Young voters were once the beating heart of progressive politics, but now, young men are turning red at an alarming rate. In the 2020 election, Joe Biden won the youth vote by a staggering 24 points, while Kamala Harris won it by only 4 points in 2024. Furthermore, in the 2024 election, Donald Trump ended up winning among young men specifically by 14 points. From Reddit threads to YouTube comment sections, a quiet revolution is beginning that may fundamentally alter the political landscape of the coming years. Democrats have been left scrambling for an answer to the question of what happened to what was supposed to be the most progressive generation ever. So what has happened to the young men of this generation? How have they become the most conservative generation since the Reagan era? The answer, in part, lies in a return to masculinity.

For years, the progressive movement treated traditional masculinity with suspicion, believing that it was a breeding ground for toxic behaviors. While these criticisms were valid and not meant to cause any harm, they alienated many young men from the progressive movement. This feeling of being lost created a void, albeit a small one that did not matter much. This all changed with the internet, where loud, unapologetic conservative voices stepped into that void. Drawing from young men already suspicious of radical feminism, they rapidly gained popularity. Influencers like Jordan Peterson provided sophisticated “red pill” takes, while commentators like Andrew Tate offered flashy, controversial takes that built on wealth and dominance. These two men quickly became the faces of the “red pill movement,” gaining so much popularity that a 2023 Channel 4 study found that Gen Z men ranked Peterson and Tate among the most trusted public figures in their lives. 

But the rise of this masculinity revival was no accident; it was driven by engagement algorithms. As the pandemic hit, more and more young people became lonely, with over 63% of people showing signs of loneliness or depression. This resulted in young men feeling isolated and frustrated, who were then drawn into self-help videos and motivational speeches. From there, recommendation engines pushed them toward increasingly provocative political content. Once inside this system, masculinity was redefined not as a personal trait but as a political identity that was under attack. Strength, dominance, and stoicism became forms of resistance. In this environment, Trump became the perfect symbol. He didn’t just talk about masculinity; he lived it. From his lavish lifestyle to his attacks on Rosie O’Donnell, Trump felt raw and unfiltered. His jabs at Biden’s “cognitive decline,” his refusal to apologize, and his open hostility toward political correctness mirrored the exact traits these young men were being taught to value. 

But the rise in masculinity has much more to do with than just toxic masculinity. It has to do with conformity. Almost all of society conforms to normal gender roles regarding their gender, but boys are disproportionately penalized compared to girls for escaping gender roles. This results in our society disproportionately pressuring men to be “men,” forcing young men to feel the need to conform to our society’s idea of masculinity. 

Currently, our society wants masculinity to be financially based. Young men were given a Biden economy where inflation rose by 21.7% and 83% of adults reported stress over rising prices. Young Americans believed that under Trump, the economy was better, and Trump played into this belief heavily during his campaign. Trump promised he could restore his economy on day one, and voters believed him. Trump's campaign strategy of going on podcasts and demonizing illegal workers helped get his message out to young voters who had never had exposure to him. In our society, to be a man is to achieve the American dream. So, the voting results show that young men think the easiest way to gain that is to vote for Trump. Another core reason is the massive MAGA movement. The MAGA movement has fully embraced this masculinity, with Charlie Kirk going as far as saying, “If you are a man in this country and you don’t vote for Donald Trump, you’re not a man.” A recent study showed that pressures to be masculine were extremely high among boys whose parents expressed hegemonic masculinity. These parents tend to live in conservative counties and be working-class individuals. So, as these boys become voting age, they will tend to vote for republican, more “masculine” candidates. 

So what can democrats do to try to counter this? They need to strike Trump hard. With Trump’s unpopular policies like the Big Beautiful Bill and his tariff policy wreaking havoc on the government, the democrats can not afford to stop hammering Trump on these issues. They also need to find a clear direction for the party, which I believe should be toward the progressive side.  If they can do that and reframe masculinity into positive masculinity, they might have a shot of winning back young trump voters from 2024.

This article was edited by Jack Wimberley.