, concerns, and ideological makeup of America’s youth.
In the wake of the 2024 election, much was made of young voters’ shift to the right, most notably among young men but also among young women. Compared to the 2020 presidential election, the significant change in support among 18- to 29-year-old voters delivered a needed boost to propel Donald Trump to victory — in every swing state, the Electoral College, and the popular vote.
To better understand what young Americans were driven by last November — and what they expect now and in the immediate future — Young America’s Foundation again partnered with Echelon Insights to survey these 18- to 29-year-old voters.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Asked about their priorities when choosing a candidate in 2024, nearly 60 percent of young Trump voters said their most important attributes were a strong leader and someone who gets things done. Among Harris voters in this demographic, young people favored someone who cares about people like themselves and who they believe is honest and trustworthy.
Eighty-four percent of young Trump voters said their vote was for Trump, while 15 percent said they chose him as more of a vote against Harris. Conversely, just 58 percent of Harris voters said they voted for her as a candidate, while 40 percent cast their ballots as a vote of opposition against Trump.
Of the key events throughout the 2024 campaign, roughly three in ten members of this demographic said the presidential candidates’ picks for VP influenced their votes. Young Trump voters were more likely to be influenced in their choice by the candidate’s appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, working a shift at McDonald’s, or being shot in the Butler, PA, rally assassination attempt than young Harris voters were influenced by her appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, having prominent entertainers at her rallies, or being declared “Brat” by singer CharliXCX.
Among young Harris voters, a notable 39 percent still believe the vice president could have won the election if she had campaigned better or promoted better policies.
Within this rising generation of voters, Trump had a more ideologically diverse coalition that pushed him to victory. Perhaps more notably, warnings that young conservatives would vote en masse for Harris in protest of Trump as the GOP candidate never materialized. Instead, more young liberals voted for Trump than young conservatives voted for Harris.
When asked about how their views may have shifted in recent years, young conservatives report moving to the right on economic and social issues — 69 percent and 61 percent respectively — while 79 percent of young liberals said their views on social issues have become more liberal, including nearly half who said their views moved “much more” to the left.
Young voters still say their personal experiences, family members, and faith are most influential in determining their views on political issues. Among young conservatives, 19 percent said their religious beliefs were what they listened to most, compared to just three percent of liberals. Despite claims that those who shifted to the right in 2024 were merely brainwashed by the likes of Ben Shapiro or Joe Rogan, it was instead a conscious choice informed by their own experiences, families, and religion.
In the wake of Trump’s decisive victory, YAF’s survey with Echelon Insights also looked ahead at policy proposals and concerns about the state of the country as Trump begins his second term to see what young voters wanted and expected to see as a result of the election.
Regarding free expression, young conservatives are likelier to speak out on their views than their liberal or moderate peers. Still, more than half of young voters — including 53 percent of young liberal voters — think publicly funded colleges should lose funding for failing to protect free speech. In addition, 57 percent of this demographic say it is unfair for biological males to compete in women’s sports.
Asked about some of Trump’s policies, the president’s plans to cut taxes ranked as the most popular proposal, with 53 percent supporting additional and/or permanent reductions.
Of the issues facing this country and their generation, young voters registered the cost of living as their biggest concern, followed by jobs and the economy. Notably, topics regularly exploited by the Left — such as race relations, the environment, and abortion — were less concerning to young voters than things like political corruption, immigration, and taxes.
Looking at their peers, just one-third of this demographic reported feeling proud of their own generation always or most of the time. Fifty-nine percent said they feel stressed about their own lives always or most of the time. Similarly, 54 percent of this group said they are frequently stressed about things happening in the United States — but just 34 percent say they are stressed about things happening in other parts of the world.
Broken out along ideological lines, conservative members of this group are less stressed than their liberal or moderate peers. Seventy percent of liberals said they are always or most of the time stressed about their own lives, while fewer than half of conservatives said the same.
Looking abroad, most young voters think that the United States should play a role — albeit a minor role — in resolving the conflicts in Ukraine and between Israel and its foes. Forty-two percent of young voters say the U.S. should play a minor role in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, 22 percent prefer the U.S. to play a major role, and 21 percent say the U.S. should have no role.
When asked about economic conditions, young conservative voters were significantly more optimistic about their personal economic situation and that of the U.S. as a whole: sixty-five percent and 68 percent, respectively, said economic situations were improving, while just 23 percent and nine percent of liberals said the same.
Young liberals are also out of step with their conservative and moderate peers in their view of the United States. Fifty-seven percent of this demographic never or rarely feel proud of the U.S., while that number drops to 25 percent for moderates and just 11 percent for conservatives.
The outlets from which young voters get their news revealed another interesting divide: twenty-five percent of men rely on TikTok compared to 46 percent of women, whereas 34 percent of men rely on X, formerly Twitter, compared to just 15 percent of women.
While there are clear ideological divides on some issues, there’s notable agreement between those on the right, left, and center of the spectrum on some key issues. For example, 42 percent of young voters—including 50 percent of liberals — say the United States government needs a major overhaul, and 15 percent say it “needs to be completely torn down so we can start from scratch.”
In addition, a plurality of young voters—46 percent—think the mainstream media cannot be trusted to present fair and accurate information most of the time. Along ideological lines, conservatives, moderates, and liberals agree, at 47 percent, 46 percent, and 46 percent, respectively.
On the issue of America’s national debt, concern about consequences for this demographic transcends ideology. Sixty-nine percent of this demographic feels it is unfair for the federal government to spend more money than it takes in, leaving the rising generation responsible for addressing the growing debt.
YAF’s latest survey of the rising generation was fielded among a sample of 1,007 registered voters aged 18-29 nationwide January 24-February 7 and weighted to population benchmarks for registered voters aged 18-29 in the United States with a margin of error +/- 4.3 percentage points.
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