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**Article:**

In a surprising shift, young men across America showed considerable support for Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Pat Verhaeghe, an 18-year-old first-time voter from suburban Detroit, reflects this trend. Previously skeptical of Trump's capabilities as a leader, Verhaeghe's perception changed after watching Trump's campaign speeches and appearances at sporting events. His involvement in pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau's YouTube channel further enhanced this newfound admiration.

The swing towards Trump among young male voters was significant. AP VoteCast, a survey of over 120,000 voters, revealed that more than half of men under 30 supported Trump. This is a stark contrast to 2020, when Democrat Joe Biden received a similar portion of this demographic’s support. White men under 30 showed strong backing for Trump, with about six in ten voting for him. Young Latino men were almost evenly split between Trump and his opponent, Democrat Kamala Harris, while most Black men under 30 supported Harris, though about one-third voted for Trump.

Notably, young Latino men’s view of the Democratic Party has turned more negative since 2020. Approximately six in ten Latino men under 30 held favorable views of Democrats four years ago, but that number fell to about four in ten this year. In comparison, young Black men’s favorable views of the Democratic Party remained largely unchanged over the same period.

Rafael Struve, deputy communications director for Bienvenido, a conservative group that aimed to attract young Hispanic voters, suggests that young men are looking for leaders who value and fight for them. He cites an attempted assassination of Trump during a July rally in Pennsylvania as a pivotal moment that solidified Trump's image among young men. Trump's strategic use of nontraditional platforms, including podcasts and digital media, played a crucial role in reaching this demographic.

Trump's popularity was not limited to his political agenda but also his presence in popular culture. He appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast and participated in DeChambeau's "Break 50" golf challenge on YouTube, further endearing him to young voters. White men under 30, who had shown Trump some support in 2020, increased their backing this year. Trump’s gains among young Latino and Black men were even more pronounced, with support from both groups rising by about 20 percentage points.

The rise in young men identifying as Republicans also mirrored the increase in support for Trump across different demographics. William He, founder of Dream For America, expressed concern over the nation's rightward shift and criticized the Democratic campaigns for failing to effectively reach young voters.

Trump targeted young men by appealing to those who felt marginalized by the economy, culture, and political system. Although young women also leaned slightly more towards Trump this year, the shift was not as dramatic as that seen among young men.

Kamala Harris’ campaign attempted to mobilize young voters by aligning with pop culture trends and deploying targeted policy agendas for Black and Latino men. However, Santiago Mayer, executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, believes the campaign's messaging failed to resonate with the youth, who needed a bolder and clearer economic vision.

Trump's campaign capitalized on cultural engagement, making use of viral moments and online conservative platforms to gain traction among young voters. Entities like Turning Point USA significantly influenced online youth political culture, contributing to the rightward shift.

Despite the current support, Struve cautions that the Republican Party must deliver on its promises to maintain this newfound voter base. Groups like Bienvenido plan to build on the momentum to ensure these shifts in voting patterns are sustained in the future, emphasizing the need for continuous engagement with young voters.