Understanding the Demographic Shift That Pushed Trump to Victory

President-elect Donald Trump has gained increased support from nearly all demographic groups, with a significant boost coming from Gen Z voters aged 18 to 29.

Trump also saw a nearly doubled support among black voters, receiving 15 percent of their votes compared to 8 percent in 2020, and saw improvements among Hispanic voters (41 percent versus 35 percent). While these groups only represented a small portion of his total votes, young voters made up 15 percent of his overall support.

Harris made efforts to appeal to young voters, including appearing on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, but it seems her approach did not resonate enough.

According to AP VoteCast, almost two in five voters identified the economy as the most important issue, with this proportion slightly higher in battleground states such as Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.

Economic concerns in this election differ from those in 2020, where the focus was largely on the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions.

During this election, Trump emphasized economic policies, proposing ideas such as no taxes on tips, overtime, and social security. While the latter may not directly impact young voters, the first two could have resonated with them, especially considering that many young workers in the hospitality industry rely on tips.

He also pledged to lower consumer prices by increasing energy production.

Across all age groups, Trump was perceived as better equipped to handle the economy with a 4- to 9-point margin.

However, Trump did not see significant gains among college-educated voters, maintaining a 41 percent share of their votes in both the current and previous elections. He also saw no improvement among women over 45 years old, receiving 47 percent of their votes. There was a slight increase in support among suburban women, with 41 percent backing him compared to 40 percent in 2020.

Among women aged 18 to 44, Trump saw a 6-point increase in support, rising from 37 percent in 2020 to 43 percent in the latest election. This shift may suggest that Harris’s focus on abortion access, a key issue in her campaign, did not sway these voters as expected.

Only 11 percent of voters identified abortion as the most important issue in the country.

Exit polls indicate that Trump’s stance on leaving abortion regulations to the states and not supporting national restrictions may have contributed to his overall performance. He made gains among individuals who believe abortion should be illegal in most cases as well as those who think it should be legal in most cases. Among those who favor abortion being legal in most cases, he received 49 percent of the votes compared to 30 percent in the previous election, according to the NEP Exit Poll by Edison Research.

However, among those who support abortion being legal in all cases, he saw an 8-point decrease compared to 2020.

Trump also emerged victorious among new voters, with 56 percent casting their ballots for him, up from 32 percent in the previous election.

He saw a 10-point increase in support among the lower middle class earning $30,000 to $50,000 per year, but a decrease of 11 points among those making $100,000 to $200,000.

Among Hispanics, Trump saw the most significant improvements among those aged 18 to 29, 45 to 64, and among men. He gained 19 points among all three groups compared to the previous election. Among men, he secured a 55 percent majority.

Noteworthy were his 11-point improvements among fathers and veterans, with 60 percent and 65 percent majority support, respectively.