Former President Donald Trump continues to get kudos for selecting Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, and includes from younger Americans they will both need to win in November.
During the 2024 Republican National Convention, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy praised Generation Z, calling them the generation that will “eventually save America.” The Wall Street Journal has also referred to them as the “toolbelt generation” for their impact on transforming the landscape of work and education in America. And after President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the race on Sunday, both parties will vie for the support of young people in these uncertain times.
Some conservative “Zoomers,” as they are called, believe that Trump has advanced in gaining support from the youngest voting bloc by selecting Vance as his running mate. Vance is the first millennial to be added to a presidential ticket, which is significant as concerns about age are prominent in the political sphere. “If we look at JD Vance specifically as VP, one of their [Gen Z’s] biggest concerns is the age” of then-candidate Biden and Trump, podcast host and Gen Z influencer Christian Hodges told Fox News. “They see JD Vance as an insurance policy for Trump in case there is another assassination attempt, and it’s successful, unfortunately.”
Hodges, the author of “America, Don’t Give Up: Your Right to Freedom of Speech,” has before talked about ongoing worries among young voters about the candidates’ ages, particularly after then-candidate Biden’s debate last month. The political activist and conservative commentator mentions that Zoomers, or individuals from Generation Z, are in search of fresh leadership, and he views Vance as a positive move forward. “If we also look at JD Vance and his background, he supports everything that Gen Z, especially men, are going towards,” he said.
Surveys have indicated that Trump has a historic opportunity to secure the largest portion of the 18-29 age demographic for any Republican in decades. “If you look at the top careers that Gen Z men are pushing for, they’re going into careers like blue-collar jobs. Blue-collar is trendy again, and they’re also going into finance fields. A lot of Gen Z is entrepreneurial because that’s also trendy again today, and they’re also going into the tech field in Silicon Valley,” Hodges said.
According to the latest figures from the National Student Clearinghouse, Generation Z is moving education and the job market more towards blue-collar occupations. This is evident from the data, which shows a 16% rise in the number of students attending vocational-oriented community colleges in 2023, a 23% jump in those pursuing careers in construction, and a 7% growth in students taking courses in HVAC/vehicle maintenance and repair.
“I think we’re seeing, especially on the conservative side, that Gen Z men and women are becoming conservative, and they’re seeing that as a trend. So, whether it’s trendy or not, we’re seeing that they actually are becoming conservative and care about those issues, which is a great positive that we’re seeing today. And I think if JD Vance appeals to them specifically, it just adds to the trendy effect that we’re seeing among Gen Z.”
Caroline Joyous, an 18-year-old conservative Christian influencer from Alabama, is one of those voters. As the host of the “Fire and Freedom” podcast, she emphatically expressed her excitement to see Trump pick Vance as his running mate in her interview with Fox News Digital last week.
“He’s young, he’s energetic, and he’s got a fresh face, and he’s just so fiery,” she said. “Gen Z is tired of these politicians who are just sitting up in DC [and] doing nothing, and we take a look at JD Vance, and we’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, he’s actually gone up there in a short amount of time, and he’s fighting harder than pretty much everyone in D.C.”