CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten unpacks polling on how young people feel about the economy and specifically the drop in support for President Trump among young men:

HARRY ENTEN, CNN: Young people in this country are feeling a tremendous amount of frustration when it comes to what they view as the basic necessities of life, and young men in particular – those who powered Donald Trump to victory back in 2024 – well, they’re feeling a lot of regret over their vote choice. So what are we talking about here? Well, let’s talk about what is right at the bottom. If you are building out the house in terms of the American dream, it is literally the ability to buy a home. And young people – well, there’s not a lot of hope for them when it comes to buying a home. And these numbers have changed tremendously. Look at this. Age 18 to 34 – adults under the age of 35, who will buy a home in the next five years. Back in 2016, 2018 Gallup surveys, a majority, 53%, said they would buy a home in the next five years, those who didn’t already own one. That number has fallen through the floor. Look at this now in 2025, 2026: just 29%. Yes, 29%. That is nearly half the level, dropped by nearly half in just under a decade. No wonder young people are feeling so much frustration now. Of course, if you’re building out that home, right, in terms of what young people want, what Americans want in order to fulfill the American dream, well, it’s not just buying a home. It’s a good job. You go leave the home, you have a good job. But young people at this point don’t believe it’s a good time to actually find a job. Age 15 to 34 who say it’s a good time to find a job — just 43%. Less than half, less than half of young people say it’s a good time to find a job. And look at this trend line. This trend line is going completely in the wrong direction. Four years ago, it was 75%. Look at that. That’s a drop of over 30 points in just four years’ time. In 2019, back when Donald Trump was at the end of his first term in office, it was 77%. That’s a drop of – what is that? That’s a drop of 34 percentage points from where Donald Trump was in term number one, in terms of young folks saying it’s a good time to find a job. And young men in particular, those who powered Donald Trump to victory, well, they are feeling a lot of frustration with the economy. Not a big surprise when they say it’s hard to find a job and say, in fact, their aim to buy a home has fallen below 50%. Look at this: young men on the economy, those that powered Trump to victory. Men under 30 on economic conditions before Trump came into office – this is 2024 and early 2025, before Trump was inaugurated for a second term – 66% of them said, in fact, the economic conditions were poor. They were hoping that Trump would solve it, but they view the economic conditions even worse today than just before, when Trump got in office. Look at that: 79% this year say that, in fact, economic conditions – young men, those under the age of 30 – say the economic conditions are poor. The good percentage, it was 34%. It was just one in three. But now it’s just one in five: 21% say economic conditions are good. And you know who they’re taking their frustrations out on? Well, it’s the man at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. That’s who. Because look at how they view Donald Trump on the economy. Men under 30 – these again are the voters who powered Trump to victory back in 2024. In the fall of 2024, versus Kamala Harris, Trump was more trusted on the economy than Harris by, get this, a seven-point margin. Holy Toledo. Look at that percentage. Now look at how young men have turned. The net approval among young men for Donald Trump on the economy: -59 points. Why? I’m laughing because the turn is so absurd. This is a turnaround of – what is this? Do the math with me right here – of 66 points. Sixty-six points in less than two years’ time, just a year and a half, in terms of feeling towards Trump and the economy among young men. And when you put it together, right, the economy being the number one issue, how do they feel about Donald Trump overall? Well, it’s a different world. And I loved that sitcom back in the 1980s and into the early 1990s. Great theme song. Men under 30 on Trump: look at this. In the 2024 election, Donald Trump won that vote by one point. He was the first Republican nominee to win young men this entire century. But now it’s a different tune. His net approval rating among young men – look at this – -55 points. -55 points. That’s a switcheroo of what? That’s 56 points. Fifty-six points in just a year and a half. And, you know, I’m a little thirsty here. Today’s soft drink of the day is Coca-Cola cherry float. Let’s take a drink. That’s nice. I do enjoy a good Coca-Cola cherry float. Now, of course, it’s not just the economy. Not just the economy that is changing Donald Trump – or the views of young people on Donald Trump. Of course, it’s foreign policy. Because remember, Trump said, Oh, I’ll keep us out of foreign wars. And what’s been going on the last few months? Well, the war in Iran. And young men don’t like it one iota, because just take a look. Trump and foreign policy, okay: men under 30 on Trump and foreign policy. Back in the fall of 2024, look at this. Young men trusted Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by nine points. Today, look at his net approval among them: 54 points underwater. Jacques Cousteau never got that low. My friend Jacques Cousteau never got that low: 54 points underwater. Again, this is a switcheroo of, what, 63 points in just a year and a half worth of time. My goodness gracious. And of course, everything that flows from the presidency – Trump is not on the ballot this fall, but it all flows downhill to those members of Congress, those Republican members of Congress. If they think they’re going to escape the wrath of young men and the regret that they have for voting for Donald Trump, well, they’ve got another thing coming. Mister, they’ve got another thing coming. Because just take a look at young men and the midterms, okay? Men under 30 on the midterm elections. You go back to November of 2024. Democrats did slightly better than Kamala Harris, but not really. They won it by three points, which is historically a very small portion for young men – Democrats winning them. Okay, look now, though. Look: in the average polling right now, the 2026 race for Congress, well, hello. Democrats are now favored by 28 points – now favored by 28 points when it comes to the race for Congress, young men overwhelmingly favoring Democrats. That is a 25-point switcheroo, a 25-point switcheroo, and again, just a year and a half worth of time. Now we’re talking about 2026 right here, right? But what about 2028? Because we’re going to have presidential primaries starting in the beginning of 2028. Those folks are going to start running very quickly once the midterm elections wrap up. Well, the two Republican frontrunners – take a look at the net approval among men under 30, 2028 GOP contenders. JD Vance: 48 points underwater. Of course, he being the secretary – excuse me, being the vice president. Sometimes all these Cabinet officials get stuck in my head. The vice president, though, a member of the Cabinet: 48 points underwater. Look at the secretary of state, Marco Rubio. He’s doing a little bit better, but not really much better. He is 39 points underwater. So the deficit that Trump is facing now among young men, that is transferring over to the Cabinet members as well. And that is so important. That is so important because these two men on your screen are the two leading candidates for the Republican Party. And I bet that they, dare I say – to borrow a word from earlier – are feeling some regret for how younger men are now feeling regret for Donald Trump. So the bottom line is this: young men – historic performance for Trump back in 2024. But now they have historically shifted well away from Donald Trump and the potential 2028 nominees, as well as those Republicans running for Congress in 2026 later this year. Folks, if you like what you heard, leave a comment. Perhaps leave a comment what I should cover next time, and maybe we’ll do so. But you have to stay tuned to find out.

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