Economy and Epstein: Gen Z MAGA wants results
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People listen to the national anthem at the start of the Turning Point Action conference on July 15, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
TAMPA BAY, Florida – The economy and Jeffrey Epstein were on the lips of almost everyone at one of the largest gatherings of MAGA's Gen Z adherents this weekend. And they're demanding results.
Why it matters: Republicans made stunning gains in the 2024 election after young voters made an unexpected and unprecedented jolt to the right. To keep those voters in the tent, the party is feeling the pressure to respond to a generation worried about achieving financial milestones and a government they're convinced doesn't protect their interests.
- "It's really a race against the clock, and the clock is, young people have an economically disordered life post-COVID," Charlie Kirk said in an interview with Axios at Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit. "It is a volcano that is waiting to explode, unless you can kind of turn that corner and people can start to see their lives improving year over year."
- "Then also, for a smaller portion, I would still say it's important, and obviously it's been talked about at this event, is clarifying and cleaning up the Epstein stuff. For younger voters that are hyper online, more libertarian, it's definitely a concern," he added.
Inside the room: At the conference, heavy on pyrotechnics and thumping base music and including a dance floor for attendees, Axios spoke with a dozen Gen Z attendees.
- They outlined a pervasive concern about their future ability to have well-paying jobs, buy houses and afford families – and a deep skepticism of the Trump administration's rollout of information around the 2019 prison death of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
What they're saying: "That's a sentiment I see a lot among my peers, is they are very fearful for their ability to just live a normal life in the future," said Jacob, a 19-year-old Virginia Tech student who didn't want to disclose his last name.
- "I think they need to release information. I think the Trump administration is being forced to cover it up," Donavan Fogle, a 20-year-old nursing student, added about Epstein.
Between the lines: On their faces, the two issues may seem unrelated. But to a generation deeply cynical of broader institutions, the connection is clear.
- "They have tons of overlap. The system, they think, has failed them," Kirk said.
Zoom out: Trump improved his performance among voters 18-29 years old, from a 24-point loss in 2020 to an 11 point loss in 2024. Continuing that progression, though, is no guarantee.
- Studies have shown that while young voters have drifted to the right, they still hold liberal beliefs on social issues compared to conventional Republican or MAGA beliefs.
- While economic anxiety has helped push Gen Z into Republicans' arms, some at the Student Action Summit said the social divide could be a stumbling block for other young voters considering punching a ballot for a Republican.
"I think that's definitely a big thing of why more people wouldn't shift to the right," said Hailey Wells, an 18-year-old college student, "especially for younger women."
