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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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President Donald Trump’s net approval among registered U.S. voters aged 18 to 29 saw a double-digit drop after Democrats’ sweeping midterm victory, according to new polling from The Economist/YouGov series.
Democratic congressional candidates also led Republicans 56 percent to 30 percent among participating 18- to 29-year-olds in the post-election Economist/YouGov poll.
The Economist/YouGov poll conducted from November 4 to 6 among 3,166 registered voters found that 30 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds (Gen Z) approved of Trump’s job performance, while 66 percent disapproved.
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That produced a net rating (those who approve minus those who disapprove) of minus 36 within the age group.
Across the full sample, 36 percent approved, and 62 percent disapproved, leaving the president at minus 26 overall. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.
The generational result was therefore 10 points worse than his national standing, suggesting that younger adults were not merely following a broader decline in public opinion.
Where The Numbers Stood Before Election Day
In the previous Economist/YouGov survey, conducted October 23 to 26 among 1,440 registered voters, Trump received 35 percent approval and 61 percent disapproval from respondents aged 18 to 29. His net score with them was minus 26.
Among all participants, 39 percent approved and 58 percent disapproved, creating a minus-19 balance. The poll carried a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Comparing the two readings, youth approval declined five points, disapproval rose by the same amount and the gap between those positions widened by ten points. His nationwide net rating deteriorated by seven points over the shorter period.
Young voters had helped return Trump to the White House in 2024, giving Republicans hope of a durable generational realignment.
That prospect now looks less secure as the GOP considers how to rebuild a winning national coalition without the president on a future ballot.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, this administration has signed the largest working-class tax cuts in history, secured the border, cut the cost of prescription drugs, added more than one million private-sector jobs, and locked in nearly 20 trade deals,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed response.
“President Trump will never stop delivering results for the American people and he will undoubtedly go down as the most successful and consequential president in American history,” Ingle added.
How Gen Z Reshaped the Midterms
- Democrats carried voters under 30 by nearly 50 points, while Gen Z accounted for 11 percent of ballots cast, according to exit polling.
- Young men moved sharply toward Democrats after backing Trump by 14 points in 2024, supporting Democratic House candidates by 22 points in 2026, according to analysis from CIRCLE.
- A younger class of candidates also advanced in the midterms, with Gen Z representation in the House tripling, according to Future Caucus figures.
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Why It Matters
Gen Z’s rightward movement in 2024 challenged the assumption that younger Americans would remain reliably Democratic.
Trump’s economic pitch, particularly to young men frustrated with their prospects, helped him make inroads with a group that had long leaned left.
Two years later, those voters delivered a different verdict, backing Democratic candidates in this month’s midterm elections, which are frequently seen as referenda on the party in power.
The shift does not prove that they have permanently returned to the Democratic fold, but it shows how quickly support can change when a party fails to meet expectations on prices, jobs and opportunity.
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How Gen Z Powered the Democratic Wave
Young Americans represented a relatively modest share of the electorate, but their lopsided preference became decisive in competitive races.
James Talarico won the Texas Senate race by about 12 points and carried voters aged 18 to 29 by 60 points, according to exit-poll findings reported by NPR.
Economic concerns ranked first for 43 percent of voters aged 18 to 29, while more than eight in 10 believed the administration’s policies had worsened conditions, according to exit polling cited by NPR.
The upheaval also changed who will serve in government. Melat Kiros, 29, became the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress, while younger contenders defeated more established opponents in several states.
Layla Zaidane, president and CEO of Future Caucus, said at least 97 candidates under 45 won after more than one-third of congressional hopefuls fell within that age bracket.
“This crop of candidates also grew up online, so they have strong instincts for communicating consistently and engagingly on the platforms where more people than ever get their news,” Zaidane told The Hill. “And they rejected the idea of waiting their turn.”
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What It Means for Republicans
The results weaken the argument that 2024 marked a lasting conservative conversion among young adults.
They instead point to a volatile electorate willing to punish incumbents when daily life feels unaffordable or political promises go unfulfilled.
Rosalind Kichler, an assistant teaching professor in sociology at the University of Washington, cautioned that the midterm results may not represent a permanent political realignment among younger voters.
“If the Democrats fail to do anything in the next two years, we might be right back towards a rightward swing,” Kichler told The Daily of the University of Washington.
What Happens Next
Republicans now face a strategic test beyond one disappointing election: whether they can retain voters attracted to Trump personally while addressing the material anxieties that made his original appeal persuasive.
Democrats, meanwhile, have won another hearing from Gen Z, not permanent ownership of it.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Sam Stevenson and Cristina Diciu.
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