A recent poll from the University of Notre Dame indicated that former President Donald Trump is leading Vice President Kamala Harris among students likely to vote in the upcoming election. According to a survey from the Irish Rover that polled over 700 students, Trump had nearly a two-point lead over Kamala Harris of 47.6 percent to 45.9 percent.
The findings from the poll are notable given the Catholic university’s historical political leanings among its student body, which has historically maintained a balanced political climate on campus. However, amid the vast polarization surrounding the 2024 election, more students appear to be supporting former President Donald Trump in his bid to retake the White House in November.
Furthermore, the results of the latest poll suggest a substantial shift in student political leanings, as it is the first time in 12 years that the student body has favored a Republican presidential candidate. For perspective, in the 2020 election, Notre Dame students favored President Joe Biden over Trump 66 percent to 29 percent, based on a poll conducted by Student Government and NDVotes. Similarly in 2016, Hillary Clinton also led Trump 59 percent to 24 percent.
Notre Dame College Republicans President Elliot Anderson spoke about the implications of the recent poll, stating, “It is amazing to see a college campus stand by President Trump. We hope that the trend of ultra-liberal colleges is finally coming to an end with the increasing youth support for conservative policies.”
“The last four years are why my family is on welfare,” another student claimed, when about his decision to vote for Trump. Offering a similar opinion citing economic issues as a catalyst for their vote, another student claimed, “Honestly, the economy really needs to improve from what Biden and Harris are doing because it is becoming very hard to live.”
The American Tribune recently reported on similar economic sentiment from a swing state business owner, who criticized the state of the Biden-Harris economy. When speaking with former President Trump during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, the business owner explained how his enterprise has fared over the past several years since Trump left office.
“You know, I’m very proud because every year we’ve been up.” Delving into the microeconomics of his business, he explained how inflation has driven up costs and subsequently led to a decrease in sales. “Except for the last three years because of this inflation. It’s exactly what you said: the prices are up, our sales are down, so we’ve had to get super creative in how we use our space to try to…” he said.
Trump said, “…Prices go up and yet your sales are down.” Pointing out how his loyal staff have helped him through the difficult times, the business owner added, “Yeah, so it’s been brutal just to try to — thankfully, I have a great crew, great staff, my family works together.” Trump then asked, “How long has this been open?” The owner replied they had been in business at this location for an astounding 25 years, to which, Trump said, “Wow.”
Watch the interaction between Trump and the grocery store owner below:
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