Trump campaign focus on young men a threat to Democrats: Harvard polling director

The director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics argued in an op-ed published on Monday that the Trump campaign’s focus on young men could jeopardize Democrats’ hold on the demographic and change the electoral calculus for future cycles.

“Unlike other recent Republican presidential nominees, Donald Trump is making young men a central focus of his campaign. If effective, his effort could peel enough away from the Democratic Party to transform the country’s electoral math for years to come,” wrote John Della Volpe, a Democratic pollster who’s worked on surveys for a political action committee supporting the Biden and Harris campaigns, in The New York Times.

Della Volpe said former President Trump offered a “master class in bro whispering” that struck a nerve in young men who are hitting higher rates of loneliness, singlehood and suicide and lower rates of going to college or entering the labor market.

The Democratic pollster noted Trump’s close ties to figures and personalities like Elon Musk and the endorsement of Barstool Sports Dave Portnoy as examples in swaying young male voters and “by weaving a hypermasculine message of strength and defiance into his broader narrative that undermines confidence in democratic institutions.”

Della Volpe noted that while Vice President Harris was performing better than President Biden among the demographic, “Our polling also shows that while Mr. Trump has made significant inroads with young men, more still find Ms. Harris more relatable and competent.”

“Mr. Trump still holds a narrow advantage on the economy, patriotism and strength, but Ms. Harris’s connection with young men continues to grow, suggesting she has yet to reach her ceiling with this demographic.”

The Harvard polling director suggested that in order to win over more of the critical voting bloc, Harris needed to “address their fears head-on and present a bold vision that speaks to their desire for purpose and strength,” suggesting she make a call for young men to get involved in military and civilian service for the country as a way to tap into a sense of patriotism and identity.

“Donald Trump has gained ground with Gen Z by systematically exploiting the fears and insecurities of young men, making them feel that their masculinity and future are under siege,” he wrote. “Kamala Harris can counter that narrative by listening and recognizing their fears but also by offering something more profound: a vision of hope, strength and shared purpose.”

Both campaigns are making last-ditch appeals to a number of critical voting blocs as the national and battleground state polling shows an increasingly tight matchup between Harris and Trump.

An aggregate of national surveys compiled by Decision Desk HQ shows Harris at 49 percent and Trump at close to 48 percent.

In an effort to shore up young male voters, the Harris campaign rolled out a digital ad campaign last week that includes targeting the demographic on Yahoo Sports and DraftKings in addition to IGN and Fandom. The campaign has also enlisted celebrities like actor Ben Stiller and former NBA star Magic Johnson in their ad campaign.

The campaign has also used appearances like her interview with Charlamagne tha God to reach Black male voters – appearances that come as former President Obama expressed concern earlier this month about turnout among Black men.