New Poll Shows Tanking Support For Democrats Among Young Voters
A new survey shows the Democratic Party continues to lose support among one of its key voting groups: young Americans.
Brett Cooper, host of “The Brett Cooper Show,” says that many in her generation feel the Democrat Party no longer represents their beliefs.
“Democrats are completely out of touch with their voter base,” Cooper stated during an interview on “Fox & Friends.” “They are aging out. We do not want them in Congress anymore on the left and the right.”
She pointed to aging lawmakers, such as Sen. Dick Durbin, who recently announced his retirement, as prime examples.
“You see members of Congress like Dick [Durbin] who are so old,” Cooper added. “Young people feel unrepresented, and they are fed up.”
Cooper argued that Democrats face a no-win dilemma, caught between the demands of the far-left and those of more centrist voters.
“If they don’t like Donald Trump, then they’re angry that their representatives are not pushing back enough. If they are more common sense in the center, they’re angry with how radical they’ve gotten. They just feel completely left alone,” she explained.
Recent polling from Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics supports Cooper’s claims.
According to the survey, young voter approval of congressional Democrats has dropped sharply to 23 percent, compared to 42 percent back in early 2017.
Republicans have seen slight improvement, earning 29 percent approval among young people—a rare uptick for a group that has historically struggled with this demographic.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s approval among young voters sits at 31 percent, essentially matching his numbers from his first term.
Cooper suggested that figures like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could gain traction with younger voters.
“I think that they are going to have to change course. We will see if that works,” Cooper said. “We’ll see if AOC resonates with as many people as they’re hoping.”
Cooper emphasized that emotion will likely continue playing a significant role in reaching Generation Z.
“It is obviously an emotional issue, and they know that in order to reach Gen Z, I mean, historically, in the past, it has been through emotion, which is why you’re seeing these selfie videos, these rallying cries,” she noted.
However, she warned that old methods might no longer be as effective.
“The tactics that they have been able to use in the past to reach my generation, through social media, using big, broad, emotionally charged language, that might not work,” she said. “They need to listen to their voters for once and actually see how they’re responding.”
If Democrats are considering a change in leadership, data suggests that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez could be a rising favorite.
A recent survey from Data for Progress found that Ocasio-Cortez leads Sen. Chuck Schumer by 19 points in a hypothetical Democratic primary matchup in 2028. While Schumer remains the Senate’s Democratic leader, his support among the party’s base appears to be weakening.
From March 26 to 31, 767 likely Democratic primary voters in New York were asked about their preference between Schumer and Ocasio-Cortez. The results were telling: 55% favored Ocasio-Cortez, compared to 36% for Schumer.
These results were not isolated. The same poll showed Schumer holding the highest disapproval rating among all tested Democratic leaders, while Ocasio-Cortez ranked as one of the most popular, trailing only Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
The decline comes at a precarious time politically. Schumer recently faced backlash from progressives after siding with Senate Republicans on a spending bill negotiated with President Trump, fueling accusations that Democrats are not doing enough to push back against the former president’s growing influence.
Alarmingly, 84% of survey respondents said they feel Washington Democrats are not standing up strongly enough against Trump and the MAGA movement—a warning sign for the party's future.