Men, and particularly white men, have long been a key constituency for former President Donald Trump. His 2016 victory was owed in part to his strength among white and male voters, and his loss in 2020 involved a decrease in their support.

With Vice President Kamala Harris now at the top of the Democratic ticket, Trump’s particular brand of tough-guy masculinity may play an important role in his appeals to male voters, and especially young men, who have trended Republican in recent years.

In recent weeks, Trump has participated in interviews with influencer Adin Ross and YouTuber Logan Paul, who primarily cater to young men, indicating his interest in reaching those voters. He also chatted with billionaire Elon Musk last week. A recent poll by the Young Men’s Research Institute found that 68 percent of American young men surveyed “like” Musk and 52 percent said they had used X—the social media site owned by Musk, formerly known as Twitter—in the past week.

Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, has also appeared on the popular Full Send podcast, hosted by a crew of internet personalities known as the Nelk Boys. They debuted a $20 million campaign to register and motivate young voters in battleground states, The Wall Street Journal reported, partnering with sports figures such as athletes from the Ultimate Fighting Championship—a sport that has become entwined with Trump support.

“They’re trying to meet young men where many of them are,” said Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute and the author of a forthcoming book on Gen Z politics. “There’s a deliberate strategy by the Trump campaign to reach out to, especially, disaffected young men. A lot of those men care a lot about the economy, but I think they’re also drawn to the perception that Trump is very strong.”

Young men’s alienation can be partially attributed to economic struggles and to a sense that opportunity has been taken from them—an opinion promoted by podcasters and influencers in the “manosphere,” a network of internet communities preoccupied with men’s rights and maintaining traditional gender roles. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that young men were less likely than young women to achieve key milestones like financial independence and a full-time job by the age of 25.

Recent polling has also shown that there is a growing gender gap........

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