Growing number of young men supporting Trump shows ‘ongoing culture shock’: Jahmiel Jackson
Gen Z voters Jahmiel Jackson and Ranger Irwin discuss the deep divide between young male and female voters on ‘The Story.’
All eyes are on Gen Z as new polling shows a deep divide between young male and female voters that could have a significant impact on the presidential election.
New York Times and Siena College polls released earlier this month indicate a large gender gap in the political leanings of voters ages 18 to 29, with more women favoring Vice President Kamala Harris for president while men in the same age range prefer former President Trump. The 51 point gap between Gen Z male and female voters is vastly larger than any other gap of any other generation in polling to date.
Gen Z voter Jahmiel Jackson, a 22-year-old registered Democrat from Pennsylvania, told Fox News this week that he and many of his male friends plan to vote for Trump in November. He attributed the shift in the youngest voting bloc to the former president's preservation of traditional masculinity in a world of confusing gender roles.
"There is an ongoing culture shock that’s happening specifically with men my age," Jackson said on "The Story." "Specifically, I grew up without a father. He was killed because of gang violence at a very young age…when I was around 3 or 4 years old. And I saw Donald Trump’s recent interview…where he's talking about someone in his family who died of an overdose and why he doesn’t do drugs…and some of the challenges that [were] presented to him and the choices he made afterward."
He said Trump's appreciation of family resonated with him and others his age.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
"Seeing such a prominent male figure in politics… it does show a sign of reliability and shows a sign that, a lot of men, specifically in today's culture, we may be pushed aside when we do talk about the things that we may struggle with or the challenges we have and [told] that we should support woman, and we should just amplify women," he told anchor Martha MacCallum. "I think there is space to have this conversation. I think that is why you see so many men my age who are… going to vote for Trump."
Ranger Irwin, a 20-year-old registered Independent from Nevada, also plans to vote for Trump. He told MacCallum it comes down to the economy for him as he hopes to one day own a home and start a family.
"Honestly, I just want to see them really focus more on America and make sure it’s the America that everyone talks about…like the American dream…like everything's affordable," he said. "It used to be possible under one income for you to support a wife and kids and a family and a house. But now in the current economy under Biden, it’s not possible at all."
"Most of the guys I know, they always talk about just how amazing the economy was under Trump," he said, adding that women in his voting bloc seemingly prioritize other issues.
Jackson expressed a similar sentiment, telling MacCallum that men his age feel their dreams are being "hindered" by the state of the economy under President Biden.
"When president Biden was first in office, there was a honeymoon period until he tried to pull out of Afghanistan and then that’s when he crushed one of my biggest dreams, which was serving in the military right after I graduated college," Jackson said.
"I look at a lot of the friends that I have who are male around my age. They want to have homes, they want to start families, they want to make a lot of money. We all have these individual dreams, and then we start to see that it's becoming less and less possible," he continued.
"I have guy friends who have finance degrees who are now baristas because they can’t find a job," Jackson said. "So, I think in the Biden administration, a lot of our dreams are being crushed or hindered. But when we see Trump, we saw everything that happened in 2019. Prices are cheaper, buying a home was cheaper, you know, maintaining family order and safety was a lot more manageable. So I think that is what men my age are relating to."
Former President Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally in Bozeman, Montana, on Friday, Aug. 9. (AP/Rick Bowmer)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Trump and Harris campaigns have been making aggressive pitches to America's youngest voting bloc on social media in hopes of reeling in support from the group whose vote matters now more than ever.
According to research organization CIRCLE, 41 million "Zoomers" (or members of Gen Z) will be eligible to vote in this year's race, meaning eight million will have "aged into the electorate" by the time Trump and Harris go head-to-head this November.
Fox News' Taylor Penley contributed to this report.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.