A record number of Generation Z (those born between 1996 and 2010) could turn out to vote in this year's US presidential election. Photo / AP
A record number of Generation Z (those born between 1996 and 2010) could turn out to vote in this year's US presidential election. Photo / AP
There are a number of reasons why tomorrow's US presidential election is unique.
It happens to be taking place in the middle of a pandemic, for example. It also falls at a time when the US is grappling with a series of mass protests over racial injustice after the death of George Floyd in May.
But one overlooked factor is that a record number of Generation Z (those born between 1996 and 2010) could turn out to vote in this year's election.
Indeed, research released in October suggested that millennials and Generation Z are poised to become the largest voting bloc in the electorate.
Many of the polls point to the fact that a high youth turnout in this year's election will doom Trump.
Kristen Soltis Anderson, a Republican pollster, tells me that her firm "shows voters under 30 breaking for Biden by a 60-30 margin. That would be similar to what Obama won by in 2008 with young voters."
It's true that young people in the US do tend to lean towards left-wing politics.
In July, Generation Z and Trump made headlines after a group of teenagers on the video-sharing app TikTok declared a virtual war on the President. They requested thousands of tickets to Trump's rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the aim of humiliating the President with an empty stadium.
After Trump proposed a ban on TikTok, they turned their attention to posting negative reviews about the official Trump 2020 app in the Apple Store.
However, the reality could be a little more complicated. Those under 25 who support the President are often referred to as "timid Trumpians", because they're scared of being shamed by their classmates – and sometimes, even their parents – for their political views.
But on social media, a community of young Trump supporters is thriving. The hashtag #StudentsForTrump has 6.7 million views on TikTok at the time of writing, while #TeensForTrump has 2.2 million.
Scrolling through the videos is a little like attending a virtual rally. Your senses are accosted by clips of teenagers waving the star-spangled banner, dancing to remixed versions of the national anthem and, of course, reciting the enduring slogan: Make America Great Again.
So who are the young voters backing Trump? We've met some of them.
'At high school, people thought I was a horrible person for supporting Trump'
By Aubrey Moore, 17, Florida
My dad holds public office in Florida, Trump's home county, so I've been involved in politics all my life. All my family vote Republican, but I'm definitely more right-leaning than my dad. He agrees with face masks, but I'm a little more sceptical about them, so we often debate the topic.
Florida teen Aubrey Moore started a social media group called the Republican Hype House. Screenshot / Aubrey Moore, TikTok
Although I'm still one year away from voting in an election, I've recently grown frustrated with media groups in the US pushing a left-wing narrative on my generation, especially on social media.
It worries me, because it means that the younger generation are just consuming the news that they are given, rather than researching policies for themselves.
In response, I started the Republican Hype House, a social media group with a main focus on TikTok. Myself and 13 other right-wing political teenagers create content that aims to educate people more about Republican ideology, mainly through comedic videos.
I've even made some friends through the Pro-Trump community on social media. Earlier this year, I was invited to speak on a panel for the Tampa Bay Young Republicans club as a representative for Generation Z.
This has its downsides. At just 17, I've had my fair share of threats. People online have threatened to come to my house and hurt me because of my beliefs. I find it really upsetting when people resort to violence because they don't agree with someone else's politics.
At high school, a lot of people who didn't know me personally would think I was a horrible person because I supported Trump. Just last week, I organised a sign wave, where we stand on the side of the road and raise flags in support for Trump. People were screaming profanities at us, and saying we're racist and homophobic as they drove past.
While I support Trump 100 per cent, I think it's important to recognise the other side. His straight-talking personality doesn't sit well with some people on the left.
A lot of people say to me: "As a young woman, how can you support Trump?" My response is that we have to separate policy and personality. While he may not be everyone's cup of tea, female unemployment rate is at an all-time low under his presidency.
Last week, I was lucky enough to be a VIP guest at the Florida rally, where the atmosphere was incredible. Florida is a swing state, so it can go either red or blue, but, given the turnout at the rally, I'm confident it's going to go red; people here are fed up with the Democratic agenda.
In terms of the actual election, I think it's going to be neck-and-neck. Of course, I will be delighted if Trump gets re-elected, but if it is Biden then, as a Republican, I will accept that and support him as best as I can.
'Trump has policies that will benefit our generation'
By Cole Button, 24, Iowa
I voted for Trump back in 2016 not knowing what to expect on election night, but this time around things feel different.
There's so much energy among Trump's supporters and, contrary to what some people believe, a big part of it is driven by his young supporters.
US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on November 2. Photo / AP
I support the Republicans because their policies align with my values. I believe in less wasteful spending, a free market and a scaled-back government with minimal intervention.
I also disagree with socialism; through college, I've met many young people who have come to America from socialist and communist countries, and they are much happier under capitalism than they were there.
My parents are independents, so they have voted for both Democrats and Republicans. My dad is a police officer, which I think influenced my beliefs.
I saw first-hand how he risked his life to protect people, and I would hear the stories about what police officers deal with on a daily basis.
Unlike many people who are calling to "defund the police" or "abolish the police" following the Black Lives Matter protests, I'm an avid supporter of "Back the Blue". We should be investing in them to improve the level of training they receive to keep everyone safe.
A lot of people my age are too afraid to say that they support Trump, especially on college campuses. I know multiple people who have been bullied or harassed because of their Republican views.
There were times at college where I was nervous to voice my opinions; I'd started to see the word "capitalism" written on trash cans and Republican posters being torn down. On social media, some college professors would try to tell younger Republicans why their views were wrong.
Young people, and people in general are supporting the President because Trump has so many policies that will benefit our generation.
When you're straight out of college, your main priority is finding a job. Unemployment rates in the US are currently at an all-time low and wages are rising, which is great for young people.
It's a common misconception that younger Republicans don't care about the environment like their peers. We support protecting the environment and making sure people have clean air and clean water; we just recognise that the way to help the environment is through innovation, not regulation. You invent, create and incentivise companies to develop greener alternatives.
Young people like Trump because he doesn't act like a politician by giving perfectly polished answers and just saying what the polls say people want to hear. Instead, he says what he believes, and will say it exactly how it is.
'I refuse to be one of the silent majority'
By Kaitlynn Hunt, 22, Nebraska
I used to be one of the "silent majority" who quietly supported Trump. I play softball for Creighton University but when I told my teammates that I was a Trump supporter, I lost a lot of friends. I've been called racist, homophobic and anti-feminist, to name a few. Those comments really hurt.
However, in recent months I've learnt that my voice is just as important as anyone else's. I've even started wearing a Trump face mask on campus; it says, "Trump 2020: Make America Great Again". A lot of people have come up to me and said that they love my mask, and wished they were brave enough to wear one.
On the whole, I agree with Republican views, particularly on abortion. In some circumstances, such as very early on in a pregnancy, I think it could be used for certain situations. But it hurts my heart to see people trying to change the law to allow abortion into the later stages of pregnancy.
My mum is a home-keeper and my dad works in the trucking industry; we all vote Republican. My boyfriend does too. A few months after we met, he asked me: "what would you have done if I told you I was a Democrat?" I joked that my mum probably wouldn't have let him in the house.
Although that's a little dramatic, I do think there's something to be said about people's personal values aligning with their political ones. At the end of the day, I love my country and I think Trump is the best person to protect it.
On election day, we're going to all vote together as a family and then stay up to watch the results. I'm feeling really optimistic about the future, and I've even made some new friends in my local area who support Trump.
But on the whole, I've learnt to keep conversations about politics out of my personal life. I don't want my beliefs to come between friendships ever again.
