Trump’s approval rating changes course among millennials and Gen Z

Fact-checking organisation Full Fact say available data from exit polls ‘doesn’t seem to support this claim’. It stated that ‘Democratic candidate Kamala Harris won among 18-29 and 30-44 year-old voters’ but said Trump did improve his performance among the younger demographics compared to the 2016 and 2020 elections. And now that Trump is well beyond his first 100 days back in the White House, it appears the president is causing somewhat of a generational divide between younger voters (Picture: Getty Images)

Trump has experienced a surge in popularity among millennials this month, according to new polls. In a survey of 1,786 US citizens held from May 9-12 by The Economist and YouGov, 48% of those aged between 30 and 44 had a favourable view of Trump - a huge 10% increase on the month previously, when the number was just 38% (Picture: Getty Images)

While Trump may currently be experiencing a boost in popularity among 30-44 year olds, the same poll found the president has lost ground among the youngest voters. In the May survey, just 33% of those aged 18-29 viewed his presidency favourably, marking a sharp decline from earlier in the year. In March, this number stood at 47% before a sizeable dip was reported in April, when the number dropped 34%. The downward trend has continued in May (Picture: Getty Images)

The president’s disapproval rating among this age group also jumped markedly, from 47% in March to 62% this month, indicating a significant erosion in the youth vote. In contrast to the turbulent opinion of those aged 18-44, the view of older Americans remains largely steady. In the 45-64 age bracket, 49% currently approve of Trump’s performance, up from 45% in April. Among those 65+, approval stands at 45% - down from 49% one month ago (Picture: Getty Images)

Overall opinion has been boosted, as 45% of those taking part in The Economist/YouGov poll in May viewed Trump favourably, having been at 42% in the previous month. However, the majority still hold an unfavourable view at 53%. Males (49%) are more likely to approve of Trump than females (40%), and there’s a stark race divide with White citizens (51%) being in favour of his leadership, while that number is just 25% with Black citizens and 37% for Hispanic citizens (Picture: Getty Images)

Lucas Walsh, a youth political behavior expert and a professor at Monash University in Australia, told Newsweek: ‘Declining support among younger voters—many of whom backed Trump in 2024—may be because many respond to issues rather than party allegiances. Economic hardship and uncertainty typically affect younger people disproportionately compared to older voters during economic downturns. These younger voters often care less about red and blue party lines and more about issues, particularly progressive ones, and issues affecting the bottom line of their day-to-day lives’ (Picture: Getty Images)