What issue did your vote come down to in the end? What issue did your vote come
down to in the end?
Abigail, 23, Va., white
George, 21, Ga., white
Joseph, 24, S.C., white
Starting in mid-August, we spoke regularly to 13 young voters who were torn about their choice in the presidential election, to track how and why their opinions were evolving. Most of them supported Joe Biden in 2020 or were too young to vote that year, but now they were unsure if they could trust Kamala Harris, stomach Donald Trump or feel any confidence that the candidates would deliver on their top concerns: the economy, illegal immigration, the war in the Middle East and American leadership writ large.
After Tuesday’s election, we held our final conversation with the focus group to find out how they voted and what drove their decisions — and what they believed Mr. Trump would do, wouldn’t do and shouldn’t do in office.
“I can’t believe it, but I did end up voting for Donald Trump,” said Abigail, a 23-year-old Virginian who backed Mr. Biden last time. She felt Mr. Trump was a strong leader, liked his choice of JD Vance and felt Democrats made assumptions based on gender.
Other former Biden voters took a pass on Ms. Harris because of the war in Gaza, a lack of policy specifics and skepticism that she could improve the economy and also because they liked Mr. Trump from his appearances on Joe Rogan’s podcast and elsewhere.
As for Mr. Trump, many of our 13 participants said they were hopeful that his second term would be better for America than his first, and believed he would take serious actions to secure the southern border and deport undocumented immigrants who committed crimes. No issue animated the group more than immigration — though at the same time, several Trump voters said that they did not support mass deportations of migrants who were in America working and not posing a threat to anyone.
Reflecting on our three months of conversations, some participants wondered if Gen Z was more conservative politically than millennials and expressed optimism that their generation would be better at problem solving in America than their elders. Even those in our group who sharply disagreed with one another felt a measure of appreciation for the chance to talk and listen.
Participants
Abigail 23, Va., white, graduate assistant, voted Biden in 2020
Angelo 19, N.Y., Latino, college worker, didn’t vote in 2020
Ayshah 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Chris 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
George 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Jack 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
Jasper 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
Joseph 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
Laura 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
Lillian 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
Mark 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
McLane 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
Pierce 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
Transcript
Moderator, Frank Luntz
In the end, who did you vote for? What was the key moment that helped you make that decision?
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
I voted for Kamala Harris. I’d been leaning that way, especially after the debate. And Jan. 6 was something I couldn’t look past.
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
I voted for Jill Stein. I came to that conclusion when Kamala said she wouldn’t do anything different from Joe Biden. It was also the war in Gaza and all the images I’ve seen. I couldn’t get over it.
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
I voted for Donald Trump. I decided after Kamala went on “Call Her Daddy.”
Lillian, 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
I voted for Trump and made that decision the same day the mainstream media was having a meltdown after the Madison Square Garden rally. I also saw an ad from Democrats about abortion misinformation that really made me upset. I said, “You know what? I’m going to vote for Trump. Everybody hates him. They’re lying about pregnancies. Let’s just do it.”
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
I voted Trump. I made the decision after he appeared on “Joe Rogan.” He just seemed more normal than the other side.
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
I voted for Trump. It was after realizing that many Democrats only preferred Harris because of her rhetoric and not because of her policy.
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino, college worker, didn’t vote in 2020
I wrote in Josh Shapiro. I wanted to vote for someone who represented my ideas and beliefs rather than voting for someone who is too extreme or a phony.
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
I ended up voting for Kamala Harris. I did not want to vote for a convicted felon.
Abigail, 23, Va., white, graduate assistant, voted Biden in 2020
I can’t believe it, but I did end up voting for Donald Trump. I made that decision when I saw JD Vance’s interview with The New York Times. He is the future of the Republican Party. I’m more voting for Vance than I am for Trump.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
I voted for Donald Trump. Like Abigail, I was really impressed with JD Vance, especially during the V.P. debate.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
I wrote in Larry Hogan. I made that decision after I saw Harris doing a lot of entertainment interviews and not focusing on actual interviews with CNN or Fox News or reputable news sources. I couldn’t, in good faith, vote for Trump knowing that he was facing criminal charges.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
I wrote in for Mike Bloomberg. I don’t like either top of the ticket.
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
I shocked myself and voted for Trump. No one tell my family. I was so impressed by JD Vance, the way he carried himself and how normal he appeared. I think I became radicalized on the men and women’s sports issue. The ad that said, “Kamala represents they/them. Trump represents you,” that was so compelling. While Trump is deranged, he represented normalcy somehow to me.
Moderator, Frank Luntz
Was there a moment during the final two weeks of the race that caused you to think, “Oh, wow, this is not what I was expecting — this really matters to me”?
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
When John Kelly came out with a lot of force against Trump. This isn’t someone who is a leftist person, a Democrat. He’s a retired military general. That shook me to my core, that someone that close to Trump would say those things about him.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
The Joe Rogan interview was huge for me. Trump enthusiastically said yes to a three-hour, open, honest conversation with Joe Rogan, who was a former Bernie bro. I think it’s very telling about which candidate is authentic and which candidate is not.
Did you watch at least 30 minutes of the Rogan interview? Did you watch at least 30 minutes of the Rogan interview? 8 people raised their hands.
Abigail, 23, Va., white
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian
Chris, 24, Fla., white
George, 21, Ga., white
Jack, 22, N.Y., white
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial
Joseph, 24, S.C., white
Laura, 20, Md., white
Lillian, 27, Va., white
Mark, 24, Calif., Black
McLane, 25, D.C., white
Pierce, 26, N.C., white
Abigail, 23, Va., white, graduate assistant, voted Biden in 2020
I saw how the media has become so corrupted in their cause against Trump. There was that Trump clip of him saying: Put Cheney in front of a bunch of shooters. But he wasn’t actually implying Cheney should be shot. I cannot vote for an establishment that just thinks it’s OK to lie to us.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
I was looking for a candidate that I felt I could trust. A key moment that stuck out to me was the “S.N.L.” skit that Harris did, where she essentially made fun of herself. All her focus was going to entertainment industries and avoiding interviews. That came off to me as very phony.
Lillian, 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
The thing that was really the nail in the coffin for me was when Biden called half the country garbage and then the White House moved to change the record officially. That really bothered me. That made me really want to rally against them.
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
The last two weeks were extremely stressful, and I just didn’t want to stress about it anymore. I thought I might as well vote for her.
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
The mainstream media was carrying Kamala Harris’s water. We need a check on the president to have a healthy democracy. If Kamala Harris was elected, there wouldn’t be a check on her from the media.
Moderator, Frank Luntz
How many of you, by show of hands, disliked both candidates? It is literally every single person here. What does that say to you about American democracy?
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
I don’t think we’ll ever see another election where there’s one candidate that truly wins in a Reagan landslide.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
I just think both candidates have serious drawbacks. With Trump, it’s being bombastic on social media, making up wild conspiracy theories, going back to the 2020 election. Kamala, she didn’t explain why to vote for her. She basically ran on vibes, and she ran on “not Trump.” You got to earn the American people’s vote.
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
I kind of wish the Democrats had actually gone through the process of selecting someone rather than just kicking out Joe Biden and doing the hokeypokey with Kamala Harris.
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino, college worker, didn’t vote in 2020
Donald Trump was way too extreme for me. To not be able to admit that he lost the 2020 election, him not apologizing for what happened on Jan. 6 and then also him being a felon and surrounding himself with crazy people — that just sets me off. Kamala Harris, she just is probably one of the biggest phonies in politics right now.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
I wish there was an opportunity to elect someone a lot younger that I felt aligned with my values.
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
I don’t agree with Trump on most of his policies. On the Kamala Harris end, I don’t think she made it to Super Tuesday in 2020. She’s just, at heart, not a good candidate. And the things she ran on in 2020, she flip-flopped on in 2024. It just shows she doesn’t have actual policy positions. She’s just in it for herself and to win. You don’t believe in anything, so why should I believe in you?
Moderator, Frank Luntz
Was there a specific advertisement or political ad that you remember, either because it was awesome or because it insulted you or because it made you think?
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
I mentioned it earlier — “Harris cares about they/them. Trump cares about you.” So powerful.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
It’s the same ad that McLane brought up but for different reasons. I think that ad is pretty indicative of what exactly is wrong with the Republican Party, going after a marginalized group. It annoyed the crap out of me. I couldn’t get a break from it.
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
It was a Trump ad — all of the more moderate people that he’s brought into his coalition were introduced. And it reminded me why I trust his judgment, in that sense, more than Kamala Harris. Now, if Kamala Harris picked Josh Shapiro, I’d probably be sitting here and telling you I voted for her, simply because I feel like he’s more moderate.
Lillian, 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
When I had my son almost a year ago, I had a hemorrhage. And I live in a state with an abortion ban. And I was still able to receive lifesaving care. I had a visceral reaction to people saying I wouldn’t have received care, because it’s a lie. If they’re preying on people’s ignorance and, quite frankly, their stupidity and their fear, I want nothing to do with it.
Abigail, 23, Va., white, graduate assistant, voted Biden in 2020
The ad where there are two married couples and the two wives went in to vote secretly and they glanced at each other and then both voted for Kamala Harris — oh, my gosh. Is that what you think of married women, that we don’t have the confidence to marry men who are our equal partners? I cannot vote for a party that thinks that poorly of me.
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Whenever I’d see an ad where Kamala Harris would tell me that today is the day I should donate to her party, it was just like, “Girl, I’m broke. Go away. Let me watch my YouTube video.”
Do you think the press covered this campaign efficiently, effectively and accurately? Do you think the press covered this campaign efficiently, effectively and accurately? 3 people raised their hands.
Abigail, 23, Va., white
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian
Chris, 24, Fla., white
George, 21, Ga., white
Jack, 22, N.Y., white
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial
Joseph, 24, S.C., white
Laura, 20, Md., white
Lillian, 27, Va., white
Mark, 24, Calif., Black
McLane, 25, D.C., white
Pierce, 26, N.C., white
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
They go after Trump and never went after Kamala. They have their own biases. And they let it seep into their coverage of the election.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
I don’t think there is a single mainstream news outlet besides The Wall Street Journal that even pretends not to have a source of bias. Seeing The Washington Post’s reaction to them not endorsing a candidate — people resigning — it’s hell on Earth over there. And The New York Times is just clearly biased. Everyone is just so not fair to Trump.
Moderator, Frank Luntz
In what way is it not fair?
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
It’s the headlines. It’s these leads that they’re putting in the newspapers. The Liz Cheney stuff was just despicable. It’s like, “Oh, Trump threatens Liz Cheney.” Well, no, he wasn’t threatening her. He was just saying: If she was in the situation that so many American soldiers have been, would she still be this hawk on war?
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
I think the press really has a double standard when it comes to Trump versus Harris or just the Democrats in general. We saw it with the “garbage” comment by Biden. That was kind of just glossed over. Seeing people on MSNBC and even The Times, unfortunately, saying Kamala ran a flawless campaign. Maybe it’s because Trump actually had substance and Kamala just ran on joy.
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Most people don’t read the whole articles. They read the headlines and form their own opinion, and the headlines are often very anti-Trump.
Moderator, Frank Luntz
Give me a word or phrase to describe Election 2024.
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
Thank God it’s over.
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
It’s a repeat of 2016 but calmer.
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
A roller coaster.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Exciting.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
I pray we didn’t make a mistake.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
Planning and hard work pays off for the victor.
Abigail, 23, Va., white, graduate assistant, voted Biden in 2020
Democrats still haven’t learned to not be crazy.
Lillian, 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
Make America normal again.
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
Chaotic.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
A lose-lose.
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino, college worker, didn’t vote in 2020
More insane than 2016.
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
Democracy in America wins.
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
At least there’s not going to be another Jan. 6.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
For those who voted third party or wrote in a name other than Trump or Harris, was there anything that either candidate could have done to get your vote?
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
I just didn’t like Joe Biden at all. I felt he didn’t change much for my life. And so when Kamala Harris is running around saying, “I’m not going to do anything different from Joe Biden,” that doesn’t convince me to vote for you.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Mark, is there something that Harris could have done about Gaza or Israel that would have won you over to Harris?
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
Sending unconditional aid to Israel after we’ve seen what they’ve done, we’ve seen the deaths, and just saying, “It’s OK. I’m not going to change that” — I can’t, in good conscience, vote for that, because I’d be saying I’m OK with what they’re doing.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
I don’t know if there is much Trump could have done to win me over. When it comes to Harris, I really needed to see more substance from her. And unfortunately, she didn’t differentiate herself from Biden really at all.
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino, college worker, didn’t vote in 2020
With Trump, after everything he’s done in his past and with what happened at Madison Square Garden, that turned me off a lot. And then with Harris, she just was just so phony and just not real. And she wasn’t being honest about her positions.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
Angelo, what’s an example where you felt she was being dishonest?
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino, college worker, didn’t vote in 2020
The whole fracking thing. Back when she first ran, she was saying: I want to ban fracking. But then she flip-flopped. And I feel like she’s only trying to do that to win the Pennsylvania election.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
It’s been mentioned before, but if Harris had picked Josh Shapiro, would that have made a difference?
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
Yeah, I’m a huge Josh Shapiro guy. I think he’s done great things for the State of Pennsylvania. I call him the Glenn Youngkin of the Democratic Party. He’s just a really good leader and someone that’s honest. I don’t think I would have voted for her, but it definitely would have made a difference in my decision making.
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino, college worker, didn’t vote in 2020
Yeah, so as someone who voted for Josh Shapiro, I still don’t think I would have voted for Harris. She’d have been the president, and he would have been vice president.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
It definitely would have made me pause and rethink things. A more moderate running mate would have helped me think, “OK, am I voting for the future and maybe have some influence there?” I did consider voting for Trump when I saw Vance. I hope to see more of him in the future.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
What do you believe Trump will do as president?
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
I think his policies with energy could help bring prices down. I think we’ll see a decline in inflation.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Trump’s going to unleash the U.S. economy. He was such a proponent of deregulation during his first term.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
I think we’re going to get across-the-board tariffs, which I think will ultimately raise prices. But I think he’s going to end up securing the border, which will probably be a good thing.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
I think he’ll get into mass deportation, try to really decrease illegal immigration, try to ban sanctuary cities while working with Elon Musk to try to bring up legal immigration, especially for those graduating out of college from a foreign country.
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
There will be mass deportations, and hopefully that will bring down crime.
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
Tariffs, and I think he’ll finish the border wall.
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
I think he’ll reduce illegal immigration, crime, taxes and won’t enforce incredibly progressive gender policies.
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
I think Day 1, he closes the border.
Do you support mass deportations? Do you support mass deportations? 6 people raised their hands.
Abigail, 23, Va., white
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian
Chris, 24, Fla., white
George, 21, Ga., white
Jack, 22, N.Y., white
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial
Joseph, 24, S.C., white
Laura, 20, Md., white
Lillian, 27, Va., white
Mark, 24, Calif., Black
McLane, 25, D.C., white
Pierce, 26, N.C., white
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
We need to streamline the immigration system to be easier for people to do it legally before we can start deporting everyone who’s coming here illegally, especially if they’re peaceful.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Yeah, I’d say 95 percent of immigrants are completely peaceful and are only here for economic opportunity. And America is the land of economic opportunity. And that’s what we want in our country.
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
If they’re here and not committing violent crime and if they’re contributing to the economy, I don’t see why we shouldn’t welcome them in, like the melting pot that America is supposed to be.
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
When you have murderers and criminals just running loose, they’ve got to go. We have enough of our own people killing each other. We don’t need them killing us as well.
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
And that’s what Kamala Harris is already saying. She’s said she’s going to deport the abusers and the criminals.
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
Then why hasn’t she?
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
She had four years to do it, yeah.
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
I’m for deportations of illegal immigrants. And I want the United States to welcome smart, talented immigrants.
Moderator, Frank Luntz
What is it about immigration in particular that causes you to become so animated and passionate? I see the difference between this and any other issue.
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
My grandparents had to come to this country. My grandfather met my grandmother overseas while he was working in the military. And they’ve always had to fight for every opportunity that they’ve had. And it’s just so unfortunate that so many people just walk right across the border and get free housing, free food. I pay $2,000 a month to live here by myself. You know what I mean? It’s not fair that I’m struggling to pay bills when they get free cards and they could do whatever they want. It’s unfair to the people who live here. Let’s take care of our homeless and veterans first.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
I’m all for legal immigration. My boyfriend is originally from Brazil. He’s now a U.S. citizen here. He entered here legally a couple years ago to pursue college. And I know I have so many friends here who have a similar path. That’s why it’s an animated discussion.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
It infuriates me because we haven’t drastically increased the amount of visas available. And there are people in Asia that bust their asses for American companies, work for a pretty low wage, and they want to come here, but the companies literally can’t get a visa. And then I see my tax dollars being used to fund illegal immigrants while we can’t fund schools properly.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
I take a more humanitarian stance on it. Coyotes, the Mexican drug cartels, horrible, horrible people are heavily involved with getting people across the border. People die regularly on the trip. They traffic women and children. It’s really awful. And I think that I’d like to see more focus on that.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
What are some policies and ideas that Donald Trump talked about during the campaign that you don’t want him to pursue?
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
I think taxpayer-funded I.V.F. would be enormously expensive.
Abigail, 23, Va., white, graduate assistant, voted Biden in 2020
He has been cagey about support for Ukraine. And I hope that he resoundingly supports Ukraine, just as I hope that he will support Israel.
Lillian, 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
I am hoping that he keeps the United States in NATO and that we are able to keep our military alliances strong across the globe.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
He was thinking about getting involved with the Fed. That would be a major mistake. You got to keep the Fed independent. So I hope he just appoints somebody normal after Jerome Powell’s term expires.
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
Yeah, I don’t want him to mess with the Fed, and I don’t want him to impose tariffs across the board. I think inflation is going to go through the roof.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
I want him to maintain some sort of support for Ukraine. And I think any idea of him seeking retribution against political opposition would be an awful idea right now.
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
I’m kind of worried about Project 2025. If some aspect of that goes through, people are going to blame me for voting for Trump. I’m also a little bit worried about food safety scares. I’m also worried about personal-immaturity-type stuff, where he’ll just say silly things to world leaders. We could enter into a nuclear war, so maybe don’t do that.
Moderator, Frank Luntz
Donald Trump is the next president. Give him a sentence or two of advice.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
Be open to change and look into reforming health care policy and strengthen your standpoint on international affairs regarding Ukraine.
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
We’ve given you a second chance, so don’t mess it up.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Keep your advisers close. Keep the ones who helped you win this time. As we saw with Biden, age can take a toll. And while he’s fine now, who knows in four years?
Lillian, 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
I think that Donald Trump or JD Vance should go on “Joe Rogan” regularly. That would be a cool way to check in and give a progress update.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
Listen to people like Elon and definitely do not listen to people like Laura Loomer or Steve Bannon. Keep them far away.
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
You’ve got four years. Make them count. Be a president for everybody, especially a president for those who feel scared tonight, those who feel victimized, marginalized.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
You have a historical mandate to enact common-sense conservative policy. The voters elected you to make things more like 2016 to 2019, not 2020 to 2021. Respect your oath.
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
Americans have made it clear we want change. Be the change, including from yourself. Surround yourself with better people than the first term. Respect the office and make us proud.
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
Be gracious to your opponents and not make everything about himself.
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
This is your second term. You don’t have to run for re-election. You don’t have to appeal to or appease anybody. So just make the correct and smart decisions for your last four years.
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Do whatever is in your power to bring down inflation. You’re a businessman. Just act like it.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
How do you view Elon Musk?
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Elon Musk is one of the great businessmen of our time, whether it’s PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX. The idea of him running some government efficiency program, I find that quite exciting. He does have a few weird ideas, but I think there’s more genius than madness to the man.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
He’s done some great things for our economy and for the world. I read that he’s been talking to Vladimir Putin quite a bit, which was kind of concerning, given that he has a lot of government contracts. He has a top secret security clearance. Those things kind of worry me.
Abigail, 23, Va., white, graduate assistant, voted Biden in 2020
He sent Starlink to Ukraine. That costs a lot of money to help Ukraine have military communication. He does extremely generous things. I like him a lot.
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
My perception is that he has been pushed out of the left. And I feel like a lot of people can relate to that. I can relate to that myself. It’s like, “You voted for Trump. You don’t care about your future children.”
Moderator, Patrick Healy
How do you view Robert F. Kennedy Jr.?
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
I think it’s a mixed bag. I think he has some great points on some of the food content that we have in America. On the other hand, he does not like vaccines. And I think it would be alarming if he tried to pull any vaccines from the market or blocked vaccines that could be effective to help people.
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
I respect the family name of the Kennedys. I keep hearing he’s a wack job, but if he could do a good job of keeping carcinogens out of our food, keeping children healthy, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
I think in terms of food, like everyone else said, R.F.K. has a lot to bring to the table. It’s absolutely disgusting how much influence Big Food has over the U.S.D.A. and the F.D.A. I think that the vaccine stuff causes a concern.
Moderator, Frank Luntz
There are three conflict areas or potential conflict areas that people are tracking very carefully: Israel, Palestine and Iran in the Middle East; Russia and Ukraine in Central Europe; and China and Taiwan in East Asia. Which do you prioritize the most, and which do you have the highest expectations for the next president?
Lillian, 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
Iran is the most important.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
I agree. Iran is a true bad actor and has only its own interests in mind and kind of a neocolonialism of Islam across the Middle East and even into Europe.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
I think the game completely changes if Iran gets their hands on nuclear weapons.
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
Of the countries that you listed, China is the only one that is even close to our strength. We are woefully undermilitarized in the South China Sea. If China were to invade Taiwan, we would cease to be able to use our credit cards, in terms of chips, semiconductors. China is committing genocide regarding Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
China is the Trojan horse. They’re carrying Iran, Russia.
Moderator, Frank Luntz
Describe Kamala Harris’s campaign for me in a word or phrase.
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
Empty.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
Disingenuous.
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
Yeah, a little manipulative.
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
A whirlwind.
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
Radical.
Abigail, 23, Va., white, graduate assistant, voted Biden in 2020
Without substance.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
Wine and cheese crowd.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
Excruciatingly painful to support.
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
Rushed and disastrous.
Lillian, 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
Missing in action.
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino, college worker, didn’t vote in 2020
Mediocre.
Moderator, Frank Luntz
How did you think the election was going to go?
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
Going into the night, I knew a lot of fellow Republicans who were either writing in or voting for Harris. I overestimated how many Republicans would have done that. Maybe I cared too much about that Selzer poll in Iowa that came out. And I really thought that maybe Jan. 6 would be enough for people. But it’s the economy, stupid. I got it wrong.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
I thought Harris had a shot because my college campus definitely supported Harris. I had an election watch party there, and everyone was profoundly voting for Harris. And looking at the polls — they were really a tossup for a long time.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
College is a huge echo chamber, where you’re just being constantly surrounded by people with similar views. Your professors are always telling you, “Donald Trump’s a fascist.” And then I’m getting called stupid because I voted for Trump. I mean, obviously, that’s pretty condescending.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
Multiple professors came up to me and said, “Do you need to talk about the election last night?” I had so many professors come up and say, “Do you need to unpack this?” Or “We’re actually canceling class today because of the election” or “We can’t have this meeting.” And I was shocked because it was completely blocking off the idea that someone might support someone other than Harris.
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
They think we’re way more liberal than we are. My perception of our generation is that we have common sense and are not 100 percent liberal.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
I mean, the exit polls would support that belief. I mean, young men came out in droves and swung to Trump. The Harris campaign kind of abandoned young men.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
What issue did your vote come down to in the end?
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
The economy and the war in the Middle East.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
I would say abortion.
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
I would say the economy and world peace.
Abigail, 23, Va., white, graduate assistant, voted Biden in 2020
Strength.
Lillian, 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
The economy.
Angelo, 19, N.Y., Latino, college worker, didn’t vote in 2020
Democracy.
Pierce, 26, N.C., white, sales, didn’t vote in 2020
The border.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
Lowering the debt.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
Peaceful transfer of power.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
Whether I’m going to be able to get jobs when I graduate.
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
Voting against the out-of-touch progressivism of Kamala.
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
Affordability.
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
Opposing the Democrats at this point.
Moderator, Patrick Healy
What do you hope will change about America in the next four years?
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
I would love for our politicians to not gaslight us anymore. Actually solve the issues, have a definitive plan and execute it.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
I hope in four years we’re all living in the same reality again and we’re less polarized.
Lillian, 27, Va., white, digital advertising, voted Trump in 2020
I hope there’s less crime, there’s more money in my family’s pocket and that there’s less angry political propaganda.
Jasper, 25, Calif., biracial, food service, voted Biden in 2020
I hope the parties restructure.
Joseph, 24, S.C., white, high school teacher, voted Biden in 2020
I hope that people take the mainstream media less seriously and do their own research to know what candidates actually believe.
Ayshah, 21, Iowa, South Asian, student, didn’t vote in 2020
I would hope for less inflation, disinformation and crime.
Laura, 20, Md., white, legal intern, didn’t vote in 2020
I would hope for less inflation, a more informed public and to have debates similar to what Vance and Walz had.
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
I’ve seen Obama, Trump, Biden, Trump. I’d assume it’s going to flip again. I’d hope that four more years from now, people realize the system is broken and they’ll hold our politicians accountable, instead of defending them endlessly, or we’re just going to continuously be stuck in this loop.
George, 21, Ga., white, student, didn’t vote in 2020
I hope faith is restored in our major institutions. And I hope these culture wars can come to an end.
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
Stop demonizing those with views different than us. And I want it to be normal for young conservative women to exist and be treated as people, too.
Abigail, 23, Va., white, graduate assistant, voted Biden in 2020
Yeah, I hope that in four years, the mainstream media wakes up and sees everybody is fine and stops calling Republicans fascists just because they disagree with them.
Moderator, Frank Luntz
We’ve been talking as a group since August. What did you get out of these conversations?
McLane, 25, D.C., white, legal field, wrote in Romney in 2020
I really enjoyed hearing from people that view things differently from me. Chris, you went for Kamala. You’re a kind of Mitt Romney, national security Republican. I respect that. I loved hearing you walk through your thinking about why you ended up with your decision.
Chris, 24, Fla., white, law student, voted Trump in 2020
Yeah, I really struggled with this. But nonetheless, I’ll support President Trump. I think something that really surprised me, at the beginning of our conversations in August, was that our group was more conservative than maybe Gen Z was nationally. And after seeing the election results and seeing what Gen Z did, I don’t know if I can say that anymore. I think Gen Z is more conservative than the generations above us.
Jack, 22, N.Y., white, underwriter, voted Biden in 2020
I totally agree with Chris. Ever since 2016, I’ve been terrified to speak about politics in public as a moderate person. And this group gave me a little bit of a preview into what our generation actually thinks. We are definitely more conservative than the millennials.
Mark, 24, Calif., Black, chef, voted Biden in 2020
I grew up in Alabama, and now I’m in California. Seeing a group of people who actually debate and care about the candidates and aren’t loyal to a party but loyal to a set of ideas and real things — it gives me hope for the future of our country. I don’t trust the leadership at the top right now. But I think with people like us coming up, real change can come through. I think we can fix the problems.