Donald Trump’s unlikely move to appeal to young Bernie Sanders supporters sounds far-fetched, but it’s a group he believes he can help with his “winning.”
This time, Trump might be right.
In an interview for Hannity on Monday, Trump discussed polls that show a tighter race between him and Hillary Clinton in November:
But, the people that are with Bernie Sanders, the young people, I really believe they’re going to come over and vote for me. I think we’re going to have a lot of cross.
Recently, Sanders was asked by a young supporter at an MSNBC town hall if he would encourage his supporters to get behind Hillary Clinton. “We are not a movement where I can snap my fingers and say to you or to anybody else what you should do, because you won’t listen to me. You shouldn’t,” Sanders said. “You’ll make these decisions yourself,” he told the young man.
Sanders also expressed doubt to CNN’s Chris Cuomo that Hillary would be able to win over young voters because he hasn’t been satisfied with her campaign’s efforts “to stand up for some real fundamental changes in this country.”
One in four Sanders’ supporters would abandon Hillary in the general election, according to last month’s poll from McClatchy-Marist.
Columnist E.J. Dionne wrote on Sunday that Trump’s path to the White House relies on young voters not turning out for Hillary. She could also be vulnerable in swing states if young voters don’t vote, Professor Carlos L. Yordan noted.
Real Clear Politics has Hillary beating Trump by an average of 6.2 points, while a Rasmussen poll released Monday shows Trump up by 2 points.
The race against Hillary will likely be more difficult than he says, but young voters could provide him his shot. And, if Trump and Sanders warmed up to each other, the ticket could really help Trump achieve his “winning.”
