Trump made double-digit gains with Gen Zers, a group that distinguishes itself from Millennials in many ways.
News Analysis
President-elect Donald Trump has many people to thank for winning the election, but near the top of the list should be his young voters, who moved in great numbers toward the Republican since his last election in 2020.
While four years ago Gen Z—those aged 18–29—voted for President Joe Biden by a 25-point margin, this time around, they broke for Vice President Kamala Harris by six points only, according to an AP VoteCast exit poll.
A slight majority of Gen Z men, 49–47, went for Trump, according to the Edison Research exit poll.
There are multiple factors that likely caused that shift. Some quantifiable, others hardly so.
Elon Musk
While billionaire Elon Musk burned a chunk of his popularity by endorsing Trump, he remained popular among Gen Z with 25-point net favorability in an October YouGov survey compared to a 5-point net favorability overall.
Yet it may be less his technological accomplishments such as Tesla and SpaceX and more his online persona that young voters find likable. Musk often expresses himself in memes and with pop culture references popular with Gen Z. He also places a premium on authenticity—a trait appealing to Gen Z.
Last year, when interviewed by CNBC, Musk was asked why he shares his opinions online even when he knew many people wouldn’t like them and it has had some negative effects on his companies.
Musk paused for 12 seconds and then replied:
“You know, I’m reminded of the scene of the ‘Princess Bride’—great movie—where he confronts the person who killed his father and he says, ‘Offer me money, offer me power. I don’t care.’ … I’ll say what I want to say and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it.”
While the 1987 movie came out many years before Gen Z was born, it’s the source of a number of popular memes Gen Z is familiar with.
Musk also has some bona fides with the gamer community. Just a day before the election, he divulged during his interview with popular podcaster Joe Rogan that he was among the top-rated Diablo 4 players, though the ranking is unofficial.
By Petr Svab
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