Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted a sharp decline in support for President Donald Trump, particularly among young Americans, attributing it to broken economic promises and rising living costs.
Young Voter Support For Trump Drops 34 Points Amid Rising Prices
On Wednesday, Buttigieg posted on X while sharing a video message criticizing Trump's handling of the economy.
"Trump's popularity has fallen dramatically, because more and more Americans see that he has failed to deliver the economic results he promised," Buttigieg wrote.
He said, "Among young people, he's lost 34 points of support." He added, "He hasn't brought prices down; they're going up because of his actions. The economy as a whole is getting worse, and most Americans see that and recognize it."
Public Awareness Growing Despite Limited Media Coverage
Buttigieg pointed out that the public shift is happening even if it isn't widely reported.
"If you're wondering when our fellow Americans are going to recognize the damage Donald Trump is doing to this country, I want to point out that more and more Americans are. This is easy to miss because it doesn't get covered much," he said.
He encouraged citizens to stay vocal, adding, "Don't fall for this attempt to make you feel disempowered. Raising our voices makes a difference. It's clearly having an effect, and we've got to keep it up."
Rising Prices And Housing Crisis Spark Criticism Of Trump’s Economic Policies
Lawmakers and consumers felt the pinch as rising costs in food, housing, and energy highlighted broken campaign promises on affordability.
Last week, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) criticized Trump on X for failing to deliver on his pledge to lower prices.
Schiff noted that food costs continued to rise—eggs up 16%, coffee 14%, and beef nearly 11%—and attributed increases to tariffs, health care policy changes, and energy restrictions.
He also warned that health insurance premiums and housing costs were climbing due to federal policies and labor shortages.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) blamed Trump's trade and tariff policies for a 40% spike in wholesale vegetable prices in July, the largest summer monthly increase in nearly a century. She cited tariffs and labor shortages from deportations as key drivers.
Earlier this month, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) highlighted that roughly 800,000 Americans were homeless and 20 million households spent over half their income on rent or mortgages, criticizing federal priorities and calling for greater investment in affordable housing.
Young Americans Losing Trust In Government
In spring 2025, a Harvard Youth Poll of Americans aged 18 to 29 found only 15 percent believed the country was headed in the right direction, while 51 percent said it was on the wrong track and 31 percent were unsure.
Trust in Washington was low, with just 19 percent saying the federal government "did the right thing" most of the time, and fewer than one in three expressing confidence in Congress, the president, or the Supreme Court.
When asked about leadership, 41 percent of young adults said the nation was better off under former President Joe Biden, compared with 25 percent for Trump.
Trump's approval rating among young people stood at 31 percent, largely unchanged from his first term, while trust in congressional Democrats fell to 23 percent from 42 percent in early 2019.
In September, a poll showed Trump's approval rating fell to 39%, the lowest of his second term, with 57% disapproving, yielding a net approval of minus 18.
Support remained stronger among Republicans and 2024 Trump voters, while most independents and moderates disapproved.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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