Here's Why My Generation Is Ready To Vote For Donald Trump | Riley Gaines
College football is back, and with it comes the unique intensity of rivalries. As a former SEC athlete, I can attest that few environments are more competitive or charged. At last weekend’s Georgia-Alabama game, Donald Trump received a warm reception, and chants of "USA" and "four more years" erupted as soon as he appeared on the Jumbotron. The energy was palpable.
Some might argue that such a response is expected in Alabama, a stronghold of Republican support. But that explanation doesn't hold when you consider the scene at the Michigan-Minnesota game, where Minnesota's Governor and Kamala Harris’ VP pick Tim Walz was loudly booed. Chants of ‘Tampon Tim’ and ‘get out of here’ were hurled Walz’ way.
The contrast between the two’s policies as well as their reception among college students could not be more stark.
While it’s true that the Democratic Party has historically commanded the loyalty of younger voters, this election cycle feels different.
Trump’s soundbite of "they’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats" on the debate stage has become a viral remixed song used to make dancing videos on TikTok. Hundreds of students on Penn State’s campus showed up to a Charlie Kirk event in what looked like a sea of red MAGA hats. Many of my friends who were closeted Trump supporters have decided they won't shy away or feel ashamed when publicly declaring their support for the former president.
During a halftime interview with OutKick’s Clay Travis, Trump explained, "There has never been energy like this," referring to the surge of Gen Z support. He described young voters as "very smart," a sharp contrast to Kamala Harris, who once referred to the 18-24 age group as "stupid" in a resurfaced clip from a Ford Foundation symposium.
Interesting logic considering that she believes children in elementary school are smart enough to decide if they want to chemically and/or surgically castrate themselves, but I digress…
Here are five reasons why the youth will turn out in masses to vote for a Trump-Vance presidential ticket:
1. Economic Growth and Job Opportunities
As Gen Z enters adulthood, the economy becomes an ever more pressing concern. This generation is grappling with inflation, rising costs, and economic uncertainty, making financial independence difficult to achieve. With high rent, student loans, and stagnant wages, young people are feeling the pinch.
Trump has long championed free-market policies that emphasize lowering taxes, reducing government spending, and fostering a more business-friendly environment. For young voters frustrated by high costs and stagnant wages, these economic policies present a possible path toward financial stability and opportunity.
In short, the economy affects every aspect of young people’s lives- from their immediate financial well-being to their long-term prospects- making it a key issue for our generation. Who Gen Z votes for will largely depend on how the respective nominees can improve their economic realities and future opportunities.
2. America First Policies
Last week, Hurricane Helene ripped through many states in the southeast wreaking havoc and taking lives. President Trump has been on the ground delivering aid and donating supplies to those affected in Georgia.
President Biden and Vice President Harris? Before reading public sentiment on the issue, Biden was laid up on a Delaware beach and Kamala was off to her next fundraiser with the rich elites. Many wonder if the Biden-Harris team would have shown more urgency if the victims were not in rural areas in largely red states.
America last.
US Vice President Kamala Harris surveys the damage from Hurricane Helene, in the Meadowbrook neighborhood of Augusta, Georgia, on October 2, 2024. US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday witnessed first-hand the catastrophic destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene, as several thousand responders joined all-out efforts to rescue residents and care for millions impacted by the storm. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
This past week ICE released a damning border report that revealed hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants with criminal records have crossed the southern border and been released into towns and cities across America, many under Joe Biden and alleged "Border Czar" Kamala Harris. Of the 425,431 reported convicted criminals in the country illegally, 13,000 are convicted murderers and almost 16,000 are sexual predators.
America last.
Young voters, especially women, care about being able to walk the streets safely at night. We care about world peace and staying out of wars. We want a leader who will make decisions through the singular lens of what is best for the U.S. national interest. Donald Trump has proven he’s that guy.
3. Outsider Perspective
Young people are drawn to bucking the system, especially when they feel disillusioned with the status quo. There is an innate desire to challenge authority, disrupt traditional norms, and question outdated systems, and Trump, love him or hate him, is an outsider. He's not the standard political candidate who runs for public office.
The lawfare and weaponization of the federal government used against Trump have become increasingly more obvious and undeniable with each and every tactic they use. From attempts to bankrupt him to trying to remove him from the ballot to his arrest, culminating in that now-iconic mugshot, Trump’s resistance to the political establishment has only strengthened his allure among younger voters. Two assassination attempts on his life have only further solidified his status as the ultimate outside.
Young voters recognize this type of resistance is only happening to one political figure and are ready to mobilize against the establishment.
4. Free Speech is on the Ballot
The most consequential freedom of all is on the ballot: free speech. Our right to speak freely is a prerequisite for all of our other freedoms.
RELATED: Free Speech Is On The Ballot In 2024 | Bobby Burack
College students may know better than all that censorship exists, especially in the form of self-censorship. On college campuses, students feel increasingly pressured to conform to a specific ideological framework or face social and academic consequences. College students are afraid to tell the truth, even on topics we’ve never struggled to understand like the very real physiological differences between men and women.
The Biden-Harris administration’s newly implemented Title IX regulations, which compel speech at federally funded institutions, have only heightened concerns. Our government now gets to decide what is deemed "hate speech" or "misinformation".
It's not just Biden, Harris, and Walz; the entire Democratic apparatus is involved. The party’s ultimatum is clear: let us tell you how to think, what to say, and how to act…or else.
Gen Z doesn’t want to be told what to think, say, or believe—we want the freedom to express our views openly and without fear.
5. The Party of Unity
For decades, Democrats have been deemed the tolerant, inclusive, and diverse party. Over the past few years, that mask has been ripped off. They have lost that title and have turned into what can only be described as a cult in many facets due to the fostering of groupthink, unquestioning conformity, and intolerance for dissenting views.
At the RNC in Milwaukee, the speaker lineup included voices that would have been unimaginable in the party just a decade ago, from union leaders to influencers like Amber Rose highlighting that the Republican party embraces all regardless of their past or their voting record.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH). (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The Trump campaign has also teamed up with former Democrats like Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert Kennedy Jr. I was in the crowd at the Trump rally in Phoenix where RFK publicly endorsed the former president. The young people around me went wild when they heard the slogan "Make America Healthy Again". I never thought I would live to see the day when a Kennedy Democrat endorsed the Republican presidential nominee.
This is what real unity looks like and it's appealing to the younger demographic.
When I think of the fate of America, I picture the visual of the frat boys at University of North Carolina raising the American flag amidst the nationwide pro-Palestine protests that took place on college campuses.
RELATED: GoFundMe Set Up For Hero UNC Students Who Protected Fallen Flag From Pro-Hamas Mob
That picture said 1,000 words. It reaffirmed that not all is lost and that a generation of patriotic Americans are being raised up to push back against the progressive, destructive policies put in place by the Democratic Party.
Young voters are beginning to realize it's our future that's at stake therefore it's us who must fight for it. Gen Z has the opportunity to change the course of history and I believe we will on November 5th.