At one point, Gen-Z was considered the generation that would save the country from right-wing extremism, block a second Trump term, and usher in a new progressive era. Poll after poll showed Gen-Z favoring a Harris/Walz ticket over Trump/Vance. But then came election day 2024, where Gen-Z significantly shifted to the right, driven in large part by the Trump campaign’s adoption of a flourishing right-wing media ecosystem, and Turning Point USA’s domination of political college campus events.

Now that Donald Trump has been in office again for over a year, Gen-Z is going through some strong buyer’s remorse, with polls showing a staggering 76% disapproval rating and a net approval of -53 among 18-29 year olds.

This week, Maggie Gehlsen-Burnett & Mallory Hagan sit down with James Crocker, President of Fight4America and Gen Z extraordinaire. They discuss what it’ll take to win the Gen Z vote in 2028, how Democrats can work against the machine that is Turning Point USA, and James’ upcoming Gen-Z bus tour. You can follow James here.

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Chapters List:

00:00 Introduction and Current Events

10:57 Impact of Political Environment on Gen Z

18:31 Grassroots Organizing and Youth Engagement

24:07 Challenges Facing the Democratic Party

29:57 The Role of Gen Z in Politics

33:50 Reshaping Democratic Strategies

36:06 The Quest for a Progressive Candidate

38:59 Authenticity in Political Leadership

41:37 Engaging Gen Z in Politics

Products of the Week:

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