Journalist Raise Alarm Over Young Men’s Shift To Trump
Journalist Peter Hamby told comedian Bill Maher on Friday that a shift in support among young men toward former President Donald Trump could significantly harm Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.
During the “Overtime” segment of “Real Time With Bill Maher,” Hamby pointed out that Harris has not managed to improve upon President Joe Biden’s support among young men, a crucial demographic for her potential election success. According to an August New York Times/Siena College poll, men aged 18 to 29 favor Trump over Harris by 13% in six key battleground states.
Bill Maher asks the panel why Kamala Harris has not moved the needle with male voters:
Bill Maher: "What explains Donald Trump's appeal to young men?"
Peter Hamby: "Voters under 30 went for Democrats. This is remarkable. Very different than past elections.
In 2020: Young men and… pic.twitter.com/EST2dcCpYy— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) August 31, 2024
“What explains Donald Trump’s appeal to young men?” Maher asked, reading a viewer’s question. “I saw today that the gender gap, I think, is the widest. I mean, it’s very predictable. I mean, the women are much more for Kamala, and the men are much more for Trump, generally.”
“But it’s not predictable if you look at past elections where voters under 30 — generally men and women — went for Democrats,” Hamby responded. “This is remarkable.”
Maher interjected to clarify that Hamby was specifically referring to voters who are “under 30.”
“Yeah, the under-30 gender gap. It’s very different than past elections. Much bigger. So in 2020, young men and young women voted for Joe Biden at roughly the same rate,” Hamby said. “Over the last four years, and now with Kamala Harris, young women are voting for Kamala Harris at that same level, if not more. Kamala Harris has barely moved the needle with young men. They have gone more toward Trump. There’s a lot of reasons for that.”
Bill Maher asks the panel why Kamala Harris has not moved the needle with male voters:
Bill Maher: "What explains Donald Trump's appeal to young men?"
Peter Hamby: "Voters under 30 went for Democrats. This is remarkable. Very different than past elections.
In 2020: Young men and… pic.twitter.com/EST2dcCpYy— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) August 31, 2024
Young men planning to vote for Trump told the New York Times that their main concerns are centered around the economy. Harris has faced considerable criticism on this crucial issue after unveiling her recent economic plans, which involve targeting corporations for “price gouging” as a strategy to reduce grocery store prices.
“I think Trump has exploited culture war stuff. You know, he appears on hyper-masculine podcasts and he just seems like a fun bro. He’s not going to ban your Zyns, you know? This is a real issue for Kamala Harris, though,” Hamby continued. “Like, this could be fatal for her campaign … Democrats need to win 60% of the youth vote to win the White House. Hillary came up short; Obama did it; Biden did it. Kamala Harris is right now at, like, 55% of the youth vote. If she doesn’t get to 60, she could lose the election, and it’s because young men, Gen Z men, are breaking to Trump.”
Maher told Hamby that he believes young men prefer Trump, but the comedian downplayed their electoral influence by suggesting that these young men are more likely to “stay home” rather than actually vote for the former president.
