With Donald Trump struggling among millennial voters, NPR reached out to young Republicans to discuss the primary campaign.
Polls show Trump losing to Hillary Clinton among key demographics in the general election. NPR pointed out that “Trump has not been able to move the needle so much when it comes to attracting minority voters.”
Among his supporters, though, skepticism abounds.
Eugene Spektor, a 27-year-old New Yorker, doesn’t “know if those numbers are accurate.” When it comes to beating Hillary, Spektor believes Trump “has the best chance because he has cross-party positions that appeal to Republicans, Democrats, and independents.” He doesn’t think “someone like Ted Cruz…has any legitimate shot at actually winning.”
On Trump’s conservative record (or lack thereof), Spektor said that “that’s a representation of why he has crossover appeal.” It includes independents, Democrats, and “people who agree with him on his economic positions are no longer isolated by policies that don’t reflect their social beliefs.”
On Trump’s lack of detailed policies, Spektor spoke specifically of Planned Parenthood:
…
So I see opportunity for him to bring compromise on these issues that most Republicans that are really conservative don’t want to budge on.
Fellow New Yorker Margaret Hoover echoed Spektor’s point:
She also responded to Will Estrada, a 32-year-old homeschooling advocate from northern Virginia, on how McCain and Romney “were middle-ground candidates and they both lost.” Hoover points to how McCain, Romney, nor McCain could get enough white male votes to make up with Hispanic, women, and African-American voters.
None would commit to voting for Trump if he got the nomination. Some said they would not. Hoover closed the interview with pessimism of how “we’re screwed either way guys … We are not going to win this election either way.”
