Young voters don't think Trump or Biden understand them, poll says

WASHINGTON (TND) — Young voters are paying less attention to the election and are less likely to vote in November compared to their elders. Those are some of the takeaways from a new CBS/YouGov poll trying to figure out what's on the minds of young voters.

Swings in the key voting bloc could make or break both campaigns.

For President Joe Biden, Gen Z represents a group highly critical of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Losing a sliver of those voters in a swing state could decide the White House.

Joe Biden is favored among young people by 61% to 38% over Donald Trump overall in the poll. Pocketbook issues like the economy and inflation outpace the war for the Under 30 voter’s top priorities and 43% of them say Biden’s policies have hurt them financially. The poll found that young people were overwhelmingly supportive of Biden's plans to cancel student debt, but it's unknown if that would even drive those people to vote.

Biden’s age is more of a factor in their vote compared to Trump’s in the CBS poll. The President and his team have tried to change the narrative on his mental fitness concerns as the question is repeatedly asked in polls and interviews.

"Joe Biden doesn't have any concerns about his mental fitness, nor do I. I've spent an incredible amount of time with Joe Biden. That's just the fade that the other side is pushing," said Biden Campaign National Co-Chair Mitch Landrieu on "Meet the Press" over the weekend.

A big question from the poll is if young people will care enough to vote. Just 34% are “thinking a lot about the presidential race” compared to 74% of voters over 65.

“When we watch this campaign going forward, can the candidates not only motivate them but also inform them about what they would do so they can make, ostensibly, a more informed choice," said CBS News Elections and Surveys Executive Director Anthony Salvanto.

Almost half of voters under 30 feel like both Trump and Biden don’t understand them, and just 60% say they’ll definitely vote even if they don’t like either man, a potentially huge issue for turnout. That’s compared to about 90% of older people saying they’ll still vote.