A groundbreaking study revealed that young Americans are deeply dissatisfied with Democrats in Congress, with new data showing that the approval rating for blue politicos like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer has dropped by a whopping 19 percentage points since the beginning of President Trump’s first term.
For context, the Spring 2025 iteration of the Harvard Youth Poll, conducted between March 14 and 25, 2025, presented shocking findings related to the sentiments of American young people toward the left. Data from the survey covered a number of topics, including the life goals held by young Americans, levels of perceived financial security, and levels of trust in the federal government.
A press release published after the poll’s completion reported that young Americans are in a state of emotional, financial, and political unrest, and that they do not feel confident in Congressional Democrats or Republicans. Citing data collected from 2,096 18-29-year-olds, the release noted, “Only 19% [of young Americans] trust the federal government to do the right thing most or all the time.”
In addition, the study revealed that approval ratings for Congressional Republicans have gone up by a small amount, with the poll’s release describing ratings as “inching up slightly from 28% to 29%.” Furthermore, President Trump’s approval rating has reportedly dropped, with the release noting, “Just 15% [of young Americans] believe the country is heading in the right direction, and fewer than one-third approve of President Trump or either party in Congress.”
Commenting on the findings of the study, IOP Director Setti Warren said that young Americans were experiencing “dramatic feelings of social isolation,” adding, “These findings are a stark reality check and leaders across the country would be wise to pay attention.”
Furthermore, Jordan Schwartz, the Student Chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project, described young Americans as “increasingly disillusioned,” saying, “They struggle to find their place [in the world]. This generation doesn’t expect politics to solve their problems, but as young Americans continue to lose faith in government institutions, the need for politicians to listen and learn from young people has never been greater.”
Continuing, the release went into greater detail regarding Young Americans’ opinions about President Donald Trump and members of Congress, saying, “Most young Americans (51%) believe the country is off on the wrong track, while nearly a third (31%) are unsure—underscoring a generation defined by political pessimism and uncertainty.” The release also said, “President Trump’s job approval among young Americans stands at 31%—virtually unchanged from the 32% reported in Spring 2017 and the 29% recorded in Fall 2020.”
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Near its conclusion, the release reported that young Americans are cynical about DEI policies, saying, “Among young Democrats, 22% say DEI has helped them, compared to only 3% who say it’s been harmful. Among young Republicans, the pattern flips: 21% feel harmed, and only 3% say they’ve benefited.” Furthermore, the study pointed to minimal approval of woke DEI policies across barriers of race, adding, “Non-white young people are more likely to believe DEI promotes fairness (37%) than reduces it (13%), while white youth are more divided (33% promote, 23% reduce).”
Watch coverage of the Dems’ plummeting approval ratings:
Featured image credit: screenshot from the embedded video