Some Gen Z Trump voters regret 2024 vote, focus group finds
Navigator Research's focus group of eight Gen Z Trump backers found most graded his job performance poorly, though four still plan to vote Republican.
At a glance
- Eight Gen Z Trump voters took part in a virtual focus group run by Navigator Research, a left-leaning polling group.
- Six of the eight graded Trump's job performance a D or F; two gave him a C.
- Four said they still plan to vote Republican this year, three said Democratic and one was undecided.
Eight Generation Z voters who backed President Trump in 2024 took part in a virtual focus group last week, and most gave his job performance poor marks — with some saying they now regret their decision.
The discussion was conducted by Navigator Research, a left-leaning polling group. Participants ranged in age from 20 to 29 and came from five states Trump won by double digits in the last election: Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas and South Carolina. Two of those states, Texas and Ohio, host competitive Senate races that could help decide control of the chamber, and early voting is already underway in multiple states for the midterms.
Navigator notes the focus group is not a nationally representative survey. Even so, the frustrations echoed its own polling released in August, which found nearly a third of people under 30 regret voting for Trump — a larger share than among older generations.
Grades and grievances
Asked to grade the president's job performance, six of the eight participants gave him a D or an F. Two chose a C.
"I just feel like nothing went correctly. I just feel like everything got worse," said John, a 29-year-old Black man from Florida who has voted for Trump since 2016 and graded him an F. John said he now plans to support Democratic candidates this fall, citing the strain of rising costs.
"I'm willing to give the other side a chance," he said. "I don't think they're going to make a total change. But things are just horrible right now for me."
Participants agreed to take part on the condition that they be identified by first name only.
Not everyone in the group had turned against the president. Four of the eight said they still planned to back Republicans this year, three said they would vote for Democrats, and one said she was still deciding.
Where support holds
Matthew, a 25-year-old Black man in Texas, said he does not regret his support and gave Trump a C, praising his border enforcement and his efforts to end conflicts that began under the previous administration — though he said the Iran conflict "hasn't really worked the best." He argued that a larger Republican majority in the House and Senate would let Trump carry out more of his agenda, even though national polls suggest the GOP is more likely to lose seats.
Courtney, a 20-year-old white woman in South Carolina, also does not regret her 2024 vote and said she broadly aligns with Republicans, but she has grown more distrustful of both major parties, particularly on foreign policy. She pointed to U.S. aid for Israel and the decision to go to war with Iran.
A wider warning
Melissa Toufanian, managing director at Navigator, said regret over Trump does not automatically translate into Democratic support. Navigator's polling has found that even as Republicans lose trust on economic issues, Democrats are not gaining that trust one for one.
"A lot of people are moving to this middle, this category that 'I don't trust either party,'" she said. She added that many voters are growing more pessimistic about both parties and the political system, and doubt either can deliver for them.
Trump has also lost ground with other groups that shifted right in 2024, notably independents and Latino voters.
Source: NPR News.
Questions and answers
- Do Gen Z voters regret voting for Trump?
- Navigator polling released in August found nearly a third of people under 30 regret voting for Trump, a higher share than among older generations. In an eight-person focus group of Gen Z Trump voters, six gave him a D or F.
- Will Gen Z voters who regret backing Trump vote Democratic?
- Not necessarily. Navigator's Melissa Toufanian said regret over Trump does not automatically translate into Democratic support, and polling shows many voters distrust both parties rather than shifting to Democrats.
- Which states did the Gen Z Trump voter focus group cover?
- Participants came from Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas and South Carolina — all states Trump won by double digits. Texas and Ohio have competitive Senate races.
