Gen Z’s Turn to Trump
By Lillian Ferrell
The political tide of Gen Z is changing. Some of the youngest Americans heading to the ballot box this November are not followers of “woke.” New young conservative voters are emerging, readying to back Donald Trump in 2024. The economic and cultural malaise under the Biden-Harris administration accounts for why some cohorts of Gen Z are considering Trump.
Unemployment as well as surging living costs — the legacy of the Biden administration — are among the greatest concerns of young voters this election. The unemployment rate for 20-24 year olds in 2024 is a shocking 7.9% compared to the national average of 4.0%, according to recent Newsweek polling.
Exorbitant college tuition, reaching as high as $90,000 per year for an undergraduate degree, haunts Gen Z further as they struggle to find work. Commodity costs have skyrocketed to obscene levels. Food and beverage prices have increased 22.22% since 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported. Young Americans are drowning in expenses, denied economic stability to start building their American dreams.
To the generation that inherited sky-high inflation and the societal disruptions that came with Covid, Trump is a compelling option. Gen Z has grown up in a turbulent political climate. Many of them have become resentful of Washington bureaucrats and career politicians who’ve recklessly spent away their futures.
Trump’s authenticity reinvigorates many young voters in a time when politicians more often peddle false promises and misinformation. Take the Biden administration’s plan for student loan bailouts. This illegal program promised to erase up to $20,000 in college debt per student. However, Biden’s plan burdened taxpayers, and further fueled disastrous inflation. Leading economic think tanks such as the Cato Institute and the Congressional Budget Office anticipated a range of 1.2%-1.7% in month-over-month growth on inflation as a result of Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. At a time when weekly groceries have become a luxury, this net effect was catastrophic.
If Gen Z could see how such a blanket bribe from Democrats would translate into more inflation, making a house, gas and basic necessities even more expensive, they’d likely press pause before accepting. At age 30, 49% of non-college-educated baby boomers owned homes in comparison to 24% of their Millennial counterparts, according to the Economic Research Federal Reserve of St. Louis.
Gen Z also feels like fewer jobs are available. The cost of college has become so unreasonable that 18 to 24 year olds are turning away from college entirely, looking to trade school and working in blue collar industries. Enrollment in vocational-focused community colleges increased 16% from 2022 to 2023, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Under an administration that has helped make higher education unattainable and less fruitful for securing a livelihood, Gen Z is seeking alternatives.
More young Americans realize Democrats have treated them like political pawns. Gen Z is beginning to see that Trump has a vision for their success. In my experience, Gen Z defines the American dream as economic freedom, the ability to have an education, and the opportunity to have a family and career if one so chooses. Trump’s platform promotes all three goals.
In this time of economic uncertainty, Gen Z is desperate for true leadership, and Trump is answering the call. Even tech titan Mark Zuckerberg recently marveled at Trump’s inspiring defiance during the active attempt on his life as “one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life.” Trump is a symbol of resilience amid Washington corruption. Gen Z is exhausted by the political failures of progressive presidents, and they are turning to Trump to restore their hope in a country that can work for them.
J.D. Vance’s partnership with Trump further appeals to the needs of young Americans. Vance’s youth is an asset in a political arena of older politicians detached from young voters’ unique life experiences. Where Trump contributes leadership and economic expertise, Vance represents the interests of younger Americans.
The destruction of the past four years has brought young voters to ask critical questions about who they’ll vote for. Flourishing at an individual, family, and country level is impossible under the Biden administration. Many of them are starting to crave the prosperity of a Trump term.
Lillian Ferrell is a sophomore at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, majoring in English. Alongside her major, she is studying classical opera and French. Lillian is an active member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and serves as the marketing and operations director for Hillsdale’s Federalist Society chapter.
