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Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Nov. 5.
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Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Nov. 5. (Kamil Krzaczynski - AFP / Getty Images)

Here's the Generation That Went Strongest for Trump, And the Surprising One That Shifted Left

 By Randy DeSoto  November 11, 2024 at 2:47pm
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It was Generation X for the win in last week’s landslide victory for Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris.

However, Millennials and Generation Z also shifted to the right.

Only the Baby Boomer generation, which Trump is part of, moved slightly to the left since the 2020 election.

Business Insider reported that those ages 45 to 64, which encompasses mainly Gen X, went plus-10 for Trump over Harris, compared to plus-1 for Trump over President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

Meanwhile, the Millennials, mostly ages 30 to 44, were only plus-1 for Harris, down from plus-6 for Biden in 2020.

Generation Z, including much of the 18-29-year-old demographic, was plus-24 for Biden, but only plus-11 for Harris.

Finally, Trump and Harris tied among the Boomers, which was down from a plus-5 showing for the Republican in 2020.

Does the shift to the right make sense?

The tie showing among the Boomers was the result of men voting more for Trump among the demographic than women voted against him: essentially 55 to 45.

What Gen X mostly have in common is that they came of age politically when Ronald Reagan was president or he was the first president they remember.

He was among the most popular presidents of the latter half of the 20th century, easily winning his second term over President Jimmy Carter’s former Vice President Walter Mondale in 1984: 49 states to 1. There has been no such landslide victory for president since.

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Reagan’s campaign slogan when he ran for president in 1980 was “Let’s Make America Great Again,” which Trump of course shortened to “Make America Great Again.”

Trump also adopted Reagan’s “peace through strength” philosophy in dealing with foreign policy.

His rally walk-on song Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” was released and charted in 1984, Reagan’s re-election year.

I, probably like most Gen Xers, had been hoping for these last decades to see another leader come along with the ability to communicate a very pro-America vision, along with sound, conservative economic policies to get the country really booming again.

Trump began to do that in his first term, but that endeavor was cut short.

In his third run at office, he was able to win every swing state and rack up a 312 to 226 Electoral College win and prevail in the popular vote, as well.

The Republicans won back control of the Senate and will likely retain the House.

Trump will have the opportunity to finish what he started and define the rest of the 2020s like Reagan defined the 1980s.

It’s no wonder, Gen X went for Trump the strongest. We’re the generation who saw a president make America great again and have little reason to doubt Trump can repeat that history at this time.

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Randy DeSoto
Contributing Journalist
Randy DeSoto has written more than 3,000 articles for The Western Journal since he began with the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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