In short remarks at Capital One Arena, far-right millennial activist Charlie Kirk singled out young voters, a group that Democrats lost serious ground with last fall.
"To all the young people of America and Gen Z, I want you to know President Trump is going to deliver for you. So that you could be able to own a home, have big families, believe in this country," he said.
"The American Dream that your parents once had, you will also be able to enjoy," he added.
Kirk runs Turning Point USA — which focuses on getting young people involved with conservative politics. The action wing of Turning Point also helped run Trump's on-the-ground organizing strategy during the campaign.
Kirk's remarks come at an interesting time for youth politics. While Trump did not win a majority of those under 30 last fall, he did make noticeable gains compared to 2020 and 2016.
It's a voting bloc that has been seen as a solid, albeit historically unreliable, part of the Democratic base. That said, during the campaign, some young people told NPR they were feeling dissatisfied with the Democratic party.
The 2024 exit polls highlighted the striking changes among young voters. In 2020, Joe Biden won young voters by a 24-point margin. This past year, former Vice President Harris secured the vote by just eight points.
Trump made even larger gains in some swing states, particularly Michigan, where he narrowly won a majority of the under-30 vote. (Four years earlier, he lost young voters in Michigan by more than 20 points.)
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