Why some Gen Z voters who backed Trump now regret their decision

Some young Americans who helped put Donald Trump back in the White House appear to be having second thoughts as the midterms approach. Navigator Research, a left-leaning polling group, convened eight Gen Z Trump voters last week, ages 20 to 29, from Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas and South Carolina. Several expressed disappointment, and a few said they regret their 2024 choice. Six of the eight rated his performance D or F, and two gave a C. The session is not a nationally representative sample, but it fits Navigator polling from August showing nearly a third of voters under 30 regret backing him, a larger share than among older groups, according to NPR.

Votes are split. John, a 29-year-old Florida Republican, blames higher costs and plans to back Democrats. Four participants still intend to vote Republican, three lean Democratic, and one is undecided. Matthew, a 25-year-old Texan, credits Trump with tightening the border and argues a bigger GOP majority would let him accomplish more.

Navigator managing director Melissa Toufanian cautions that souring on Republicans does not automatically send voters to Democrats. Many, she says, are drifting toward distrust of both parties.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR →