In a surprising outcome of the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign suffered a stinging loss in support from young Gen Z women, a demographic long considered safe for the Democratic Party. Exit polling by AP reveals a significant shift: 40 percent of women under 30 cast their ballots for President-elect Donald Trump, a seven-point increase from the 2020 election. Among the youngest voters, aged 18 to 24, Trump saw an 11-point gain over his 2020 race against Joe Biden.

Despite liberal media blaming Harris’ loss on white males, Breitbart reports that the swing of women played a crucial role in Trump’s broader success with voters under 30, securing him the largest share of this demographic that any Republican candidate has achieved since 2008. In the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton held a commanding 19-point lead with young voters, which Biden stretched to 25 points in 2020. Under Harris, however, that gap dwindled to a mere six points, marking a substantial erosion of Democratic support among younger Americans.

Harris made concerted efforts to connect with Gen Z female voters. She embraced cultural phenomena like “brat summer,” appeared on the popular ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast, and garnered endorsements from major music icons including Charli XCX, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé. Her campaign leveraged social media, where Harris cultivated a persona as “Momala” and created TikTok videos featuring Chappell Roan’s hit song “Femininomenon.” Harris’s TikTok success translated into 448 million “likes,” far outpacing Trump’s 102 million. But while she dominated on social media, the online popularity failed to translate into votes.

Psychotherapist and author Jonathan Alpert wasn’t surprised by Trump’s gains among young women. “There’s an assumption made about Gen Z—that simply being young and female means a natural alignment with the Democratic candidate,” he told *DailyMail.com*. “Many told me they felt unsafe in Biden and Harris’s America and wanted a change.”

Business analyst and political commentator Nadja Atwal shared similar observations, noting that young voters didn’t connect with Harris’s campaign despite its efforts to speak their language. “Many felt it was not relatable,” she said. “While economic indicators may look good on paper, high costs have made it challenging for people to make a living. Many Gen Z voters felt that Harris’s campaign didn’t address this issue enough.”

Atwal also suggested that Harris’s reliance on celebrity endorsements may have backfired. “Many young people felt downright insulted by the Harris campaign banking on star power,” she explained. “It does not resonate to see Hollywood and music stars with bodyguards and gated mansions endorsing a candidate. Trump’s campaign, on the other hand, emphasized working-class values, with appearances in relatable settings like McDonald’s or garbage trucks, which came across as cool and accessible.”

Trump also targeted Gen Z through platforms more popular with young men, including appearances on podcasts with Joe Rogan, Theo Von, and the Nelk Boys. His 18-year-old son, Barron, reportedly advised him on how to appeal to the younger demographic, and Trump saw a 15-point increase among men under 30, with 56 percent supporting him over Harris.

Turnout among young voters was around 42 percent, slightly down from the 50 percent turnout in 2020 but comparable to the 2016 election. As Democrats review the election results, the loss of Gen Z support—and particularly young women—has become a major talking point and a clear signal that economic concerns, safety, and authenticity were paramount for many young voters this election cycle.