(NewsNation) — Call them Gen Z, young millennials or “bros.” They went bigger for Donald Trump than they did four years ago.
“Young men like me, we don’t want to be feminists,” said conservative influencer and self-described “bro” Christian Hodges in an appearance on NewsNation’s “On Balance. “We want to be able to have a family, get married … have a family and live the American dream.”
“We believe in America, but does Joe Biden and Kamala Harris believe in America? They don’t. But we know that Donald Trump does,” Hodges said.
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Podcasting may have also been part of the secret sauce in Trump’s decisive victory.
“Barron Trump encouraged his father to go on podcasts like Joe Rogan and Theo Von … and Logan Paul,” said College Republicans of America President Will Donohue. “These are mediums that reach out to a type of voter that are typically apolitical. They ended up voting for Trump because they identified with him.”
On the other hand, Donohue told “CUOMO,” “Kamala Harris went on ‘Call Her Daddy’ and Stephen Colbert. She made zero attempts to reach out to 18-to-29-year-old males.”
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Social media influencer and immigration activist Carlos Eduardo Espina believes it wasn’t neglect but ignorance of the “bros” that cost Harris.
“I think they just fundamentally misunderstand Gen Z, particularly Gen Z men,” adding that her campaign advisers should have put Harris on podcasts and “just let her be herself.”
“She was very protected, very insulated. They took a while to get her in front of the press (and) in front of these nontraditional media,” Espina said.
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But Donohue said, in the end, it was about more than just outreach.
“Gen Z thought President Trump was a better pick,” he said.
Whatever the opinions, the vote count confirms that Trump vastly improved his standing among males between 18 and 29.
“In 2020, he lost that age cohort by 24 points to Joe Biden. On Tuesday, he lost them by only 13 points,” wrote NewsNation contributor Chris Cillizza.
