CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten reported on Thursday, November 12, 2026, that support for Donald Trump among voters under the age of 25 has decreased since the 2024 election. During an appearance on "News Central," Enten described the change as a "historic shift" away from the Republican party toward the Democratic party.
The report compared results from the 2024 presidential election to the 2026 midterm elections. Enten noted that while House Democrats won the youth vote by 14 percentage points in 2024, that margin increased to 56 points in the midterms. This represents a 42-point swing in the margin of support over a two-year period.
Enten provided data regarding Donald Trump's standing with this demographic. According to the analysis, Trump received 43% of the vote from individuals under 25 in 2024. However, Enten stated that Trump's approval rating among the same age group has since dropped to 15%. Enten attributed this change to the president, stating that these voters "simply put, despise" him.
The shift affects voters under the age of 25, a demographic that historically participates in elections at lower rates. The scale of this change is measured by a 42-point swing in the voting margin and a 28-point drop in approval ratings for the president. Specifically, while nearly 43 out of every 100 young voters supported Trump in 2024, current figures suggest 15 out of 100 approve of his performance two years later.
For this group of young adults, the shift reflects a change in political alignment. The reported 56-point margin for House Democrats indicates that young voters increasingly cast ballots for one party over the other in the midterms.
The data suggests that the Republican party may face challenges in maintaining support from younger generations if these approval ratings persist. The next steps for these findings will be the final certification of 2026 midterm election results and the commencement of the new congressional term in January 2027.