Gen Z Loves Donald Trump More Than Any Other Age Group

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump gestures to supporters after speaking at a Get Out The Vote rally at Winthrop University on February 23, 2024 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. A poll showed those aged 18-24 approved of Trump’s job as president more than any other age demographic.

Donald Trump has a higher approval rating among young adults than any other age demographic, according to a poll.

A Harvard CAPS–Harris survey of more than 2,000 registered voters showed that 57 percent approved of the job the Republican did as president, with 41 percent saying they disapproved.

When the results are broken down further, they show that almost two-thirds (64 percent) of voters in Generation Z—or those aged 18 to 24—approved of Trump’s job as president. The age range of this demographic means some respondents were children during Trump’s time in office, 2017 to 2021.

However, the results could be yet another warning sign for President Joe Biden’s reelection hopes. In 2020, young voters were crucial in Biden’s victory, as Generation Z and millennials supported Biden over Trump by margins of about 20 points in the record-breaking turnout, according to analysis by the Pew Research Center.

The age group with the second-highest approval rating of Trump’s presidency in the Harvard CAPS–Harris survey were respondents aged 55 to 64 (60 percent), followed by those aged 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 (both 58 percent).

A separate poll released Monday by Axios-Generation Lab also showed that Biden is only slightly favored over Trump by voters between ages 18 and 34, with 52 percent choosing the president and 48 percent choosing Trump.

“We don’t know enough yet,” Neil O’Brian, a political scientist at the University of Oregon, told Axios. “But this idea that young people are gonna keep populating into the Democratic Party? There are some question marks around that.”

Newsweek has contacted Trump’s and Biden’s campaign teams via email for comment.

Elsewhere, the Harvard CAPS–Harris poll shows that Trump, the expected 2024 GOP presidential nominee, is leading Biden despite the numerous legal issues facing the Republican.

According to the survey, Trump leads Biden by six points (48 percent to 42 percent) in a head-to-head race, as well as by seven points (42 percent to 35 percent) when independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is introduced, who receives 15 percent support.

Trump also leads Biden by nine points (42 percent to 33 percent) when independent candidate Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein are added to a five-person presidential shortlist.

The former president is enjoying leads in the polls over Biden despite a majority of registered voters (56 percent) believing Trump has committed a crime. The poll shows that 54 percent of voters believe the criminal investigations against Trump are politically motivated, a claim the former president has frequently promoted.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 91 felony charges. His first trial, where he stands accused of falsifying business records, is set to begin in New York in March.

The poll also found that more than half (54 percent) of voters believe that Trump engaged in insurrection against the U.S. government while he was in office. Trump has pleaded not guilty to four federal charges in relation to the events that led up to the January 6 attack and his alleged criminal attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.

The Supreme Court is also set to rule on whether Trump can be disqualified from this year’s election ballots for violating Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which says a person who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” after taking an oath of office to support the Constitution should be barred from running for office again.

The Harvard CAPS–Harris survey was conducted online on February 21 and 22 among 2,022 registered voters.

Start your unlimited Newsweek trial