A survey conducted by The Independent Center between October 18 and 22 with 1,200 potential voters aged 18 to 44 revealed that Kamala Harris outperforms Donald Trump on seven key issues, including the economy, healthcare, and social issues. However, Trump leads on immigration, a topic that concerns only 12% of those under 45 according to another Fox News survey.
Primarily, Harris surpasses Trump on issues such as healthcare, the environment, and education. Despite this, polls have shown that young people trust Trump more on economic and foreign policy matters. Harris has led on reproductive rights, positioning herself as a strong advocate, while Trump has maintained some ambiguity on the subject.
In an attempt to attract young voters, both candidates have participated in popular podcasts and used online platforms like YouTube. Harris has addressed issues such as abortion care, while Trump has focused his message on immigration and mass deportations, promising to carry out the largest internal deportation in U.S. history if reelected.
Although some young people trust Trump more on immigration, experts like Melissa Deckman point out that the economy is the main concern for young voters. Deckman highlights the gender gap on these issues, where young women show greater interest in social and reproductive rights issues.
Trump's campaign has been running ads on platforms like YouTube to attract younger voters, particularly men. However, Harris's campaign needs to address the topic of mass deportations clearly and highlight the importance of immigration reform. Young people's participation in the elections could be decisive in determining the outcomes in November.
