GOP Faces Existential Problem: How to Court Millennials Who Dislike Trump
*By Carlo Versano*
Millennials now comprise the largest voting bloc in the country, and the [majority](http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/01/17/generation-z-looks-a-lot-like-millennials-on-key-social-and-political-issues/) of them do not approve of the sitting president.
That poses a problem for the GOP as it seeks to broaden its tent in anticipation of a future when Donald Trump is not on the ballot.
Trump's political calculus to appeal to his base ー an older, whiter, more conservative demographic ー is coming at the expense of his popularity among millennials, said Kristen Soltis Anderson, a Republican pollster and author of "The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials Are Leading America."
But Republicans' struggles to court younger voters predate Trump, and stem from the party being misaligned with younger generations on many cultural or social issues, Anderson said.
For millennials, who may already have been predisposed to favor more socially liberal candidates, the financial crisis became the defining moment that shaped their political ideologies, and many who lived through that event are now more open to the idea of big government and its role as problem-solver and regulator. That is in direct conflict with the long-held message of the GOP: the private sector solves the country's problems and creates wealth.
The irony, as Anderson noted, is that Trump could have been a president behind whom millennials could rally. His background as a non-ideological figure who once held some socially liberal views and came to Washington to shake things up may very well have scored him points with millennial voters, she said. "That kind of disruption could have been appealing to young people."
Instead, Trump took the opposite tack, making a hard right into divisive tribalism that does not appeal to such a diverse generation.
"Millennials like that America has become more diverse," Anderson said. "They're not afraid of social change."
To be fair, Trump's political strategy speaks to a larger problem for Republicans and Democrats alike in wooing moderate voters: the two-party primary system is built in such a way that any successful candidate has to play to the party's base in order to secure the nomination. That base is typically older and more set in its ways ー not leaving a lot of room for a message that would resonate with younger generations.
Anderson believes the GOP still has an opportunity to build a brand as the savvy, tech-forward party making government more efficient and accountable in an era when the internet has made speed, efficiency, and accountability qualities that voters value. But it is not a message that the Trump administration appears interested in advancing.
"That may be a Republican Party of days gone by," she said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-the-gop-could-win-over-millennial-voters-ahead-of-2020).
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is facing a lawsuit from Ohio's attorney general Dave Yost, who said the company misled the public about safety on the platform.
Cases of covid-19 are climbing in the Upper Midwest, Southwest, and parts of the Northeast. The seven-day national average is sitting at roughly 82,000 new cases which is an 11 percent jump from the week before. Dr. Amesh Adalja, Infectious Disease, Specialist, Sr. Scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss this recent uptick ahead of the holiday season.
Markets were pointing to a higher open to kick off the third trading week in November. It comes as stocks come off a losing week in reaction to October's consumer price index--which showed inflation at its highest point in over 30 years.
Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist for LPL Financial joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss.
Harvard Business School Professor Ranjay Gulati joined Wake Up With Cheddar to break down the massive challenge the Biden Administration faces in ensuring projects in the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill are completed on time and on budget.
Jill is joined by Baker Machado to talk all things infrastructure: where will the money go and who’s in charge? Plus, Sesame Street has its first Asian-American muppet. And a trailer for the trailer for Spiderman. Huh?
In this week's Cheddar Changemakers, Megan Pratz spoke with a 16-year-old climate activist Sarah Goody. She is the founder of a youth-led climate action group 'Climate NOW.'
We toss around the term "democracy is under attack" quite often without thinking too much, but one organization is actually stepping up to do something about it. The Fairness Project is a group that funds and organizes state ballot measures across the country. It has used ballot initiatives on campaigns aimed at expanding Medicaid, adding more paid time off, and raising minimum wage. It recently launched a new direct democracy campaign to fight back against attempts to make ballot measures inaccessible.
Kelly Hall, executive director of The Fairness Project, joined Cheddar Politics to discuss more about the group's efforts to push for economic and social justice, avoiding partisan gridlock.
Doug Flynn, Certified Financial Planner and Co-Founder of Flynn Zito Capital Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says he believes the news of the infrastructure bill was already priced into the market and that inflation continues to loom large on Wall Street.
President Joe Biden signed into law today his landmark $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, and it includes approximately $550 billion in new funding for increased broadband access, improving the power grid, and more. But what does this mean for the American economy, and American workers? Eliza Collins, Politics Reporter at The Wall Street Journal joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what's included in the bill, which former mayor has been tapped to oversee how the bill is implemented, and how these new infrastructure investments will impact the economy.
