Young Democrat voters are warning President Joe Biden that he must change course on the issues that matter to them — including the Israel-Hamas war — or risk losing their vote in November.
"He will lose the election if he decides to roll the dice and assumes that Gaza isn't at the top of minds right now," Elise Joshi, the executive director of Gen-Z for Change — once called TikTok for Biden — told The Hill.
Within the last six months, there has been "an increasing pace of concern" about the president, Joshi added.
Amid the ongoing anti-Israel protests on college campuses nationwide, the conflict in Gaza has been a flashpoint for many young voters and some polls have shown support collapsing for Biden.
A Harvard poll from last month showed support for Biden among voters ages 18-29 has dropped from roughly 60% in 2020 to 45%.
In a head-to-head matchup against former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, Biden trailed by 11 points among young voters, according to a new CNN poll.
Kidus Girma, campaign director for the Sunrise Movement, a political action group that pushes for climate change action, said Biden isn’t doing enough to address the issues that young voters care about.
"I don’t think the president is currently meeting young voters enough," he told The Hill. "We’re paying attention."
Girma stressed that it’s "in the interest of the president to run on a progressive mandate" to connect with these voters.
When it comes to Gaza, he told The Hill that the support of young voters will hinge on Biden’s approach in the months ahead.
"It's critical that President Biden recognize the voices of young people calling for peace in Gaza," Girma said. "The Americans are calling for the end of unconditional military aid and a permanent cease-fire. The quickest way to end the unrest on college campuses is to listen to the majority of Americans and young students fighting for what is right."
On Thursday, Biden condemned the demonstrations that have roiled college campuses in recent weeks, saying the protesters at Columbia University and elsewhere have the right to protest as long as it is peaceful.
"In moments like this, there are always those who rush in to score political points," the president said in a speech from the White House. "But this isn’t a moment for politics. It’s a moment for clarity. So let me be clear … violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is.
"Destroying property is not a peaceful protest; it’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation, none of this is a peaceful protest. Threatening people, intimidating people.
"Dissent is essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder," he added.
Joshi slammed Biden's comments as "shameful" and suggested that Black Lives Matter played a role in his initial victory in 2020.
"To paint us as violent when police are the ones tear-gassing, shooting, and beating students, especially knowing he was elected in large part due to Black Lives Matter, is utterly shameful," Joshi said.
Nicole Wells ✉
Nicole Wells, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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