TRUMP TURNING OFF MILLENNIALS
And that is some very good news for Hillary Clinton, who has been struggling to close the gap with younger voters
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has expanded his double- digit lead among Millennials in the Democratic presidential race, but a new USA TODAY/ Rock the Vote poll finds a way for Hillary Clinton to solve her generation gap: Donald Trump.
Opposition to Trump nearly unites the rising generation.
In a hypothetical Clinton vs. Trump contest in November, voters under 35 would choose Clinton by a crushing 52%- 19%, a preference that crosses demographic lines. Among whites, she would be backed by nearly 2- 1, 45%- 26%. Among Hispanics, by more than 4- 1, 61%- 14%. Among Asian Americans, by 5- 1, 60%- 11%.
Among African Americans, by 13- 1, 67%- 5%.
And the yawning gender gap she has against Sanders would vanish: Clinton would carry young men and women by almost identical margins of more than 2- 1.
Nearly one in four Republicans would defect to the Democrats if the GOP nominated Trump against Clinton. Just 7% of Democrats would defect to the GOP.
“Trump would kind of make a mockery out of America,” worries Cameron Lee Craig, 25, a stay- at- home mom from Amelia, Ohio, who was among those surveyed. “He’s kind of a jerk.”
The poll, the second in a series, is part of USA TODAY’s One Nation initiative, a series of forums across the country on the most important issues of 2016. The online survey, taken by Ipsos March 3- 10, polled 1,541 adults ages 18 to 34.
Sanders leads Clinton among younger voters by 54%- 37%, an even bigger advantage than the 11- point edge he held in January’s survey. Millennial women now back Sanders by a jaw- dropping 61%- 30% while the divide among Millennial men is much closer, 48%- 44%.
“He’s a people- person and will bring a freshness to the country,” Tracy Wanjiku, 21, a caregiver from Alameda, Calif., says in explaining her support for Sanders. But in a Clinton- Trump standoff in November, she says, “I would vote for Hillary — not that I’m in much favor of her, but I think Donald Trump ... his idea of politics is way too over- the- top. It’s scary, to be honest.”
Andres Palmer, 21, of Farmington, N. M., disagrees. Trump is “kind of aggressive in the way he wants to run the country,” Palmer acknowledges, but he adds, “It does seem like he knows more about what he’s talking about than the candidates. The other candidates just seem like they have rocks for brains.”
In the Republican primary race, Trump continues to lead the field, but he has hit a ceiling in his support among Millennials. In January’s poll and the new one, he was supported by 26% of Republicans and independents. He hasn’t gained from the exit of seven rivals since the start of the year. Meanwhile, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s support has doubled to 18% and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s support has nearly doubled, to 14%. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who withdrew after the survey started, was backedby 14%.
Clinton is much more broadly acceptable in her party than Trump is in his. One in five Republicans in the survey say they would stay home in a Clinton- Trump election, compared with one in 10 Democrats.
Millennial voters were a key part of the electoral coalition that elected Barack Obama in 2008. In surveys of voters as they left polling places that November, Obama carried voters under 30 over Republican John McCain by a lopsided 66%- 32%. Clinton hasn’t generated enthusiasm among young voters — Sanders has — but Trump’s support significantly lags evenMcCain.
Millennial voters who back different candidates tend to cite different priorities. Sanders supporters are much more likely than Clinton supporters to say the ideal president would be “authentic” and would “share my values.” Clinton supporters are more likely to value strong experience in government.
Trump supporters are much less likely to value governmental experience and much more likely to say the ideal president would have strong experience outside government.
“If he were put in office, he would be able to straighten out the economy and climate change and fix global warming,” Ashley Yago, 33, of Greeley, Colo., said of Trump in a follow- up interview.
But Tanner Marroquin, 20, of Lawrence, Kan., would vote for Clinton over Trump. “I don’t like having stubborn people in places of power,” he says. The next president should be “more community- based rather than amonarch.”
“I’m leaning toward Bernie Sanders” in the Democratic primaries, says Olga Figueroa, 27, of Silver Spring, Md. “I am a little more trusting of him.” But in a ClintonTrump race, she would vote for Clinton. “Hillary may have been a little inconsistent throughout her political career, but at least she has a very straightforward and clear platform if she gets into the WhiteHouse.”
Trump, she says, “is a little extreme.”