Trump counted on young voters to win in 2024. They are now switching to Democrats in droves

Almost two years into President Donald Trump’s second administration and young Americans -who helped him win the White House in 2024 - are shifting their support to Democrats, polling suggests.Just weeks ahead of the midterm elections, the number of voters aged 18 to 29 who identified as Democrat or leaned that way has jumped from 55 percent in 2024 to 70 percent, according to the latest New York Times/Siena poll of likely voters. Across the country, young voters are more likely to cast their ballot for the Democratic candidate in their district by 44 percentage points, compared with a 10-point margin in 2024, the poll found.While Trump made gains with young voters two years ago, only 16 percent of voters aged 18 to 29 now approve of his job performance, compared to 79 percent who disapprove. In another blow, 86 percent of those 18 to 29 disapprove of how the president has handled the economy. Trump’s war in Iran is also proving deeply unpopular with younger voters, with 87 percent saying they disapprove. Young Americans are signaling a shift to the Democratic party ahead of the midterms after two years under President Donald Trump’s second term (AFP via Getty Images)Young male voters flocked to Trump in 2024, with more than half (55 percent) of the demographic signaling their support for him, according to the NYT/Siena poll. Now, Democrats hold a 1 percent advantage over the president with young men.Support for Trump and Republicans among young women, who lean more liberal, has also dropped since 2024.Still, younger voters are not massively impressed with the Democrats either. The poll found that 41 percent said the party was not focused on the right issues. Still, the Republican Party fared worse among the demographic—77 percent said the GOP had the wrong focus. Overall, the NYT/Siena poll found that the majority of voters, aged 18 to 29, believed Democrats had a better handling of the economy, the cost of living, immigration, foreign wars, healthcare, AI, gas prices and corruption than Republicans.The Harvard Youth Poll, released Thursday, had similar findings. Democrats lead Republicans 63 percent to 26 percent among likely voters ages 18–29, with 10 percent undecided, it found.Half of young Democrats (50 percent) said that they will definitely vote in November, compared with 34 percent of young Republicans. Among young people who say they will definitely vote, 63 percent describe their vote as opposition to Trump and his policies, compared with 14 percent who describe it as support.Despite the bump, younger voters are not massively impressed with the Democrats either - 41 percent said the party was not focused on the right issues. But young people were even more damning of Republicans, with 77 percent saying the party had the wrong focus (AFP via Getty Images)“Young voters are poised to deliver a sharp rebuke to President Trump, while the broader generation is sending a message to everyone in power,” said John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Institute of Politics.“Young people feel economic pressure, and they’re holding the current administration responsible — making the midterms a critical referendum on Trump and his policies,” added Sophia Robertson, student chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project.Trump’s approval rating has languished near historic lows for months but the White House has brushed off the unfavorable polls.“President Trump is the unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party, and he is committed to maintaining Republican majorities in Congress,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a previous statement.Trump himself has acknowledged that the president’s party historically tends to lose seats in Congress in the midterms.“For whatever reason, I don't understand it, nobody does. Nobody's been able to explain it. Whoever wins the presidency, Republican or Democrat, automatically does poorly in the midterms,” he told reporters earlier this month.