Prior to the 2024 election, Trump made a major investment in young men – a group that primarily voted for the Democrats in 2020 but was considered capable of switching sides. To reach them, Trump participated in several of the most popular podcasts within the target group, led by profiles such as Joe Rogan, Andrew Schulz, and Theo Von.
Trump got to express himself to millions of listeners and discussed topics such as combat sports, family life, and the role of men. The podcast hosts also supported him before the election. Trump also appeared in other contexts popular among young guys, such as at the UFC's competitions.
The investment paid off – Trump attracted young men, who are often difficult to reach through traditional media, and beat Kamala Harris by 14 percentage points in the voter group. He thus became the first Republican in 20 years to win their votes.
But six months into Trump's term, opinion has turned. Among men under 35, only 40 percent believe he is doing a good job, while 60 percent are dissatisfied, according to a survey by CNN and SSRS. In February, support among young men was at 44 percent, while 54 percent were negative. Young men are particularly dissatisfied with Trump's economic policy.
Critical podcasters
Trump won the loyalty of young men by appearing in their contexts, such as YouTube, UFC, and Tiktok, and by using a language that felt straightforward, says John Della Volpe, who researches young voters at Harvard Kennedy School.
But the reality that many young men now face, with rising rents and insecure jobs, has not improved. Sooner or later, they want to see results, says John Della Volpe.
Several former Trump-friendly podcasters have also turned. Joe Rogan, who with 20 million listeners runs the largest podcast in the US, has directed harsh criticism at the handling of the sex crime allegations against billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. This includes documents about Epstein that the Trump administration promised to make public, which were then said not to exist.
Do they think we are small children? Joe Rogan asked in his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, where Epstein was mentioned 40 times in the same episode.
Demolishes the Democrats
Andrew Schulz also directed criticism at Trump in July in his podcast Flagrant and called the handling of the Epstein case a "insult to our intelligence".
Dissatisfaction has not strengthened the Democrats, however. Young men are less likely to support the Democrats than any previous generation, shows a fresh survey from Pew Research Center.
Young men say they feel dismissed by the Democrats, especially when it comes to issues of economy and masculinity, says John Della Volpe, and continues:
They feel that the Democrats moralize over them, criticize their culture, or do not have any message at all. So they stop listening, or turn to voices, some of them destructive, that at least make them feel seen.
Jonas Cullberg/TT
Facts: Male and female voters in the US
TT
In the 2024 election, women aged 18-29 preferred Democrat Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump, with 58 percent to 40 percent. Their male peers, on the other hand, preferred Trump over Harris, with 56 percent to 42 percent.
The Democrats lost voters within several different groups in the 2024 presidential election – including whites, Latin Americans, rural residents, and city dwellers. The loss of voters was significantly greater among male voters than among female voters. The gender gap between male and female voters increased.
Young voters aged 18-29 as a whole supported Kamala Harris over Donald Trump with 51 percent to 47 percent – a clear decrease compared to Biden's victory with 25 percentage points in 2020.
Source: Pew Research Center, Tufts, CNN
