Donald Trump’s support is collapsing among one of the key groups that helped re-elect him: younger men. And now, many are saying flat-out — they regret voting for him.
A new CNN poll shows 60% of men under 35 now disapprove of Trump’s job performance, up from 54% earlier this year. Only 40% approve, down from 44% in February. The numbers show a steady decline, but the reasons behind the drop are hitting even harder.
One of the biggest issues: the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. 65% of younger men say they’re dissatisfied with how the government handled it — and many blame Trump directly for not living up to his own promises of transparency.
“You said you were going to show us (the Epstein files), now you’re just being the very thing you said you were going to end,” said Ben, a chemical worker from Battle Creek, Michigan. “Not as transparent as what I thought.” Ben asked CNN not to use his last name — but he made one thing clear: he wishes he could take his vote back.
“Maybe I just wouldn’t vote,” he said.
Ben isn’t alone. Comedian Theo Von, who once helped rally young male voters for Trump with a viral podcast interview, has since turned into one of his most vocal critics.
“You just really start to feel very disillusioned pretty quickly,” Von said on a recent episode of his podcast.
The frustration is spreading among voters who once believed Trump’s promises — especially around foreign policy and spending.
Justin Centers, a 21-year-old auto worker from suburban Detroit, voted for Trump in his first presidential election. Now he’s openly questioning it.
“Completely being honest, I’m a little iffy now,” he told CNN. “One of the things I primarily voted for was ‘No new wars,’ and unfortunately, that has been a big lie to my face. So, it’s extremely disappointing to see that.”
Trump’s new $5 trillion tax-and-spending plan isn’t helping either. Even some loyal voters are raising eyebrows.
“When you go into your first year, you’re not going to do what everybody wanted you to at the beginning,” said Tyler Goldsmith, a 32-year-old lawn care business owner from Constantine, Michigan. “There are going to be things that you have to retract on, that you have to take care of.”
But others aren’t convinced those excuses are enough anymore.
Trump’s own Truth Social post over the weekend, telling followers to stop being “outraged” over the Epstein issue, made things worse for many. It felt dismissive to those still demanding answers.
The growing frustration could open the door for Democrats next year — if they can reach these disillusioned voters.
“They just made a decision and now they’re going to see if that worked or it didn’t work,” said Republican pollster David Winston. “The idea that they could bounce back to Democrats is certainly very possible. Having said that, they left for a reason.”
But not everyone’s ready to flip.
Centers, the Michigan autoworker, says he’s worried about Trump’s stance on electric vehicles — especially after buying a Tesla — and about the economy with a child on the way. Still, he’s hesitant to vote Democrat.
“A lot of stuff I identify with falls along the conservative agenda,” he said.
Even so, the damage is done. The promises that won Trump younger voters are now coming back to haunt him — and the regret is setting in.
