For Gen Z Liberal Women, Kids Don’t Equal Success — But MAGA Gen Z Men Disagree
Young Americans are split on what it means to “make it” in life — and the divide runs sharply along gender and political lines. A new NBC News poll shows Gen Z men and women (ages 18–29) view success and President Trump’s agenda in very different ways.
The age group also showed a massive gender divide this past presidential election — helping Trump beat former President Biden.
LOOKING AT THE DATA
Gen Z men who supported Trump ranked having children as the top factor defining success. For young women who supported Kamala Harris, it ranked near the bottom — with “a fulfilling job or career” topping their list.
The gap extends into politics: Overall, only 26% of young women approve of Trump compared to 47% of young men. On immigration, just 21% of Gen Z women approve of Trump’s handling of the issue, versus 45% of Gen Z men.
Mental health also shows a divide: One-third of Gen Z women report feeling anxious almost all the time, compared to fewer than two in ten Gen Z men.
With that, male Trump voters ranked emotional stability near the bottom of their list.
MO NEWS SLACK DISCUSSION
Over on the Mo News Premium Slack, some of our community shared their thoughts of the gender divides.
Shauna: For many women, she shared that “the juice has to be worth the squeeze to have children or even be married. And right now, it’s often not worth it.”
Why? The roles of men and women in the U.S. have changed — and women don’t want to go back. “If this is going to change, women are going to have to be partnered differently. Our value is no longer solely found in bearing children or homemaking.”
Raf, in observing and in conversation with Gen Zers, says Trump supporters in the group are already married with kids, while Harris supporters are more often still dating. He notes that politics is now a major filter in dating too — sometimes the first question.
Larger conversation? “It's been curious to see many Harris-supporting women in their early 30s (not technically Gen Z, but younger millennials) that have now changed their minds about career vs marriage/children, and now have some regret and frustration with the delay/missing out.”
🎧 We’ll be covering this poll and the larger divide on this week’s episode of the Ask Mo Anything (#AMA) podcast — out Saturday exclusively for Premium. Join today!