The White House and Republicans are counting on Vice President JD Vance to keep young men in the MAGA fold ahead of the midterms, but even some administration allies doubt he is up to the job, according to Politico.
Young men are among the voters the GOP most needs at the polls in November, Politico reported. They swung sharply toward President Donald Trump in 2024, but like other parts of his coalition, some "have grown frustrated over the Iran war" and the cost of living. The administration still sees them as among the most persuadable voters and believes Vance, a millennial, may be its best ambassador.
“There’s no question that JD is the most effective messenger to young voters,” said MAGA podcaster Jack Posobiec, who recently talked to Vance about young men’s frustrations in an interview on Air Force Two. “This is us saying, no, we get it. We don’t like the system either. However, maybe don’t burn down the country. Because when we burn down the country, the problem is we still live in the country. It’s not a good idea to set fire to the house you live in.”
Administration allies believe Vance’s success could decide close Senate races in states like Alaska and Texas, which are among the youngest in the nation. He has said he is focused on 2026, but he is also laying the groundwork for a possible presidential run in which he would need young men, "including Gen Z men, who are now 14 to 29."
Vance has acknowledged the problem. “I recognize that a lot of young voters don’t love the policy that we have in the Middle East, okay?” he said in April at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Georgia, Politico reported.
Still, Politico reported that even administration allies are skeptical Vance "can stanch the bleeding," as Politico put it. They fear young men may be a lost cause in 2026, with their anger over the war serving as a proxy for broader frustration that the country has focused too much on foreign policy and not enough on improving their lives at home.
One person close to the White House, granted anonymity, told Politico they didn’t think Vance would succeed given high gasoline prices and a war with no end in sight.
“The next generation is generally turned off to politicians and politics. JD has the burden of speaking to them as both their age and also potentially their next president,” texted Rachel Bovard of the Conservative Partnership Institute, a longtime Vance ally, to Politico before adding, “No pressure on him, lol.”