OAN Staff Blake Wolf
4:20 PM – Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Despite Vice President Kamala Harris’s confidence in the Gen Z vote, it was former President Donald Trump who received a 5-6% upward swing with Gen Z voters in comparison to his support in 2016 with younger voters, according to Yahoo News and the New York Post.
Generation (Gen) Z refers to those born from 1997 to 2012, according to Britannica.
Harris’s team made many attempts through campaign marketing and public speeches to reach young voters as she teamed up with celebrity endorsers like singer Beyoncé, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, singer Taylor Swift, rapper Fat Joe, actress Jennifer Lopez, rapper Eminem, and even more. Yet, none of these endorsements prevailed in winning her the election.
The Harris campaign even created a custom Kamala Harris-themed map on the popular video game Fortnite, called “Freedomtown USA,” where gamers were able to build virtual houses and put up rally posters, in reference to Harris’s proposed $25,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers.
Despite Harris’s extensive outreach, President-elect Donald Trump also made his own attempts to reach young voters, appearing on the popular Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast, which has racked up over 45 million views. Trump also appeared on a livestream with streaming giant Adin Ross, which is particularly persuasive to Gen Z male voters.
The Associated Press revealed that men between the ages of 18 and 29 shifted towards the Republicans by nearly 30 points in comparison to 2020, when they voted for President Biden by a 15% margin.
However, overall, Harris also bested Trump from the 18 through 29 age group for both men and women, winning 55% of the vote compared to Trump’s 42%. The figure, however, is an underperformance compared to President Biden’s statistics, where Biden was able to garner 60% in comparison to Trump’s 36%.
Harris’s realized underperformance reveals that the Harvard Youth Poll overestimated the 18 through 29 age group who were anticipated to vote blue, which projected a 20 point lead for Harris.
In the end, Trump enjoyed a 6% increase among the 41 million eligible Gen Z voters compared to the previous matchup against Biden, while Harris and the Democrats suffered a 5% decrease.
Harris spoke directly to young voters on Wednesday during her concession speech, consoling the disappointed voters.
“To the young people who are watching, It is okay to feel sad and disappointed. But please know it’s going to be okay. On the campaign I would often say, when we fight, we win. But here’s the thing, here’s the thing, sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we wont win,” Harris stated.
“The important thing is don’t ever give up. Don’t ever give up, don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place, you have power. You have power. And don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it never has been done before,” she added.
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