There’s a certain stereotype of young voters as tacking to the left — often far to the left. I recall the quote that some people falsely attribute to Winston Churchill: “If you’re not a liberal when you’re 25, you have no heart. If you’re not a conservative by the time you’re 35, you have no brain.”
However, the 2024 election is teaching us something new: many of our young voters have more of a brain than previous voters their age did. I’ve told this story before, but my oldest niece, Kenzie, who turns 20 on Tuesday, was proud to vote for Donald Trump in November. On the day of the primary here in Georgia, I asked her what it felt like to vote for the first time. Kenzie replied, “When Trump lost in 2020, I was hoping he would run again so I could vote for him.”
New polling from Young America’s Foundation (YAF) shows us how much voters in the 18-29 age range have shifted to the right. We’re also learning a lot about what motivates these young voters.
YAF’s Chief Communications Officer (and my former Townhall colleague) Spencer Brown shared some key takeaways from the poll:
- More young liberals voted for Donald Trump than young conservatives voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election
- More than half of young liberals said their views on social issues have shifted “much more” to the Left in recent years
- Young conservatives say their political views are informed by their own experiences, families, and religion — not being “brainwashed” by prominent influencers online
- In the wake of the 2024 election, young conservatives are emboldened and more likely than their liberal or independent peers to feel comfortable sharing their views
- The cost of living, jobs, and the economy remain the top concerns for young Americans
- Most young Americans feel the U.S. should have a role — albeit a minor role — in resolving the conflicts in Ukraine and between Israel and its foes
- A plurality of young liberals, conservatives, and independents agree that the mainstream media cannot be trusted
- Most young people think the federal government needs significant reform
- Sixty-nine percent of young voters say it is unfair for the government to continue spending that adds to the national debt, a burden they don’t want to be stuck with
Among young Trump voters, 84% said that their vote was a vote for Trump, while 15% characterized their vote as a vote against Kamala Harris. Almost 60% of Trump voters in this age cohort said that their primary quality in a president was a strong leader who accomplishes things.
Another interesting factor for young voters was the candidates’ media appearances. Brown wrote, “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.”
Related: Who's Got the Joy? You Might Be Surprised.
Conservatives in this age group feel more optimistic and patriotic, while young liberals say they rarely feel proud of the U.S. and don’t have a positive view of the future.
“Young voters still say their personal experiences, family members, and faith are most influential in determining their views on political issues,” noted Brown. “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.”
Young voters are echoing older voters in their movement to the right or left. Younger conservatives report moving more to the right on social and economic issues, while a vast majority of young liberals are moving further to the left. The lines are growing ever starker, and this generation of voters may reveal even larger fissures between right and left.
The youth vote was a surprising factor in Trump’s victory. If these trends tell us anything, it’s that we might be able to count on this generation of young voters to help Keep America Great in the future.
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