Nine years ago, the American political landscape was turned upside down.
In 2015, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the 2016 presidential election. For nine years, his name has dominated conversations, headlines, bumper stickers, and baseball caps.
As a 21-year-old, nine years is almost half of my lifetime. It is hard to remember a time before Trump was a constant topic of impassioned conversation.
In sixth grade, as I reached the maturity level to become tapped into politics, Trump was entering the scene. Scandals like the Access Hollywoodtapes were part of my introduction to the world of politics.
Trump’s personality made him an instant media magnet. His unfiltered and inflammatory language has always sparked fury and debate, leaving news outlets eager to cover his every move.
After scandals, crimes, impeachments, countless lies and offensive remarks, Trump might as well have a designated section on every news website. His presence in our culture is unrelenting.
Trump’s support surged despite the negative press, proving that in the era of Trump, any publicity is good publicity
Even when Trump was not president, he was still an active topic of conversation. Claims that the 2020 election was stolen led to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Trump supporters quickly hopped on the “Trump 2024” crusade. Throughout Joe Biden’s presidency, Trump’s return loomed over the country.
Trump changed the way presidents are covered in the media. In 2017, after Trump had won the election, the Pew Research Center found that 69% of news stories surrounding Trump were about his personality rather than his policies.
This was a 19% increase from the Obama administration, which had already increased from President George Bush. Trump became a personal idol rather than a politician.
The same poll found that in Trump’s first sixty days as president, 62% of news coverage across all outlets was negative. This was 42% more than Obama’s negative coverage.
Trump’s support surged despite the negative press, proving that in the era of Trump, any publicity is good publicity.
On social media, Trump planted the seed that news media is corrupt and dishonest, making him immune to bad press among his followers.
Trust in news media significantly declined after Trump’s presidency, according to a 2021 study from the Pew Research Center.
The culture of the Republican party completely changed when Trump took the helm. The “Make America Great Again” belief system, which bolsters Trump as the Republican leader, has divided the Republican party.
According to a 2022 Grinnell College National Poll, about 42% of Republicans identified as “MAGA Republicans.” These are Trump’s super-supporters.
Aside from MAGA Republicans, about 84% of Republican voters were guaranteed to vote for Trump in the 2024 election, according to a Pew Research Center poll.
Prominent Republican politicians who have spoken against Trump, such as Nikki Haley and Ron Desantis, backed him anyway.
Considering his unwavering support despite all odds, it is hard to believe that Trump’s dominance will ever end.
The introduction of Kamala Harris as presidential candidate felt like a breath of fresh air. She hit the scene hard with overwhelmingly positive social media buzz, mostly driven by young voters.
According to a study by UCLA Center for Scholars and Storytellers, Gen Z and millennials who frequently consume social media were 18% more likely to have voted for Harris than those who do not use social media.
Considering the number of young voters on these platforms, this could have accounted for a significant amount of votes.
In 2024, there were about 41 million eligible Gen Z voters, eight million of whom were newly eligible voters. Gen Z votes at higher rates than previous generations, according to the Tufts University Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.
In an interview with PBS News, Melissa Deckman, author of “The Politics of Gen Z: How the Youngest Voters Will Shape Our Democracy” explained that Gen Z voters are different from other generations.
Not only are they more likely to show up for politics, the issues they care about are different.
“I think also we see that Gen Z really cares again about climate change, about gun violence prevention, and I think for those in Generation Z, both many young men and young women as well, is that they view these as existential threats,” Deckman said. “They’ve had to live through these experiences.”
These typical Gen Z ideals do not align with the MAGA belief system, which likely turned young voters away from Trump.
A 2024 poll from Pew Research Center found that only 14% of 18-29-year-olds identify as Republicans. As Gen Z comes into increased voting power, this deficit will make a difference.
Harris’s hopeful messaging is what young voters like me have been craving. Trump’s negative, “America is awful” shtick has gotten old.
In the presidential debate, while Trump painted a picture of a crime-riddled and crumbling society, Harris voiced her vision of a bright future.
For the first time, I felt optimistic about American politics. It was a break from the chaos and fear that had ruled the political environment for so long.
After nine years of Trump’s cultural and political dominance, Harris offered a positive new path that voters like me were looking for. Regardless of the outcome in 2024, the power of Gen Z going forward is not to be underestimated.
