Is the Iran war turning young voters away from Republicans ahead of the midterms?

President Donald Trump won a surprising number of Gen Z voters in 2024, with a particularly strong performance among young men. Although Kamala Harris still won a majority of the 18-29 age cohort, Trump received the largest share of the youth vote for a Republican candidate since George W. Bush in 2004. But as the midterm elections approach and the US-Iran war simmers on, Gen Z support for Trump — and possibly his party — is cratering.

Even before Trump attacked Iran earlier this year, young voters had started to sour on the president and his policies. Trump saw the largest drop in approval among Gen Z out of all age groups in the aftermath of Liberation Day, when he announced a slate of tariffs that would drive up the cost of goods for US consumers. The administration’s handling of the Epstein files was also a source of disillusionment for young MAGA voters.

The Iran war is yet another in the list of unpopular policies. Most Gen Z Americans (57%) disapprove of how Trump has handled the military campaign against Iran, according to new polling from the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group.

Six months into the war, nearly one third of Gen Z Trump supporters regret their vote, a recent Navigator poll finds. As of July, his net approval rating among 18-29-year-olds was -33, down from +5 on inauguration day. While there are many factors at play, the Iran war undoubtedly has contributed to the dissatisfaction young Americans feel toward Trump.

Read more at The Charlotte Observer / The Tribune Content Agency

Eloise Cassier

Research Associate