Supporters of Donald Trump celebrate after the Fox Network called the election in his favor at the site of his rally, at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 6, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
Ailia Zehra
April 11, 2025
ALTERNET
Activist Cameron Kasky said during an appearance on CNN that young white men think Democrats are "leaving" them out and MAGA is able to manipulate them into thinking the party's steps towards equity for women and minorities are "being taken at our expense."
Kasky, 24, is the cofounder of the student-led gun violence prevention advocacy group Never Again MSD. He co-hosts a podcast on Gen Z politics and culture.
He said President Donald Trump was able to garner support from Gen Z, but not due to his policies. "It was culture," he said.
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"People in my generation are not focused on the nitty gritty," he said. "They're not thinking about the economy, health care and how those things exactly work," Kasky told CNN.
The activist said Trump is speaking in a language that resonates with them "and is pompous and aggressive enough that people respond to it."
"I always say the right has been able to cultivate fear more effectively than the Democrats have been able to inspire hope. So, what happens is: young men, especially young white men, say the democrats are leaving us out and MAGA is able to manipulate us into thinking that steps forward towards equity for women and minorities are being taken at our expense," he explained.
Kasky said the Democratic Party needs to "bargain" with people to convince them to vote for the party. "You can't just feel entitled to those votes," he added.
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In the 2024 presidential election, the Democratic Party experienced a significant decline in support from younger voters, even among those who are historically marginalized.
Young white men from Gen Z, particularly those without a college degree, favored Trump with a substantial 67 percent vote.
"There's something so nihilistic in Gen Z right now, because we haven't been given a very clear direction to strive towards," Kasky said when asked by the host what the 'American experience' means for Gen Z.
"We're not quite sure what exactly we're fighting for at this point," he added.
He said he was 15 when he heard Trump make a sexually suggestive comment about women, and later saw him become president.
"This next generation is growing up with an even more aggressive, unhinged and fascist version of that," Kasky added.
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