Gen Z's stunning partisan split

America's youngest voters are far likelier to vote Republican than their older siblings.Why it matters: Generation Z may be better understood as two distinct sub-generations — divided, in large part, by how they experienced the shock of COVID-19.Stunning stat: The latest iteration of the Yale Youth Poll found extraordinary 18-point partisan gap between younger and older members of Generation Z. When asked whether they'd pick a Democratic or Republican candidate in the midterm elections, voters age 22–29 favored Democrats by 6.4 points, while those age 18–21 favored Republicans by 11.7 points.Zoom in: Youth political analyst Rachel Janfaza breaks down "Gen Z 1.0" and "Gen Z 2.0" based on how old they were during pandemic lockdowns and the rise of TikTok.Gen Z 1.0 graduated high school before COVID. They quarantined in college dorms or apartments with friends and came of age during President Trump's first term — shaped by the Women's March, gun control rallies, and the Black Lives Matter movement.Gen Z 2.0 was in high school or middle school during lockdowns, isolating at home with family and cut off from peers. The backlash to COVID-era policies pushed many younger voters right. And because they entered adulthood under President Biden, "counter-culture" often meant aligning with MAGA, Janfaza says.Between the lines: Older Gen Z-ers came of age on platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Younger Gen Z-ers are native to TikTok.9% of young adults said they got their news from TikTok in 2020, according to Pew Research. By 2024, that figure had surged to 39%.Trump's campaign seized on that shift early, reaching young voters on TikTok months before Biden or then–Vice President Harris. Many younger men were already plugged into content from MAGA-friendly figures like Theo Von, Joe Rogan and Dave Portnoy, who went on to host Trump on their platforms.Zoom out: As a whole, Americans under 30 still lean Democratic. But the partisan split within Gen Z came into sharp focus during the 2024 election.White men under 20 voted for Trump at higher rates than their late-20s counterparts — and even more than white Baby Boomer men, according to research from Democratic polling group Blue Rose Research.What to watch: Since taking power, Trump has lost significant ground with 18 to 29-year-olds in particular, according to an analysis of polls by data journalists G. Elliott Morris.Majorities of young people say they oppose Trump administration policies and moves like ICE raids in hospitals and churches, blanket tariffs and broad Jan. 6 pardons, per Harvard's national youth poll.

Comments

World news

Court suspends Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to investigate leaked phone call

washington times

Trump was bleeding so much on the hospital bed after attempted assassination that staff thought he had been hit five times

about 1 hour ago

7-Eleven worker declared brain dead after being attacked by her manager, family says

Independent

83-year-old woman spent hours in jail for drug trafficking as her name was one letter away from being the actual suspect, family says

about 1 hour ago

Lorries face reversing for miles after landslides block their path

Metro

Comments

Similar News

Gen X is the least financially secure generation — and most Americans say they need six figures to live comfortably

Bacardi Breezers to BuzzBallz: why gen Z aren’t the booze buzzkills we’ve been led to believe

Into the MAGA-verse: What the algorithm feeds Gen Z

Zohran Mamdani taps progressive playbook for electrifying Gen Z

The videos Iran doesn’t want you to see – its Gen Z partying as bombs fall

US Space Force delays launch of first-ever next-gen missile warning satellite

Why is Gen Z getting more religious? We asked them.

Gen Zers are preparing for war – should I join the Army Reserve?

Inside the Gen Z activist group threatening to ‘shut down London this summer’

How Gen Z Sees the World

World news

Court suspends Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to investigate leaked phone call

Ukrainian drone hits a plant deep inside Russia after record Russian drone attacks in June

Netanyahu will visit the White House next Monday as Trump presses for a ceasefire in Gaza

Poland to increase controls on borders with Germany, Lithuania

Lottery winner scoops £2million prize after ignoring husband’s ticket demand

Panic in Tenerife as more people 'living in caves' spark concerns

Trump was bleeding so much on the hospital bed after attempted assassination that staff thought he had been hit five times

7-Eleven worker declared brain dead after being attacked by her manager, family says

Fox & Friends yuk it up over Trump Alligator Alcatraz ‘advice’: ‘Do not run in a straight line’

Watch: Donald Trump says he will ‘take a look’ at deporting Elon Musk after bill backlash

Extreme heat and wildfire alerts across Europe as killer temperatures break records: Latest updates

Expert says Adriana Smith’s case goes beyond abortion politics

Iranian hackers threaten to release treasure trove of White House emails

Atlantic City casino visitor bets $7 on Wheel of Fortune machine - then hits the jackpot

83-year-old woman spent hours in jail for drug trafficking as her name was one letter away from being the actual suspect, family says

Lorries face reversing for miles after landslides block their path

Major health update on toddler who was hurled onto floor at Moscow airport

Police draft in real life Robocops that can diffuse bombs and free hostages

Why Southeast Asia Is Flocking to BRICS

Four-point threshold for PIP could be delayed to win over Labour rebels

Trump and Musk are fighting again. Here’s who will win

Eberechi Eze would solve two Arsenal problems in one

How long Europe’s 46°C heatwave could last – and if it will affect your holiday

Famous Costa Brava park restricts visitor numbers in latest tourist crackdown

Vox Announces Christina Vallice Joins as Head of Video

Hurricane Flossie is now a Category 2 off the Pacific coast of Mexico

Man headbutted by FLYING shark while surfing makes worrying discovery

Starving newborn baby left alone for days after mum died is rescued in nick of time

Worker dies after getting 'trapped' in huge factory oven as horrified staff beg for help

Olivia Attwood uses this viral setting spray to lock in her make-up ahead of filming

Hundreds pay respects to 20,000 Brit soldiers killed on first day of Battle of the Somme

Horror warning issued for Spain after string of powerful earthquakes worldwide

Donald Trump issues bombshell threat to deport Elon Musk

Pro-Palestine crowd should stop spewing lies and face reality of Hamas

Spain holiday horror as island Brits love plagued with 'rats like rabbits'

India begins building its own 'bunker buster bomb' with massive warhead

The ‘big, beautiful’ trade deal India and US are rushing to seal as tariff deadline looms

One country where Tesla deliveries have risen as sales drop elsewhere

German court suspends diesel scandal trial of former Volkswagen CEO Winterkorn

Trump-Musk feud: President hints at deporting former ‘first buddy’ before heading to Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Executions, arrests and paranoia: Inside Iran’s crackdown on its own people after Israeli strikes

Three dead in Ukrainian drone strike on Russian industrial plant

Tesla stock ready to sink again as Musk-Trump feud heats up and president targets first buddy’s subsidies

Amazon Optimus Prime! Bezos’ company nears having more AI robot workers than humans

Police draft in real life Robocops that can diffuse bombs and free hostages

SEND shake-up ‘to increase extreme pressure’ on teachers in mainstream schools

Musk’s America Party is doomed – he couldn’t even complete his Doge ‘internship’

The four reasons why small boat crossings have reached their highest level

I’m an American in the UK. You’re right: heatwaves are worse here

Shorts in the office? Fine – but only if you stick to these rules

Wimbledon 2025 commentators and presenters: BBC line-up in full

The plans that rebels could scupper next – from inheritance tax to benefits cap

‘Alligator Alcatraz’ shows Trump is just a pound-shop Bond villain

Catholic bishops from Asia, Africa, Latin America demand climate justice

Russia's ex-deputy defense minister handed 13-year sentence on corruption charges

Judge tells 92-year-old he will die in prison after conviction in UK’s oldest solved cold case

'Lovebugs' return in swarms to South Korea and blanket a mountain peak

Trump says DOGE may "go back and eat Elon"

Explore homegrown Canadian brands you’ll love

NewsAlert: Leafs trade Marner to Golden Knights