People arrive ahead of Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump’s speech at the Turning Point Action People’s Convention in Detroit on Saturday.
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Lauren Kerby was wearing a baseball cap that read “Pretty Girls Vote Republican” and several buttons, one of which read “Gun Rights Are Women’s Rights,” when someone asked her When planning who to vote for in the fall, Lauren Kirby was surprised.
“Obviously Trump,” she said, laughing. “I’m here for a reason.”
This is the People’s Assembly hosted by Turning Point Action, the advocacy arm of Turning Point America and one of the largest national organizations focused on engaging students on conservative issues.
“Turning Point” — which emerged out of concerns about free speech on college campuses and has grown into an unapologetic pro-Trump machine focused on organizing for the former president ahead of the 2024 election.
It hosts similar events that attract voters like Kerby and hundreds of others like her who want to attend a young, conservative-style party.
This is definitely Trump’s show. At the Huntington Square Convention Center in downtown Detroit, a gem-encrusted presidential seal was placed on the hood of a gold Mercedes with Trump’s face in the center. At dozens of stalls nearby, vendors were selling “America First” cowboy hats and shirts that read “Vote Convicted Felons 2024.”
This year’s celebration comes as Operation Turning Point works to significantly expand its organizing presence in key battleground states ahead of the election, including Michigan, where this year’s conference will take place.
Just five months later, enthusiasm for Trump among young attendees is high. NPR spoke with more than a dozen voters under 30 who still support Trump, voting for him in large part because of his isolationist ideas and focus on the economy and immigration.
Supporters cheer as Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks at the Turning Point Action People’s Convention in Detroit on Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
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Their unwavering support contrasts with the sentiment of many younger Democratic voters who remain unsure or uninterested in supporting President Joe Biden again.
Trump took the stage Saturday night and headlined the event. He laid out his proposed second-term agenda and criticized Biden’s record, making little mention of the event other than publicly thanking Turning Point founder and long-time supporter Charlie Kirk, a millennial. Youth-centered nature.
“[Kirk’s] With his army of young people,” Trump said. “These are young patriots. They don’t want to see… what’s happening in our country.
The former president’s comments followed two days of speeches from conservative firebrands and high-profile Trump allies, including Republican National Committee co-chair Laura Trump, Trump’s daughter-in-law, former presidential candidate Victoria Veker Ramaswamy, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
This year’s session also comes more than two weeks after a New York jury found Trump guilty of criminal charges, a decision that could negatively impact his chances of winning over young voters. Harvard’s latest youth poll, released in March, found that a potential guilty verdict increased Biden’s lead among young Americans by 10 percentage points.
But just like their unwavering support in the election, voters at the event were undeterred by his belief. His picture appears on posters and T-shirts for attendees.
For 20-year-old James Hart, the verdict had little impact.
“I really don’t think, at this point, anybody’s feelings have changed. I think everybody knows who they’re going to vote for. We know Trump. Trust me — we know Joe Biden,” Ha Special said. “We know their policies. We know how they’re going to act. I trust Trump.
Where Young Conservatives Stand
For Bryant, who is from Berkeley, Miss., part of the reason for supporting Trump is his push for isolationism, including limiting U.S. aid in Ukraine’s war with Russia.
“He’s focused on what’s happening here,” she said, noting that Trump is focused on reducing illegal immigration.
“It’s not that other places don’t matter, but we should matter first,” added Kerby’s friend Erina Luca, 21. “When you’re in a family, you want to make sure your family is OK first.”
Luka also supports Trump. As a mother of two, her biggest concern is rising prices.
“When I drive around looking at a beautiful house, I like to see how much it sold for,” she explains. “In today’s economy, people think, ‘Oh, wow, how did these people afford it? … It’s like, ‘Oh no, they bought it in 2012 for $150,000. , it is now worth about $1 million.
“How am I going to buy a house to raise my children?” she said to herself: “I don’t want to pay for a house my whole life.”
Turning Point’s 2024 Strategy
Former President Donald Trump took the stage to deliver the keynote address at the Operation Turning Point “People’s Convention” in Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday.
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
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While the nonprofit organization Turning Point has been hosting student conferences for nearly a decade, including appearances by Republican politicians and conservative media figures, this meeting was only Operation Turning Point’s second.
The activist network has evolved into a more visible political force and plans to step up its organizing activities ahead of the elections.
“It’s night and day,” said Operation Turning Point spokesman Andrew Corvitt. “Any activity we do, like the 2022 midterm elections, is like the Stone Age compared to the level of complexity and the resources we put into developing the project.”
Corvert was talking about the group’s “Chasing the Vote” initiative, a get-out-the-vote campaign launched earlier this spring aimed at reaching low-vote voters in swing states. Trump recently endorsed the plan at another turning point event in Arizona, another key 2024 state.
Turning Point hopes to raise $100 million to build grassroots organizing staff and plans to work with the Trump campaign to get out the vote — a significant change from past election cycles following new guidance from the Federal Election Commission.
While Turning Point has its roots in the program, it’s not just about focusing on young voters, although Corvitt said that will always be tied to Turning Point’s work.
Growing up under Trump, now is the time to vote
Despite Trump’s enthusiasm at “Turning Point,” Republicans face a tough challenge in attracting more young voters. Voters under the age of 30 traditionally vote Democratic, and in 2020, Biden won this age group by 24 percentage points.
Additionally, young voters tend to align with Democrats on key issues, particularly abortion, fighting climate change and curbing gun violence. Despite his poor performance in the polls, Biden still leads among young voters in multiple youth polls.
But among some younger conservatives, albeit a smaller one, Trump’s style of Republican politics — once fringe, now mainstream — is overwhelmingly how they want their political future to be.
An attendee wears a “Team Trump” cowboy hat as people watch a speech during the Turning Point “People’s Conference” in Detroit on Saturday.
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“Supporting Trump and having that MAGA element is definitely more attractive to young conservatives and young Americans,” said Gabe Guidarini, a 19-year-old Ohio State student and member of the College Republicans. “It’s actually more attractive to young conservatives and young Americans. solve the problems they face.”
He believes it’s difficult for young people to understand “old-school Republican rhetoric” focused on tax cuts and government spending because they can’t get ahead economically. He explained that Trump’s deviation from political norms is appealing given the period in which Generation Z grew up.
James Hart agrees. Although the 20-year-old now lives in Tallahassee, he grew up in Detroit. “I grew up a Democrat,” he said.
It was not until 2016 that his family turned to support Trump.
“His personality is what my family says about him. ‘Hey, you know, maybe the Democratic Party isn’t the greatest,'” he said. “Honesty is the best policy. In the Midwest, we are honest. We say it is what it is. That’s what Trump does.
Now, as Hart prepares to vote for the first time, his mind is made up.
“I think most young people are pursuing a Trump-type candidate,” he said. “We want fire. We want passion. We’re tired of the same old, same old. We want bold policies that actually deliver results.
