By Justin Choi

I’m a college student at the University of California, Los Angeles. I’ve lived in California for 19 years of my life and have friends pursuing careers in tech, art, and acting - careers that are heavily and traditionally liberal. A good chunk of my college peers are also from the Bay Area and from Southern California. Most of my friends back home are Asian Americans, a group that traditionally votes Democrat. But everytime politics is brought up, the choice is overwhelming: they like Donald Trump.

Polls have shown that Trump’s support amongst Gen. Z men is greater in comparison to young women. However, young males support Trump more than you think. I remember two years ago, speaking to a friend from Chicago. While he didn’t speak much, his disdain for then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot was evident. He was frustrated with the social issues that Democrats in the city advocated for and signaled his support for Trump. He wasn’t exactly conservative by any means but he liked his strong personality and how he would say things the way they are. My peers from New York City and San Francisco all echoed the same thing. They weren’t too informed about politics but Trump felt more like a “bro” to them. 

Two months ago, while eating lunch with a friend I asked if his opinions about the election changed after Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee. He immediately dismissed the Vice President and said, “Trump needs to win.” He described Trump as being tough and someone who adversaries would fear. Keep in mind, this is a friend who doesn’t know an ounce of politics and rarely brings up any political issues. Then, why are people like him so quick to dismiss Harris? It’s because they see Trump hanging out with the Nelk Boys, UFC fighters, and other professional golfers. Trump’s appeal to young men is at its peak. The Nelk Boys are YouTubers who post prank videos and are founders of Happy Dad, a seltzer drink. UFC is dominated by male viewership and when they see Trump at UFC events with Dana White, CEO of UFC, they see Trump as one of their own. The former President even appeared in an interview with comedian Theo Von and on a golf challenge video with professional golfer Bryson Dechambeau. Trump making frequent appearances with high profile individuals that Gen. Z men view in a positive light heavily influences the male population to vote for Donald Trump. His recent three hour long interview with famous podcaster Joe Rogan is also a recent effort by the former president to capture the votes of young men.

It may seem funny how these appearances can actually influence the younger generation of males, but it really does. A lot of Gen. Z voters, especially college students, are influenced by what they see on social media such as TikTok or Instagram. When college males see short ten second videos of Trump posing for a picture with Jake Paul, a YouTuber and boxer, they see him as one of their own.

While most of the young male college students I know and speak to frequently back Trump, they never show support for him in public. They know that it’s not a popular opinion to have, especially living in Democratic stronghold California and in Los Angeles. They don’t want to be an outcast on campus. So, if you think young males support Trump, just imagine how many more support him secretly. If young male college students from California and in strong Democratic cities are silently expressing their support for the former President, just imagine how many more are out there. 

This Op-ed reflects the views and opinions of the writer, not Westwood Review as a whole.