Young men have soured on Trump and the GOP. But will they vote on Tuesday?

In 2024, unhappy with the high cost of living under the Biden administration, Steven Fitzgerald cast his ballot for Donald Trump. Now, the Generation Z real estate investor from western Maryland says he regrets it.“The focus of the administration ... was supposed to be on making the economy better, houses more affordable,” says Mr. Fitzgerald, who also works as a compliance code inspector. “I don’t feel like he’s doing the job that I gave him to do with my vote.”Economically squeezed and concerned about yet another protracted war abroad, voters of all backgrounds and ages are telling pollsters they’re unhappy with President Trump’s policies. But no group seems to be experiencing greater buyer’s remorse than young voters – particularly young men. Mr. Trump won 55% of male voters between the ages of 18 and 29 two years ago, fueling his return to the White House and stunning Democrats, who historically have won younger voters. Now, multiple surveys suggest many of those same young men are moving away from the GOP.Only 49% of young people who cast ballots for Mr. Trump in the last election approve of his performance today, according to a recent poll from the Pew Research Center. A survey of Gen Z men earlier this fall found that, among those most likely to vote, Democrats held a 17-point lead.“Young men voted for Trump [in 2024] because they thought he would be better for their short-term and longer-term economic prospects,” says John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics. “Some of those young people will continue voting for Trump-aligned candidates and Republicans. But clearly not as many. Others may switch to Democrats, and others will stay home.” Kaylee Greenlee/ReutersAn audience member in a MAGA hat listens at a rally for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, in Lubbock, Texas, Oct. 27, 2026. Young people in general tend to vote at lower rates, but there are some indications their participation in this election could be lower than usual. A Harvard Institute of Politics poll released last week found only about one-third of Republicans ages 18-29 say they’ll definitely vote in the midterms, compared with 46% who had planned to vote before the 2022 midterm elections. During the 2024 campaign, Mr. Trump made a concerted effort to reach young voters, for example by appearing on podcasts with popular figures like Joe Rogan and comedian Theo Von. Stylistically, he appealed to many younger men with his off-the-cuff approach.“He says what he thinks, he says what’s on his mind,” says Charlie Sabgir, director of the Young Men Research Project in Washington.On the trail, Mr. Trump promised to end “forever wars,” lower the cost of living, and boost energy independence, all in the name of “America First.” It was a message that strongly appealed to Gen Z men like Mr. Fitzgerald.“Imagine what the country would look like if we spent $300 billion on the American people, the middle and lower classes, as opposed to sending [it] overseas,” he says. “I see people struggling every day.”Hunter Hardy, a Gen Z electrician from New Lexington, Ohio, also regrets casting his vote for Mr. Trump in 2024. “He’s not keeping his promises,” says Mr. Hardy, who says that in his view the president turned out to be no different from any other politician. As a result, he’s grown “tired” of politics, he says. No matter how he votes, it seems like “the government does what it wants.” In 2024, the Gen Z men who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris were also generally more supportive of foreign intervention, according to exit polls. By contrast, younger men who voted for Mr. Trump often wanted a more isolationist foreign policy, Mr. Sabgir notes. For those voters, the war with Iran has felt like a sharp betrayal. Many also support ending aid to Israel, an issue that unites the younger generation on the left and the right. Saul Loeb/ReutersVice President JD Vance gives a thumbs up at a midterm campaign rally at CHI Aviation in Howell, Michigan, Oct. 27, 2026. Faltering support among young men could portend a rocky 2028 presidential run by Vice President JD Vance, Mr. Trump’s current heir apparent. Another poll released this fall found that a majority of young men have an unfavorable view of Mr. Trump, the Republican Party, and Mr. Vance.During the 2024 campaign, Mr. Trump leaned into certain online conspiracies – calling for the release of the Epstein files and government documents around UFOs, for example. On those fronts, too, he wound up disappointing supporters with his actions in office. The Trump administration has released millions of pages of documents on Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in prison, but critics have complained about heavy redactions and say that not everything has been released.Some national Democrats say their party has an opening to win back younger men not only in this election, but in 2028 as well – if they don’t squander it. 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Ruben Gallego of Arizona says in an interview, after appearing on a panel earlier this month in Washington about issues facing young men.That means Democrats need to deliver on legislation to raise wages and make it easier to buy homes, Senator Gallego says. “If we don’t have good policies, we could go on Theo Von, we could go on Joe Rogan, we could go on all these things, and they still won’t support us because then they feel like, ‘What am I getting?’” he says. ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.