Kamala Harris centered her campaign on abortion rights, aiming to appeal to women voters.
Despite Harris’ focus on women’s issues, Donald Trump emerged victorious by increasing his support among American men, particularly young men. Trump’s campaign effectively capitalized on youth masculinity, aligning with interests such as combat sports and cryptocurrency.
Trump appeared on male-dominated podcasts, further connecting with young men and reinforcing his message. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk claimed, “If you are a man in this country and you don’t vote for Donald Trump, you’re not a man,” emphasizing Trump’s appeal to male voters.
Trump won 54% of male voters, a slight increase from 2020, according to NBC exit polling. Notably, 49% of young men (aged 18–29) voted for Trump, challenging the assumption that young voters typically lean left.
Elon Musk, a major Trump supporter, celebrated the results, declaring, “the cavalry has arrived” on Election Day.
There was a significant gender divide, with women under 29 overwhelmingly supporting Harris (61%) over Trump (37%). Tammy Vigil, a media science professor, suggested that Trump’s campaign tapped into latent sexism, allowing voters to express divisive impulses, including gender biases.
Spencer Thomas, a Harris supporter, noted that many Trump voters, particularly from historically Black colleges, were more focused on economic policies than issues like abortion rights.
Trump’s rejection of political correctness, “wokeness,” and liberal caution resonated with many Black men, especially those under 45, with roughly 30% voting for him, double the rate from 2020.
Despite the overt racism in Trump’s campaign, Black and Latino men often overlooked these aspects due to Trump’s appeal to their sense of machismo, according to political observers like Tammy Vigil.
Trump’s appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which has a young, male-dominated audience, was seen as a strategic move to motivate young men to vote. Exit polling revealed that 54% of Latino men voted for Trump, marking an 18-point gain from 2020, highlighting his growing appeal across different demographic groups.
Peoplesmind
