Opinion Today: How these young voters made their choice

And how they're thinking about the second Trump presidency.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 14, 2024 By Adrian J. Rivera Editorial Assistant, Opinion On Wednesday, Times Opinion published its last in a series of focus groups featuring young voters who had been undecided throughout most of the presidential campaign. We had our first conversation with them in August, and, after three months of listening to them talk about the economy, Jan. 6, abortion and more, we wanted to know what they decided. "I can't believe it, but I did end up voting for Donald Trump," said Abigail, a 23-year-old from Virginia. McLane, a 25-year-old from Washington, D.C., said: "I shocked myself and voted for Trump. No one tell my family." Laura, 20, from Maryland, said she wrote in Larry Hogan, a Republican and former Maryland governor who lost his U.S. Senate race, when she saw Kamala Harris "doing a lot of entertainment interviews and not focusing on actual interviews with CNN or Fox News or reputable news sources." She added, "I couldn't, in good faith, vote for Trump knowing that he was facing criminal charges." Chris, a 24-year-old from Florida who, from the beginning of our focus groups, said that Jan. 6 was something he couldn't look past, voted for Harris. All told, seven of our participants voted for Trump, four voted for a third-party candidate or wrote in the name of someone else and two voted for Harris. Their reasons were varied, as were their expectations and hopes for what a second Trump administration held for the country. Several participants wanted continued U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO and an independent Federal Reserve. Most were against mass deportations. Asked what they'd say if they could offer Trump a word of advice, Pierce, 26, from North Carolina, offered the following: "You've got four years. Make them count. Be a president for everybody, especially a president for those who feel scared tonight, those who feel victimized, marginalized." Read the focus group: Lucinda Rogers We Spoke With 13 Young Undecided Americans for Months. Here's How They Voted. The group of young undecided voters meets for the final time. By Patrick Healy, Frank Luntz and Adrian J. Rivera Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks The Editorial Board Mr. Trump's Reckless Choices for National Leadership Three extreme cabinet nominations demonstrate his contempt for a responsible executive branch. By The Editorial Board Guest Essay Universities Like Yale Need a Reckoning We must look in the mirror to know why we have already lost some battles and social respect and part of our democracy By David W. Blight Pamela Paul On Transgender Issues, Voters Want Common Sense Rather than pushing Americans in a direction they oppose, Democrats should endorse nuanced and humane alternatives. By Pamela Paul Guest Essay Trump Could Win the Contest With China Once and for All His bluster and unpredictability, combined with strategic discipline, could permanently tilt the rivalry with China in America's favor. By Craig Singleton David French I Believe in Miracles. Just Not All of Them. Let's not become the supernatural states of America. By David French More From Opinion Jessica Grose Trump Doesn't Care Enough About K-12 Education to Break It Is the best we can hope for the failing status quo? By Jessica Grose David Wallace-Wells Climate Change Is Losing Its Grip on Our Politics Trump's election merely confirms a shift that's been happening for years. By David Wallace-Wells A Foul Fireside Chat Biden followed protocol; Trump does so only when he wins. By Maureen Dowd Kenny Holston/The New York Times letters What Democrats Should Learn From Their Loss Readers point to campaign missteps and offer advice for winning back voters. Also: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s role in health policy; closing local pharmacies. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. To stop receiving Opinion Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018