The Trump Victory and Young Men of America
Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s stirred up conversations all across the US but also globally. With Donald Trump’s recent victory, one group of voters is standing out – young men. To understand what’s going on, let’s turn to Richard Reeves, a leading researcher on masculinity.
Richard Reeves, who founded the American Institute for Boys and Men, studies the evolving challenges that boys and men face today. He recently shared some critical insights in The GuardianUSA about this election cycle and why, in his view, the Democrats missed the mark with young male voters.
Now, traditionally, young men haven’t always been easy to pin down in political polling. But this time around, signs showed a shift toward Trump – a shift that Reeves predicted was partly due to a lack of focus on male-oriented issues by the Democrats.
In Reeves’s words, “The Democrats had an opportunity to connect with men, especially with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz leading the ticket. If there was ever a ticket that could speak to men, this was it.”
But according to Reeves, that opportunity was missed. He noted that while the Democrats became the “party of women,” Republicans were embracing masculinity. At the GOPconvention, Reeves says it was almost like a “welcome mat for men,” where they felt seen, valued, and respected.
The Republicans, he points out, framed the issues as a direct appeal to men – they acknowledged male struggles and frustrations. One ad in particular suggested that men who “did everything right” felt held back by the current system. In Reeves’s view, this was a powerful way to connect with young men who are feeling ignored.
“What men heard from the right was, ‘You’ve got problems,and we’re here to talk about them.’ What they heard from the left was, ‘You are the problem.’”
Ouch. Those are tough words, but Reeves believes it’s what many young men are feeling. And it brings up a key question: Was this election lost because of a failure to reach out to men?
Reeves also talks about the idea of zero-sum politics – this concept that one group’s success comes at another’s expense. He says the Democrats essentially left themselves out of the “argument about men” by focusing on certain social issues, rather than addressing male struggles directly.
“Men are not struggling because women are flourishing,”Reeves emphasizes, suggesting that this election could have been different if both parties had a broader, inclusive approach to addressing gendered concerns.
So, what can the Democrats take away from this election? Reeves believes it would be a mistake for Democrats to just double down on “toxic masculinity” or similar criticisms. Instead, he suggests, they should craft policies that actually appeal to young men directly – like focusing on apprenticeships and trade skills, rather than primarily on student debt.
To sum up, Reeves argues that this election could have been a huge opportunity to redefine the conversation about men in America. The Democrats now face a challenge: if they want to win back young men, they’ll need to shift their message, highlighting practical solutions and showing men they’re part of the future, not the problem.