Dem
47
GOP
53
Republicans were delighted when young voters—especially Black and Latino voters—went for Trump in unprecedented numbers in 2024. They thought they had found the secret key and turned them all into Republicans. There is an increasing amount of polling data suggesting that nothing of the kind happened. These voters didn't like the economy and some of them were not keen on voting for a Black woman. That is not the same as becoming a Republican.
Here are the data about young voters from three recent quality polls.
| Pollster | Age range | Approve | Disapprove | Net |
| YouGov | 18-29 | 36% | 62% | -26% |
| Siena University | 18-29 | 26% | 69% | -43% |
| SSRS | 18-34 | 30% | 69% | -39% |
When reporters talked to young voters about why they disapprove of Trump, this is what they were told: First, they want to see results quickly, and the prices have not gone down since Trump was inaugurated. Second, they do not have as much party loyalty as older voters. Third, they view Trump's policies as more extreme than they expected. Fourth, the podcaster Joe Rogan, who is popular with young men, has soured on Trump on account of ICE. Rogan said: "You don't want militarized people in the streets just roaming around, snatching up people—many of which turn out to be U.S. citizens that just don't have their papers on them. Are we really going to be the Gestapo: 'Where's your papers?' Is that what we've come to?"
John Della Volpe, a pollster at the Harvard's Institute of Politics, runs focus groups. He recently said of Trump: "In our spring focus groups, many seemed willing to give him some time, but that goodwill is dissipating fast—especially when daily life feels so expensive, and Trump's attention has turned elsewhere."
Both Democratic and Republican operatives have seen the data and reports about the focus groups. Republican operatives are simply denying the data. Danielle Alvarez, a senior advisor to Trump's 2024 campaign, said: "It's hard to argue with people who are consistently and incredibly wrong. Four weeks before the 2024 election, media-sponsored polls insisted Kamala Harris was ahead in key battlegrounds. The results speak for themselves." That attitude—"There's no need for us to do better"—is not going to win the midterms. (V)