Journalist Peter Hamby warned comedian Bill Maher on Friday that young men shifting their support to former President Donald Trump could pose a significant threat to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. In the “Overtime” segment of “Real Time With Bill Maher,” Hamby highlighted that Harris has failed to boost President Joe Biden’s standing among young men—a crucial demographic for securing an election win. According to an August New York Times/Siena College poll, Trump leads Harris by 13% among men aged 18 to 29 in six battleground states.
“What explains Donald Trump’s appeal to young men?” Maher asked, reading a viewer’s question. “I saw today that the gender gap, I think, is the widest. I mean, it’s very predictable. I mean, the women are much more for Kamala, and the men are much more for Trump, generally.” Hamby responded: “But it’s not predictable if you look at past elections where voters under 30 — generally men and women — went for Democrats. This is remarkable.”
Maher interjected that Hamby was talking about men under 30. “Yeah, the under-30 gender gap. It’s very different than past elections. Much bigger. So in 2020, young men and young women voted for Joe Biden at roughly the same rate,” Hamby said. “Over the last four years, and now with Kamala Harris, young women are voting for Kamala Harris at that same level, if not more. Kamala Harris has barely moved the needle with young men. They have gone more toward Trump. There’s a lot of reasons for that.”
Young men planning to vote for Trump told the New York Times that their main concern is the economy. Harris has faced considerable criticism on this front, particularly following the release of her economic plans, which proposed targeting corporations for “price gouging” to reduce grocery store prices. “I think Trump has exploited culture war stuff. You know, he appears on hyper-masculine podcasts and he just seems like a fun bro. He’s not going to ban your Zyns, you know? This is a real issue for Kamala Harris, though,” Hamby continued. “Like, this could be fatal for her campaign … Democrats need to win 60% of the youth vote to win the White House.”
“Hillary came up short; Obama did it; Biden did it. Kamala Harris is right now at, like, 55% of the youth vote,” he added. “If she doesn’t get to 60, she could lose the election, and it’s because young men, Gen Z men, are breaking to Trump.” Maher told Hamby he thinks young men lean towards Trump, but he downplayed their potential impact, suggesting they are more likely to “stay home” rather than vote for the former president.
In a potentially troubling development for Democrats, a new Emerson College/The Hill poll has revealed concerning news from Wisconsin—one of the key swing states in the upcoming election. The latest figures are not promising for Harris. The poll shows Trump slightly ahead with 50% of the vote, while Harris trails closely at 49%. Although a 1% margin may not appear significant, the trend is raising alarm bells among Democratic circles.
Before the Democratic National Convention (DNC), Harris was leading Trump by 1% in the same poll. This recent shift indicates a 2% drop for Harris, flipping the state in Trump’s favor. In a fiercely contested state like Wisconsin, even a minor change in the numbers can have significant consequences.
General Election Poll – Wisconsin
? Trump 50% (+1)
? Harris 49%Emerson College/The Hill
This poll was Harris +1 before the DNC. Essentially, Harris is a minus 2 in Wisconsin after the DNC.
Bad news for Harris.— David D. Chapman (@davidchapman141) August 29, 2024
The numbers are especially concerning given Emerson College’s polling history. In 2020, their final poll showed Joe Biden with an 8% lead, but the actual results revealed a much closer race, with the poll overstating Biden’s lead by 7.4%. If this latest poll follows a similar pattern, Democrats could face an unpleasant surprise on Election Day. Meanwhile, Trump is focusing on the Midwest, with planned visits to Michigan and Wisconsin this Thursday. It’s also notable to recall that the Republican National Convention was held in Milwaukee, Wis., likely as a nod to what is viewed as a must-win former “blue wall” state that Donald Trump won in 2016 but then lost in 2020 to Joe Biden.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.