A focus group of young men, conducted by NBC in conjunction with Syracuse University and research firms Engagious and Sago, finds that regardless of whether they support Trump’s policies or not, it is still the determining factor in their vote–either by attraction or repulsion. The study involved group conversations with 15 men under the age of 30 (7 Harris supporters and 8 Trump supporters) from the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Margaret Talev, director of Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism, and Citizenship, described the men gathered for the focus group as “skeptical voters who are still in the lean phase,” declaring their support for Harris or Trump but lacking the enthusiasm that other voters might exhibit.
Among Harris supporters, answers making a positive case for the candidate were scant as far as her policies or leadership qualities – even her name sometimes appeared conspicuously absent. One spoke of his support for “LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights” as critical in his judgment towards the candidates, concluding that his views on these issues made it “impossible to support anyone currently in the Republican party.” Most telling among the Harris supporters was that the phrase “lesser of two evils” was used by multiple respondents to describe her. Another spoke of Harris as a “step in the right direction, even if it’s a small step,” but went on to explain that he was largely driven by the fact that he “extremely dislike[s] MAGA politics.” When prompted to speak on what beneficial changes Harris could bring in office, one respondent did positively reference her policies, stating that he likes her support for “increases on taxes on the wealthy or more assistance with medication costs.”
Trump supporters, by contrast, were more ready to reference their candidate to describe their feelings about the election. Two main issues stood out positively for the former president: the economy and foreign affairs. “Selfishly speaking, my life was better back when he was in office than currently, both monetarily-wise, I think geopolitical-wise,” said one respondent, a 27-year-old from Philadelphia. The same respondent also specifically referenced low interest rates and a more favorable housing market during Trump’s years in office. Another respondent, a 22-year-old from Wisconsin, found Trump’s foreign policy record determinative, believing that the war between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel’s invasion of Gaza, “would not have happened” under his watch.
Trump’s supporters were also uniform in confirming their votes for him come November, while a progressive supporter for Harris said that she could lose his support due to her policies on immigration and Israel’s invasion of Gaza, with his vote possibly going to Jill Stein.
As the election draws near, young voters have become a focal point as a key demographic, with polling revealing a gender gap wider among younger voters than other age groups. The latest New York Times/Siena College poll finds Harris leading women under 30 by 40 points, while Trump leads with young men by 13 points, for a gap between the sexes of about 27 points.
It remains to be seen whether the election on November 5th will follow recent international trends, as the gender gap and the support of young men have proven decisive in recent conservative victories across industrialized democratic systems, from Argentina to South Korea.
