An 18,000-person survey released this month reveals a generation of Trump supporters willing to abandon constitutional constraints if it means advancing preferred policies. Nearly half of Trump voters ages 18-29 say President Trump should fix the country even if it means ignoring the Supreme Court. The 10-month project ending in early 2026 shows youth skepticism about institutions is growing. The details get sharper quickly.
A Reversal In How Youth See Power
For decades, younger Americans were more likely to defend institutions and rule of law than their elders. That pattern has reversed for a key slice of the right. In the January 20, 2026 More in Common release, nearly 50% of Gen Z Trump supporters embraced executive overreach if it achieves goals. What changed first?
The 48% Finding That Stops People Cold
The core number is blunt: 48% of young Trump voters agree Trump should “fix the country even if it means ignoring the Supreme Court.” Researchers framed it as conditional support tied to advancing Trump’s goals. Using 2024 exit polls showing 43% of 18-29 voters backed Trump, it could imply about 8.2 million people. But does that translate into behavior?
“The Direction That Garners Enthusiasm”
Stephen Hawkins, global research director for More in Common, warned these attitudes may last. He said, “Political identity often forms in one’s early years, influencing one’s beliefs for decades. Younger Trump voters exhibit both an antagonistic and reformist approach…” He added, “The direction that garners more enthusiasm and proves to be more enduring is something that should be closely monitored…” The cultural pieces matter too.
Traditional Gender Roles Return In A New Form
The same report found a striking age split on gender ideology. Some 26% of young Trump voters believe “the man should lead and the woman should follow,” versus 10% of older Trump voters. Another 49% agree “American culture today is too feminine; it needs more masculinity,” compared to 39% of older Trump voters. Why is this rising now?
A Masculinity Divide Splits Young Voters
Among young Trump supporters, nearly half say American culture has become too feminine. Among young non-Trump voters, only 25% agree. A King’s College London study added context: 57% of Gen Z men said gender equality efforts have gone too far, versus 44% of Baby Boomer men. The power question looks even bigger beside this.
What If The Constitution Says “No”?
On issues of presidential power, the generational split is stark. About 50% of Gen Z Trump voters supported the idea of a third presidential term, even though the 22nd Amendment prohibits it. Only 9% of the “Reluctant Right” bloc supported that idea. If half are open to a third term, what stops ignoring court rulings too?
Young Voter Distrust Keeps Climbing
The Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics found only 13% of 18-29-year-olds said the country was heading in the right direction in its Fall 2025 poll conducted November 3-7, 2025. Only 29% approved of President Trump’s job performance. Yet they still preferred Democratic control of Congress 46% to 29%. How can all of that be true at once?
“American Culture Is Too Feminine” Goes Mainstream
The masculinity narrative connects cultural grievance to a feeling of lost status. Axios reporting on the Beyond MAGA study described “countercultural social conservatism” tied to dissatisfaction with today’s economic and cultural landscape. Melissa Deckman said younger male Trump supporters are “particularly receptive to reactionary narratives concerning gender” and accept strongman leadership. But economics still presses hard underneath.
Cost Of Living Stress Turns Into Politics
Economic insecurity shows up repeatedly across surveys of young adults. In Harvard’s Fall 2025 Youth Poll, 43% said they were “struggling or getting by with limited financial security.” More in Common found 7 in 10 Trump voters said cost of living causes stress, and nearly 4 in 10 called it significant. Add AI worries, and quick fixes look tempting. But why the hardest rhetoric?
“The Political Left Is An Existential Threat”
More in Common mapped Trump’s coalition into 4 voter types, with MAGA Hardliners as the most intense. Among them, 98% saw the political left as an “existential threat,” versus 38% of the Reluctant Right. Another 89% said Trump “is the best leader the Republican Party has had in my lifetime,” compared with 9% of the Reluctant Right. How did Gen Z shift so fast?
The 2024 Pivot That Shocked Analysts
The realignment between 2020 and 2024 was dramatic. Tufts CIRCLE reported voters ages 25-29 supported Harris by only 2 points in 2024, after Biden won that cohort by 21 points in 2020. Young men swung harder: Trump by 14 points in 2024 versus Biden by 2 points in 2020. Rural young men went 69% to 29% for Trump. What happens after the election glow fades?
Buyer’s Remorse Starts Showing Up
Some young Trump voters appear less certain once governing replaces campaigning. More in Common found about 59% of Reluctant Right Trump voters had mixed feelings or regrets about their 2024 vote, while 92% of MAGA Hardliners stayed very confident. Fall 2025 Yale Youth Poll results showed young voters “turned on Trump,” with steep approval drops from spring 2025. Is regret linked to the same anti-institution mood?
When Violence Becomes “Sometimes Acceptable”
Polling raised alarms beyond courts and elections. Gallup found 45% of men ages 18-29 who “always or often” feel lonely said political violence is sometimes acceptable. Harvard’s Youth Poll noted most young Americans reject violence, but a meaningful minority expresses conditional tolerance tied to financial strain, distrust, and alienation. If loneliness predicts risk, what else is shifting in young men’s lives?
Religion’s Unexpected Pull On Young Men
One surprise is religious traditionalism rising among young male conservatives. Barna research cited by First Liberty said, “among Gen Z men, commitment to Jesus jumped 15 percentage points between 2019 and 2025. Millennial men saw a similar spike of 19 percentage points”. More in Common noted only MAGA Hardliners link supporting Trump to faith. Does that spiritual framing make compromise feel impossible?
Trust In Institutions Hits Another Low
Harvard’s Institute of Politics found only 17% of 18-29-year-olds said mainstream media strengthens America, while 50% saw it as a threat. Only 19% trusted the federal government to do the right thing most or all the time. Yet 78% still said it’s important the U.S. remains a democracy. If they value democracy, why are guardrails so easy to dismiss?
A Historic Gender Gap Shapes Politics
The Brookings Institution has documented an expanding political gender divide among young adults. Young women tilt Democratic by wide margins while young men move toward Republicans, with young women identifying as feminist at 61% versus 43% of Gen Z men. For young Trump voters, the coalition skews heavily male, aligning with more traditional views on masculinity and executive power. Can a movement built on grievance stay unified as gender politics harden?
“A Five-Alarm Fire” Warning From Pollsters
Jordan Schwartz, Student Chair of Harvard’s Public Opinion Project, issued a blunt assessment: “Financial fears, political polarization, and concerns over an uncertain future have shattered young Americans’ trust in the world around them. Now is not the time to mince words: Gen Z is headed down a path that could threaten the future stability of American democracy and society. This is a five-alarm fire, and we need to act now”. But what if parties cannot capture this anxiety?
Independents Rise As Coalitions Get Fragile
By 2025, Gallup reported a record 45% of Americans identified as political independents, with 56% of Gen Z saying the same. Harvard researchers said Democrats lead for 2026 not due to enthusiasm, but because many young voters view the alternative as less aligned with priorities. That suggests young Trump voters’ support can be transactional, not loyal. If so, what happens when a new crisis rewrites the bargain?
Will Court Defiance Become A Lasting Belief?
More in Common concluded Trump’s coalition contains deep internal divisions alongside shared agreement that America is in crisis and the establishment has failed. The researchers wrote: “The coalition’s internal differences run through nearly every major issue facing the country… Whether the coalition endures may depend on whether these shared frustrations remain strong enough to override differences…” As 2026 unfolds, the biggest test is whether constitutional skepticism hardens into identity, or fades with new realities.
Sources
Beyond MAGA: A Profile of the Trump Coalition. More in Common US, January 20, 2026
Harvard Youth Poll: 51st Edition Fall 2025. Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, November 3-7, 2025
New High of 45% in U.S. Identify as Political Independents. Gallup News, 2025
Fall 2025 Results: Young Voters Turn on Trump. Yale Youth Poll, Fall 2025