Much attention is being given to non-white voter support being picked up by Donald Trump.
However, the change taking place among younger voters is even more dramatic.
In the 2016 and 2020 elections, Donald Trump was defeated soundly among voters ages 18-29.
In 2016, Dem candidate Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump among voters among voters ages 18-29, 55% to 37%.
In 2020, now-President Joe Biden defeated Trump in this demographic by 60% to 36%.
However, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Donald Trump leading Joe Biden by one point among voters aged 18 to 34.
Per non-favorability/favorability ratings, in October 2020, before the election, 58% of those 18-34 rated Biden “favorable” against 38% who rated Trump “favorable.”
However, in the same polling conducted by Gallup last month, Biden’s favorability among those aged 18-34 decreased to 33%, and Trump’s was up to 46%.
A New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll was conducted in six battleground states — Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Among those 18-29, in response to the question, “If you had to decide between the two today, who would you lean more toward?” 46% said Trump, with 43% responding for Biden.
Questions to follow up in this poll show dissatisfaction among these younger voters.
Regarding the economy, 91% of respondents aged 18-29 rate it poor or fair. And they favor Trump above Biden regarding confidence in repairing the economy 68% to 25%.
Regarding the country’s economic and political system, 62% said it requires “major changes,” and 16% feel it should be “torn down entirely.”
None of this is shocking. What is surprising is that our nation’s youth is only waking up to the raw deal they are receiving.
They are inheriting a nation that was once great and is now heading into social and fiscal bankruptcy due to completely irresponsible management by the preceding and current generations.
Despite current polling showing the youth vote leaning toward Trump, according to the same poll, almost twice the percent of voters ages 18-29 identify as Democrats (27%) compared to Republicans (15%). But 44% identify as independents.
We must look no further than the nation’s most significant and oldest entitlement program, Social Security.
It is well known that the system is corrupt. According to the latest Trustees Report, the system will become insolvent in 2035, with a shortfall of around 20%.
However, all these youth, ages 18 to 29, are immediately forced to pay into the already broken system with their first paycheck, despite the fact that the funds aren’t there to pay them their benefits in full when they retire. If a company were private, management would be facing legal action.
It’s no wonder youth in the U.S. are cynical about their country.
The Biden administration continues to borrow and spend like economic reality doesn’t exist. Per the Congressional Budget Office, “If current laws governing revenues and spending go unchanged…debt held by the public would soar from 99% of GDP [gross domestic product] in 2024 to 166% of GDP in 2054 — exceeding any previously recorded level and on track to increase further.”
It should be noted that in 1980, the debt was less than 25% of GDP. At the end of 2008, only prior to Obama’s presidency, it stood at 43.6%.
Loaded down by debt and big government, CBO projects annual growth from 2024 onward at less than 2%. Growth averaged more than 3.5% annually from 1950 to 2000.
Can things be repaired? Of course, with courageous, meaningful leadership. Trillions of dollars in wasteful spending must be cut, and outdated government programs should be privatized and eliminated.
However, the last place to search for leadership for any of this is the current Washington administration, which loves increasing the welfare state by mortgaging the next generation’s future.
The change must happen now, and young voters are beginning to realize it.
