The U.S. elections could be defined by an unexpected battle to attract male voters from Generation Z, where Donald Trump has eroded the Democratic dominance among young people while Kamala Harris offers a new model of masculinity, closer to empathy and equality.
The former Republican president courts these voters by appearing on popular podcasts among Generation Z (born from 1997), while the Democratic vice president tries to position herself as a strong leader, relying on a new model of masculinity championed by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Trump's campaign embraces a form of hypermasculinity that reached its peak expression at the Republican convention in Milwaukee, where former wrestler Hulk Hogan ripped off his shirt live and the former president himself took the stage to the tune of 'It's a Man's Man's Man's World' by James Brown. At each rally, Trump projects the image of a tough leader, as explained by an expert.
According to Lanae Erickson, a former advisor to Barack Obama, the differences between the candidates foreshadow that the elections will see the greatest "gender gap" in recent U.S. history, meaning the largest recorded difference between the percentage of women and men voting for either candidate.
Harris is doing everything possible to mobilize the female vote with the promise of protecting the right to abortion, legal for half a century until the Supreme Court overturned the 'Roe vs Wade' ruling in June 2022. Additionally, to counter the narrative of Trump's "strong man," Harris's campaign has presented its own alternative masculinity, men capable of leading with empathy and comfortable in a supportive role beside a powerful woman.
Walz, who represents this renewed masculinity, has 24 years of service in the National Guard and projects the image of an everyday man from the crucial Midwest, appearing at rallies in flannel shirts and hiking boots. In his electoral debut with Harris on August 6, Walz greeted the vice president with a namaste gesture, hands together in front of his chest, showing a respect that enhanced Harris's leadership aura.
Harris's goal is to attract young voters without college degrees who feel less affinity with Democratic ideas than previous generations. Meanwhile, Trump has chosen Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate in an attempt to appeal to male voters, distancing enthusiastic women from the prospect of having a woman in the White House for the first time.
