Politics

Trump Loses Gen Z: Young Voter Approval Plummets to Record Low

By Jake Beardslee · July 30, 2025

Support among young Americans for President Donald Trump has collapsed in recent months, particularly among voters aged 18 to 29, according to a new CBS/YouGov poll released Tuesday. Approval among this demographic has dropped from 55 percent in February to just 28 percent by mid-July, marking the steepest decline of any age group during Trump’s second term.

While Trump’s initial post-election support from young adults suggested cautious optimism — with nearly half of men under 30 voting for him in 2024, up from 41 percent in 2020 — that approval has evaporated. The president now holds a net disapproval rating of -44 among this cohort, a significant drop from -12 in April and -20 in early June.

The polling highlights a particularly sharp downturn among independents and non-voters, as well as among those who did not cast ballots in 2024. Voters affiliated with political parties showed smaller but still notable drops in approval.

Young women began distancing from Trump in March, but the approval gap between genders narrowed in recent months due to a more dramatic decline among young men — a trend that coincided with turbulence in U.S. financial markets.

Economic frustrations appear to be a key factor in this shift. Gen Z respondents gave Trump a net +4 approval on economic issues in February, but that plummeted to -42 by July. Approval of his handling of inflation reached a low of -46. Young adults have cited high rent, burdensome student loan debt, and ongoing job insecurity as central grievances.

Trump’s immigration policies have also contributed to his falling numbers with younger voters. While approval briefly ticked up in March, it has since plunged to -40 amid backlash over expanded detentions and mass deportations.

On specific issues, Gen Z disapproval of Trump’s response to the Jeffrey Epstein case stands at 84 percent — the highest disapproval rate among any demographic group.

“CBS News polling over the past few months offers several clues as to what young people are unhappy about these days,” the outlet reported. “A majority now say Mr. Trump is doing different things than he promised during the 2024 campaign. That’s a reversal in sentiment from early February, when seven in 10 said he’s doing what he said he would. And it’s young men who have been the most likely to flip on this question.”