A supporter of Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris reacts as she delivers remarks, conceding 2024 U.S. presidential election to President-elect Donald Trump, at Howard University in Washington, U.S., November 6, 2024.
CNN host John Berman spoke with data analyst Harry Enten on Monday about new numbers showing that younger generations are losing faith in the "American Dream."
Calling it the "great American promise," Berman said that for centuries the pledge has been that each generation will be better off than their parents. After the 2007-2008 economic crash that began to turn. Now, amid another Middle East war and economic slump, another generation is being hit with a bad job market and wages that don't keep pace with inflation.
In numbers showing "life opportunities versus your parents' generation," 18-29 year olds in 2000 believed that their lives would be better than their parents to the tune of 72 percent. Only 5 percent said that they thought things would be "worse." That number changed dramatically among younger adults in 2016.
"Then it was 23 percent in 2016," who believed that life would be worse. "Now. Oh my God, that is what Johnny B is saying on the side of the screen there, the majority, 54 percent, say, in fact, their life opportunities versus their parents' generation are worse. That's an over 50-point climb. In the last 26 years, since the beginning of this century, this, more than anything else, tells us so much about our politics right now."
"This is bleak. I mean, this is just incredibly bleak," Berman said.
Looking at Trump's numbers among young voters, Enten said that in 2024 he made significant inroads with the traditionally more progressive generation.
"But now, as he hasn't been able to deliver in their eyes, look at this," Enten continued. "Under the age of 30, Trump net approval: it was plus ten points at the beginning of his presidency. And now way down there, -30 points."
Where Enten said that will impact the most for the 2026 midterm elections is in Texas, as it's one of the youngest states in the U.S. He looked at the Texas 15th District, where Trump won the district by 18 points in 2024. Looking at prediction markets, not political polls, the congressional race is in a statistical tie, with Bobby Pulido up 52 percent over Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) at 48 percent.
"That tells us everything we need to know. Younger people just don't see the opportunities that those in past generations saw compared to their parents," Enten said. "And you're seeing these big swings as they kind of push out Republicans, pull them in, push them out, as they just don't feel that they've been able to."
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