Nikki Haley warns Republicans making a 'mistake' by ignoring Gen Z: 'They think no one is listening'
Haley joins Fox News town hall event ahead of South Carolina GOP primary
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said at a Fox News town hall event, Sunday, that the Republican Party must connect with young voters in order to defeat President Biden in November.
During the town hall, University of South Carolina College Republicans Vice President Noah Lindler asked the former governor to address the "largely ignored" Gen Z and first-time voters.
Haley responded by saying that it's a "mistake" for political parties not to speak to those voters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The question from host John Roberts came after five members of the Republican National Committee’s youth advisory council resigned in December amid dissatisfaction with the GOP’s efforts to draw in young voters ahead of the 2024 election, claiming a "lack of vision" from the party.
RNC YOUTH COMMITTEE MEMBERS RESIGN OVER DISSATISFACTION WITH EFFORTS TO ATTRACT YOUNG VOTERS
Nikki Haley joins Fox News' John Roberts at a town hall event ahead of the South Carolina primary. (Fox News)
Haley pointed to a new Axios-Generation Lab poll that found 58% of voters between the ages of 18 and 34 aren't certain they'll vote in November.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Recently a poll came out that should shock everybody. 58% of Gen Zers are not planning on voting in this election and the only reason people don't vote is when they think no one's listening, and that's a problem," Haley said.
"I, on the other hand, think you all [young voters] are going to be the generation that saves us. You know exactly what you're doing," Haley claimed.
"They think very differently. They don't care as much about money, but they care about being something bigger than themselves. They want to be a part of something. They care about the environment. We need to listen to them when they're talking about that. They don't want this government debt that's been pushed down on them. They don't want to see wars happen, and they want to know that they're going to be able to afford a home and get a job like anyone else."
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Haley claimed she would make young voters "feel empowered, feel heard" and feel that the "government is going to be serving" them.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Haley called for the inclusion of young voters in the "conversation" instead of pushing them out.
"If 58% of Gen Zers are not going to vote, a leader should say: What are we doing wrong? And I think all leaders need to be understanding right now that if that's the case, we need to go to them, not wait for them to go to us," Haley said.
"The Republican Party needs to understand that they have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president. That's nothing to be proud of. We should want to win the majority of Americans."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Haley said the party needs a "new, generational conservative leader that leaves the negativity and the baggage behind."
Efforts to mobilize younger voters within both parties come as President Biden's re-election campaign joined TikTok earlier this month, a social media platform owned by Chinese company ByteDance, in an effort to woo Gen Zers and millennials.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman and Joe Schoffstall contributed to this report.