President Donald Trump‘s approval rating took a sharp U-turn this week with millennials after weeks of sliding, a new poll from The Economist and YouGov on Tuesday shows.
Why It Matters
Trump has routinely touted positive approval ratings and polling at news conferences and campaign rallies throughout his political career. Slipping in polls could ultimately hinder his political clout in an already highly polarized climate and potentially hurt Republican chances in the coming 2026 midterms.
When Trump returned to the White House in January, he coasted in with positive numbers. The reversal came after a series of months marked by declining support and mounting discontent tied to economic and political concerns—like the president’s tariff policies.
Parallel efforts by both Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris to reach millennials via podcasts and digital media emerged as a key feature of the 2024 campaign cycle, seeking to engage a generation that expresses more skepticism toward legacy media and traditional political messaging.
Millennials are defined generally as people born from 1981 to 1996. The generation has overtaken the baby boomers as the largest age demographic, according to the Pew Research Center.
What To Know
In the new poll released on Tuesday, the president has a 42 percent approval rating with the voting bloc. The survey was taken from June 27 to June 30 among 1,648 U.S. adult citizens, with a 3.3 percent margin of error.
The previous week, the president’s approval rating with millennials was 36 percent. That survey was taken from June 20 to June 23 among 1,590 U.S. adult citizens, with a 3.5 percent margin of error.
Trump’s approval rating coming into office for his second term with the voting bloc was 44 percent and his highest with the pollster was 48 percent in both February and June polls.
Before Tuesday’s poll, the president saw sliding numbers with the key group, as he hit his lowest rating in over two months.
What People Are Saying
Political analyst Craig Agranoff, to Newsweek via text message Tuesday: “The 6-point surge in Trump’s approval rating among millennials, as reported in recent polls, is a notable shift for a demographic that’s now the largest voting bloc, outpacing baby boomers.
“I wouldn’t call it a definitive win for Trump, as millennials remain a volatile and diverse group, often skeptical of his broader agenda,” Agranoff added. “This uptick likely reflects targeted messaging or economic optimism resonating with younger voters, but it’s too early to deem it a lasting trend.”
Concluding, Agranoff said: “As for prioritizing millennials, Trump’s political strategy has historically leaned on energizing his core base, often older, more conservative voters, rather than tailoring policies to younger demographics. His focus seems more about dominating the broader narrative than catering specifically to this age group’s public opinion.”
What Happens Next
Polling trends suggest Trump’s approval among millennials may continue fluctuating amid foreign and domestic policy announcements and upcoming midterm elections.
Both major parties will likely expand direct-to-voter media efforts through podcasts and alternative platforms in an effort to shore up support within this pivotal demographic.