US election: What young male voters say about Trump, Harris

It's a sunny Tuesday afternoon in Washington. Pop music can be heard from the meadow behind the White House. The line that college students Noah and Liam are waiting in slowly but surely inches forward. Like many of the tens of thousands of others here, the two friends are at the Ellipse to see Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris deliver a key speech.

The weather and the mood are good, so nobody is bothered by waiting a few hours to get a spot near the stage. A victory for Harris would have historical implications — she would become the first woman ever voted into the White House.

Liam, 21, finds the atmosphere exciting. "We need change in the country and I think a woman could do that," he said. His friend Noah, 20, agrees. What particularly worries Noah about Republican nominee Donald Trump are concerns about "individual rights and his foreign policy." 

Both Liam and Noah belong to a hotly contested group of voters this election cycle — young males. In the past, men under 30 have tended to stay home on Election Day. That could be different this time around: an October poll conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School saw 56% of males — among a group 2,000 voters between the ages of 18-29 — reply "definitely" when asked if they planned to vote in this year's presidential election.

Does Trump really represent 'hypermasculinity?'

At the moment, Harris leads with young women and young men. Still, the depth of that support, specifically among males, highlights a major gender gap. Of all Harvard Youth Poll participants, 52% said they would vote for Democrat Harris, whereas 27% said they preferred Republican Trump. That would suggest a 25-percentage-point advantage for Harris.

Of the young male voters polled, however, 46% said they would vote for Harris and 37% for Trump — a far slimmer, nine-point advantage. Other polls have even put Trump slightly ahead with young males.

Frank Gonzalez, a political scientist at the University of Arizona, suspects the growing popularity of supposedly male traits may be a driver for young male voters. Strength, dominance, power and deference to authority "go hand in hand with hypermasculinity," said Gonzalez, citing a University of Arizona report. "And a preference for strength and dominance is one of strongest predictors of whether you support Donald Trump."

Trump voters: 'We need a man'

Nineteen-year-old Kevin is here to see Harris' campaign speech, too. He said he has already submitted his ballot. Though he is initially coy about who got his vote, eventually he says with a grin, "Well, I did not vote for her."

He said he voted for Trump because he prefers his economic policies. Still, he traveled all the way from Pennsylvania to see Harris in person — mainly to accompany his friend, Maximo. The 18-year-old is undecided about who to vote for. He said it doesn't matter whether there is a man or a woman in the White House. "Anybody, no matter the gender can do the job."

Neil sees things differently. In his late 20s, Neil is a passionate Trump supporter. DW met him at the candidate's Madison Square Garden rally in New York on Sunday, where he said: "He's going to change the country for the better because we need a man! The guy's been shot. The guy's a warrior. I've been shot at. I know how it is being shot. And he's here fighting for us still. That's America, baby."

Obama appeals to young Black men

It's especially troubling for the Harris team that more and more Black males, like Neil, are turning to Trump. For decades, Democrats have counted on the support of Black voters. The shift recently prompted the first Black president in US history to get involved.

In early October, Democrat Barack Obama met with a group of young Black men in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a major city in a key swing state.

"Part of it makes me think that well, you just aren't feeling the idea of having a woman as president," said Obama, "So now you're thinking about sitting this one out or even supporting somebody who has a history of denigrating you? Because you think that it's a sign of strength... putting women down? That's not acceptable." Harsh words from the former president.

Justin, 19, and Joseph, 18, don't need a pep talk to back Harris. Both first-time voters were also standing in line in Washington on Tuesday afternoon to hear the Democratic candidate's final pitch. They, too, have already cast their ballots — for Harris. Justin and Joseph both study at Howard University, the oldest historically Black university in the US. It was here that Harris received her bachelor's degree.

"She came to Howard and we got to talk to her," Joseph said with pride. "She's more down to Earth than Trump."

He also said gender shouldn't determine who serves in the Oval Office. "We can use something different," said Joseph. Justin agrees. Letting out a sigh, he said, "I'm tired of seeing a white man in office."

Aya Ibrahim contributed to this story from New York City.

This article was originally written in German.