Trump regret sets in, Harvard expert says young voters now see their massive mistake

A Harvard polling expert says many young voters now regret voting for Trump. The expert is John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. He said young men aged 18 to 29 are starting to turn against Trump.

More young people now feel that Trump is harming them, not helping. During the 2024 election, Trump won in tight races in key battleground states, mainly because he reached out to unhappy young men. Trump used right-wing influencers and anti-woke messages to connect with these young men, according to the report by The Daily Beast.

Della Volpe believes young men helped Trump win the election. Now, many of these voters feel Trump didn’t keep his promises, especially about the economy. Young voters are now asking: “I thought this would help me financially. What happened?”


Della Volpe advised Joe Biden in 2020 and also helped a group that supported Kamala Harris in 2024. Under Trump, the economy has been unstable. His “Liberation Day” tariffs in April made imported goods more expensive, and that cost is hitting regular people, as per reports.

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Young voters feel misled about economy

Joanna Coles, host of the podcast, said she was surprised these voters didn’t learn from Trump’s first term (2017–2021). Della Volpe explained that 18–24 year olds only saw Trump during the early pandemic, so they didn’t get the full picture, as per reports.

Voters in their late 20s and 30s do remember Trump’s first term and are more likely to support Democrats now. What young people really want is stability in life, especially when it comes to money and jobs. Many young men liked Trump’s strong, macho image, not necessarily his policies, as per the report by The Daily Beast.

Now, many are unhappy with Trump again

They saw Trump as a guy who could “fight the system” for people who felt nervous about money. But now, after just six months of Trump being president again, many young people feel disappointed. Trump’s approval among young people is only in the 30% range. A report in late April by Harvard said over 40% of Americans under 30 are just barely getting by financially.

Less than one-third of young people approve of Trump. During the campaign, Trump got a lot of support from young Latino men. But now, 52% of young Hispanic Americans say they are still struggling to make ends meet — worse than young white (38%) or Black (45%) people, as reported by The Daily Beast.

FAQs

Q1. Why are young voters regretting their support for Trump?
Many young voters feel Trump didn’t improve the economy like he promised and now think he’s doing more harm than good.

Q2. What does the Harvard poll say about young people and Trump?
The poll shows Trump’s approval among young people is low, and many under 30 are struggling financially.