For young men who grew up in the Trump era, the 2024 election is about one big thing

New focus groups of skeptical young men planning to vote in this fall’s most critical battleground states illustrate how, for those voters, it’s all about Donald Trump.

The former president has been the dominant figure in American politics and culture since they were teens — or even earlier than that, for some of them. Those leaning toward Vice President Kamala Harris described their choice as more of a vote against Trump than a demonstration of support for her — “the lesser of two evils” or a “step in the right direction, even if it’s a small step.”

By contrast, those leaning toward Trump were far more likely to describe their vote as affirmative support for Trump, reminiscing about the “prosperity” and “stability” they associate with his first term in conversations as part of the NBC News Deciders Focus Group, produced in collaboration with Syracuse University and the research firms Engagiousand Sago.

Polling has found a significant gender gap in the race, with Trump holding the upper hand among men and Harris among women. And while Democrats have long performed better among younger voters, the gender gap persists with that group, too: This month’s NBC News Stay Tuned Gen Z Poll powered by SurveyMonkey found Harris leading among Gen Z women by a much wider margin, 30 points, than her 4-point edge over Trump among Gen Z men(within the margin of error).

The two campaigns have been vocal about their attempts to target young men — Trump through the world of influencers and combat sports and Harris through targeted ads and the constant refrain about vice presidential nominee Tim Walz’s past as an assistant football coach. And considering those voters live in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, states regularly decided