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By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
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President Donald Trump's approval rating has rebounded with Gen Z voters, according to a new poll.
Trump's approval rating among the youngest voters remains underwater, but the latest YouGov/Economist poll, conducted between August 9-11, shows Trump's net approval rating at -28 (33 percent approve, 61 percent disapprove), a 10-point jump from last month when it was -38 (18 percent approved and 66 percent disapproved).
But his net approval rating remains far lower than it was in January, when it stood at +5 points.
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Lucas Walsh, a youth political behavior expert and professor at Monash University, told Newsweek that the bump could be explained by the voting dynamics of young people.
Gen Z, while generally leaning blue on issues such as social justice, tends to engage in "choice-based" politics—voting based on current issues rather than party loyalty, he said.
But he explained that "choice based politics emerges partly because young people feel underrepresented by the major parties." A 2025 GenForward Survey found that a majority of young Americans believed the Democratic and Republican parties did not represent them effectively. Similarly, a 2025 AP-NORC poll showed that about one-third of adults under 30 identified as political independents, rejecting both major political parties.
Walsh added, "Polling needs to be understood in light of wider voter ambivalence."
"This jump might be for lack of alternatives," he said. A recent Wall Street Journal poll found that Democrats' popularity was at its lowest in 35 years of polling, with 63 percent of voters overall having an unfavorable view of the party.
Why It Matters
In the 2024 election, Trump made inroads with young voters, narrowing the Democrats' traditional lead among Gen Z—a group that has typically leaned left in recent cycles. According to AP VoteCast, voters ages 18 to 29 supported then Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump by just 51 percent to 47 percent. In 2020, Joe Biden carried the same age group by a much wider margin, winning 61 percent to Trump's 36 percent.
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What To Know
Trump's standing with Gen Z voters has improved over the past month, with notable gains on the economy, immigration, and inflation, alongside modest increases in trust and confidence in his leadership, according to the polling.
The August YouGov/Economist poll surveyed 1,635 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent. The July poll surveyed 1,680 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.
On the economy, approval rose from 30 percent in July to 36 percent in August, while disapproval fell from 64 percent to 54 percent. Meanwhile, approval of his handling of inflation jumped from 23 percent to 31 percent, with disapproval dropping from 72 percent to 60 percent.
Inflation rose to 2.7 percent year-on-year in June, the highest reading since February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
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Gen Z's view of economic trends also improved. In July, 12 percent said the economy was getting better, 27 percent said it was the same, and 58 percent saw it getting worse. By August, "better" climbed to 18 percent, "same" dipped slightly to 25 percent, and "worse" fell to 51 percent.
But Trump's approval rating on the economy is still substantially lower than it was in January, when his net approval among Gen Z stood at +18 points.
Job growth slowed sharply in July, with just 73,000 new jobs added, far lower than expected. After last month's jobs report was published, Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. In a post, Trump accused McEntarfer—without offering evidence—of rigging the numbers to harm his administration. But that move by Trump was not popular among Gen Z voters, with only 13 percent saying the decision was justified—50 percent said they were not sure.
Despite that, the latest poll shows small but measurable gains in perceptions of Trump's character and leadership. In August, 22 percent described him as honest, up from 20 percent in July, while the share saying he is not honest fell from 67 percent to 57 percent.
But overall, Trump's honesty rating has fallen to its lowest point since he reentered the White House, with just 31 percent of Americans viewing Trump as trustworthy as he has recently faced mounting criticism for his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Billionaire Elon Musk has urged Trump to "just release the files as promised," while author Michael Wolff has speculated that Trump may be seeking major distractions to shift attention away from the Epstein fallout. Victims and advocacy groups remain adamant that all records be made public, arguing that the current handling of the case "smacks of a cover-up."
Public discontent is also reflected in the polls. On the Jeffrey Epstein case, only 13 percent of Gen Z voters approve of Trump's handling, while 69 percent disapprove. And 44 percent believe he knew "a lot" of Epstein's crimes before investigations began—and 32 percent think he knew "some." Trump has said that he had no knowledge of, or involvement, in Epstein's crimes.
What Happens Next
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the DOJ for its files on Epstein, with a deadline of August 19 to hand them over, suggesting the issue isn't going away for the president anytime soon.
And Trump's new nominee to run the BLS hinted at suspending the monthly release of jobs data. August's numbers are due to be published in the first week of September.
Update 8/16/25, 8:34 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a comment from Lucas Walsh.
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