Young people: Trump dishonest
NEW YORK» A majority of young people believe President Donald Trump is racist, dishonest and “mentally unfit” for office, according to a new survey that finds the nation’s youngest potential voters are more concerned about his performance in the White House than older Americans.
The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MTV found that just 33 percent of Americans between the ages of 15 and 34 approve of Trump’s job performance.
That’s 9 points lower than all adults, who were asked the same question on a separate AP-NORC survey taken this month.
The survey is the first in a series of polls designed to highlight the voices of the youngest generation of voters. The respondents, all of whom will be old enough to vote when Trump seeks reelection in 2020, represent the most diverse generation in American history.
They would occupy the largest share of the electorate — if they vote at the same rate as older Americans. But history suggests they are the least likely to vote. In the 2014 midterm elections, for example, only about 20 percent of 18-29 year-olds cast ballots.
Still, there are signs that seven months before the midterm elections, young people appear to be more engaged in politics. Nearly half of younger Americans, 47 percent, say they’re personally paying closer attention to politics since Trump’s election; 2 in 10 say they’re engaging in political activism more than before.
High school students led massive protests nationwide last weekend that called for gun control in the wake of the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead, and the poll found that young people are more focused about guns than any other issue.
Twenty-one percent say the nation’s gun laws are their top concern, while 15 percent cited the economy and 8 percent said social inequality.
There is widespread agreement among young people about Trump, with more than 7 in 10 saying he “doesn’t reflect my personal values.”
“He doesn’t seem to be really for women. He doesn’t seem to be for Black Lives Matter. He doesn’t seem to be for DACA,” said Meghan Carnes, 23, of New York City, referring to a program to allow young immigrants to stay in this country. “He doesn’t seem to be for the kids worried about guns. It’s extremely disappointing to have a president who doesn’t seem to care.”
The new poll finds that 60 percent describe Trump as “mentally unfit,” 62 percent call him “generally dishonest,” and 63 percent say he “is a racist.” In a mid-February AP-NORC poll, 57 percent of all adults in the U.S. said they believe Trump is racist.
Spencer Buettgenbach, 23, of Topeka, Kan., said Trump has emboldened attitudes about racism, sexism and homophobia by “normalizing abusive talk.”
“Especially living in Kansas — for me as a gay man — it’s kind of scary,” he said. “He’s like the world’s worst boogeyman.”
The poll also found that young people overwhelm- ingly support watching out for minorities: 69 percent favor a pathway to legal status for immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, 59 percent favor protecting the rights of LGBT citizens, and 58 percent say the same for Muslims.
Among other issues young voters feel the strongest about:
• 76 percent want the government to allow them to refinance student loan debt at lower rates
• 67 percent want a health care system in which “the government provides health insurance to all Americans.”
• 60 percent want the government to take steps to address climate change.
A narrow majority, 55 percent, favor legalizing recreational use of marijuana. Just under half, 46 percent, believe abortion should be legal “in most cases,” with 26 percent opposed.