By Bill Wilson
The self-congratulating globalists controlling the Democratic Party persist in perpetuating the outdated notion that “young people” are predominantly aligned with leftist ideologies, even when all data points to the contrary.
Not only are Millennials growing more conservative as they age – the oldest Millennials are in their early forties and many of them are now parents with mortgages, crime concerns, and increasing tax burdens – but certain members of Gen Z are becoming conservative in a reaction to cultural Marxism.
Newly released analysis from the New York Times shows a significant shift toward the right among voters who were eager Obama supporters in 2008 but have been increasingly disillusioned with the Democratic Party in subsequent elections.
The data reveals that voters who were 18-29 in 2008 supported Obama at nearly twice the margin they supported Biden in 2020. Or in other words, their support for the Democratic Presidential candidate was cut in half between 2008 and 2020.
The Times’ data points to the fact that older Millennials are making the largest strides toward the right but Americans for Limited Government Foundation has also found signs that members of Gen Z – ages 18-27 – are fed up with the globalist left and looking for alternatives.
Whether this takes the form of disproportionately high support for former President Trump among Gen Z Republicans, or the growing youth appetite for antiestablishment candidates on the left like Robert F. Kennedy Jr, younger voters are distancing themselves from the traditional Democratic Party.
The polling numbers for Biden are nothing short of catastrophic among young voters. A recent Washington Post/ABC News poll showed Biden’s disapproval rating was at 60% with voters 18-39.
On top of that, a recent YouGov poll shows Trump’s approval rating is highest among younger voters, and is up by double-digits compared to the same poll last October. Trump’s favorability among Millennials currently sits at 46%, up 10 percentage-points from 36% in October of last year. His approval with Gen Z currently sits at 49%, up 14 percentage-points from 35% last October.
Looking at exit polls from the 2022 midterm election compared to 2018, Republicans did indeed make major gains with older Millennials, but they gained with Gen Z and younger Millennials too.
Republicans gained a full 15 percentage points with 30-44-year-olds between 2018 and 2022, but they also gained 7 points with 18–29-year-olds. Democrats also lost voters 40–49 last year after winning them narrowly in 2018. This boils down to a shift toward the right among all age groups under 50, and while the shift is largest among older voters, younger voters are signaling against the radical left as well.
When looking at midterm data, Gen Z voters in the 18–24-year-old bracket often supported Republicans at higher rates than slightly older Millennials did.
For instance, in the Wisconsin Senate race, Ron Johnson secured reelection with the backing of 36% of 18–24-year-olds, compared to 24% of 25–29-year-olds, marking a 12-point disparity between Gen Z and Millennial voters.
In Florida, Governor DeSantis performed well among young people, particularly capturing strong support from the 18–24-year-old age group. Gen Z voters favored DeSantis by 3 points more than Millennials, with Zoomers shifting rightward by four points compared to 2018.
In the Michigan Governor’s race, young voters leaned predominantly Democratic, but those in the 18–24-year-old cohort showed greater support for GOP candidate Tudor Dixon by a five-point margin compared to the 25–29-year-old cohort. Zoomers, in fact, demonstrated the highest rate of support for GOP newcomer Tudor Dixon among age groups below forty.
Moreover, a significant gender divide persists among young individuals, with young men displaying fewer liberal views than young women. Gallup polling indicates that while 44% of young women aged 18-29 identify as liberal, only a quarter of young men hold the same identification. Younger men are increasingly rejecting liberal ideologies, with a considerable portion opposing radical left gender ideology.
Research out of the Southern Poverty Law Center last year warned about “right wing extremism” among young men, including Democrats. The survey found nearly half of Democrat men (47%) under age 50 believe “gender ideology has corrupted American culture” while only 20% of Democrat men over age 50 agree. Younger Democrats also admit the transgender movement is a threat to children, with 42% of younger Democrat men saying that the transgender movement is a threat to children and 40% saying it is “trying to indoctrinate children.”
Overall, these findings indicate that there is a vast divide among young people when it comes to views on radical feminism and gender ideology.
According to research conducted by Americans for Limited Government Foundation over the past five years, Gen Z voters are becoming more populist than their Millennial predecessors.
While Gen Z is not necessarily conservative as a whole, many young voters identify as moderates and hold views that place them at odds with the modern Democratic Party. For instance, Gen Z voters oppose globalist policies, foreign military intervention, and support an America First agenda at surprisingly high rates when these positions are not marketed as “Republican”. Additionally, Zoomers are skeptical of the college industrial complex and more likely to lean right if they forgo a four-year degree for alternative routes.
Our research shows younger voters have adopted a self-interested form of “libertarian populism” that rejects globalism and foreign intervention and favors the rule of law. This is reflected in Zoomer support for an America First philosophy, which is supported by 85% of young Republicans, 74% of young Independents, and 65% of young Democrats.
In terms of immigration policy, Gen Z rejects open borders and lawlessness, with 81% saying that immigrants must follow the rules to become citizens, even if they are difficult. Additionally, 58% of Gen Z say that if illegal immigrants cause problems, they need to leave or go through the proper procedures to stay. This stance is supported by 86% of Generation Z Republicans, 61% of Generation Z Independents, and 42% of Generation Z Democrats.
Gen Z voters, although not uniformly conservative, identify as moderates and hold views that diverge from the modern Democratic Party. Their positions include opposition to globalist policies, foreign military intervention, and support for an America First agenda, particularly when detached from partisan marketing.
The radical left is doing everything they can to maintain a death grip on young people, but that grip is slipping. Biden’s polling numbers have crashed among all age groups under 50, and he is taking a particularly hard hit with Gen Z voters. The midterms showed a significant shift toward the right among both Gen Z and Millennials, and virtually all data points to younger voters favoring populist candidates like Trump as well as alt-left candidates like Kennedy or Williamson. Young people are departing from the entablement in both parties, and if the globalists continue to push for deeply unpopular policies like open borders, radical gender ideology, and ceaseless foreign wars, we can only expect it to become a stampede.
Bill Wilson is the former president of Americans for Limited Government.
