In a striking admission, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed on MSNBC that the Republican Party has outpaced Democrats in connecting with young male voters through digital platforms.
Clinton highlighted the GOP's superior engagement on social media and podcasts as a key reason for the Democrats' declining support among various demographics, especially young men.
During her appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Wednesday, Clinton faced a pointed question from host Joe Scarborough about the Democrats’ loss of ground with groups like working-class white men, Black men, Latinos, and young men.
Scarborough pressed, “Why have Democrats lost, not only working class white men, but working class Black men, Latinos, go down the list, young men, so many others. What’s gone wrong?”
Clinton responded candidly, acknowledging that her party has struggled to keep pace with modern communication trends.
She explained, “You know, the Republican Party, I have to say, has done a much better job dominating social media, dominating the podcast ecosystem, getting messages out and aiming, particularly at young men.”
Clinton went further, pointing to data showing a significant drop in Democratic Party registration among young men, with a 20% decline among younger white men and a 12% decrease among nonwhite men of similar age.
She also noted that young male voters favored Donald Trump by a 12% margin in recent elections.
This shift, Clinton argued, stems from the GOP’s strategic focus on engaging young men who spend considerable time online.
Clinton credited Steve Bannon, a prominent Republican strategist, for recognizing the potential to mobilize young men immersed in gaming and internet culture.
She recalled, “This was one of the insights that Steve Bannon had that, you know, young men who were into gaming, young men who were on the internet a lot, you know, they could be recruited.”
Clinton added, “They could be persuaded to be political supporters of the Republican Party if the Republican Party actually engaged and talked to them in the right way.”
Reflecting on her party’s shortcomings, Clinton admitted, “And I think Democrats missed a lot of opportunities on that.”
She contrasted the GOP’s active presence in digital spaces, including Bannon’s “War Room” podcast returning to Spotify this past summer after a five-year ban, with the Democrats’ limited engagement.
Additionally, Clinton noted that Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance frequently appeared on podcasts before and after the election, while Kamala Harris, Trump’s 2024 opponent, opted for different platforms.
