One of the key battlegrounds is over what it means to be a man, particularly a young man, in America in 2024.
The Republicans certainly have their answer, but it feels like the Democrats are still unsure. They are the party that champions women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and positive action, but there can be space for men too. I believe the Democratic Party must do more to advocate men’s issues as well, or risk losing this demographic to the Trump-Tate-Peterson answer to uncertain masculinity. This needs to be a two-way relationship and young men must also get over the rhetoric and embrace the values of the ‘Democrat Man’.
Drift Towards the Right in Young Men
This is an important discussion, now more than ever, as Gen Z (18-29 year old) men are becoming increasingly conservative. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but the trend becomes concerning when you look at the reasons behind it. A recent graph from the Economist tracking whether 18-29 year olds identify as liberal or conservative highlights this global trend which is especially prevalent in America, with young men on average ranking themselves as more conservative in recent years, whilst young women rank themselves as more liberal. Harris polled at only four points over Trump with Gen Z men, compared to 30 points with women of the same age (according to data from an NBC Stay Tuned/ SurveyMonkey poll this year). The Republicans clearly believe they can gain traction with this demographic, with a Trump-aligned campaign group recently investing $20 million in a drive specifically aimed at young men.
The fact that 52% of American men believe the country has become “too soft and feminine” (Survey Centre on American Life, 2022) suggests this trend is closely linked to the shifting definition of masculinity, and even the evolving power balance between men and women in their country.
There is undeniable resistance to this modernisation of America, even on an unconscious level. Some will see the election of the first female President as another step in alienating men from their historical social dominance.
The Republican Mantra
This is, clearly, the Republican’s view. Trump walked out at the Republican Convention to James Brown’s song ‘Its a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’, the majority male audience chanting ‘Fight! Fight! Fight!’. Trump was joined by Hulk Hogan, the retired wrestler, who ripped his shirt off halfway through his speech. Tucker Carlson, former Fox News presenter and star of The End of Men documentary commenting on ‘collapsing testosterone levels’, also made an appearance.
The Republicans under Trump stand for the prioritisation of ‘strong’ masculinity, at the expense of women’s rights, with 57% of Republican voters believing abortion should be illegal in all or most cases (Pew Research Centre, 2024). Jesse Walters, another Fox News host who appeared at the Convention, claimed “[the Democratic Party] is not the party of strength… I heard scientists say that when a man votes for a woman, he actually transitions into a woman.” His transphobic slur again highlights the Republican pride in pretend machoism and their total obsession with male supremacy, so that even being called a woman is some kind of playground insult.
Christine Emba, the author of Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, commented that Trump and Vance “evidenced a desire for this old style of masculinity, a particular kind of man, a sort of theatrically strong man, a man who has paternalistic control of the family.” This seems apt given Vance’s attempted shaming of “childless cat ladies” and Trump’s recent TruthSocial post promising that he: “WILL PROTECT WOMEN LIKE NEVER BEFORE. THEY WILL FINALLY BE HEALTHY, HOPEFUL, SAFE AND SECURE.”
“There is a risk some young men will feel the male-dominated Republican echo chamber is their only real representation.”
Josh Turner
You would be forgiven for dismissing the Republicans as a ‘dinosaur party’ but bizarrely this rhetoric is actually striking a chord with young men. The Republican mantra offers them validation in resisting what they are being told is a female usurpation of their power and importance. With still only 10.4% of Fortune 500 companies having a female CEO, this is far from the truth but, in an arena where he who shouts the loudest shouts the longest, this is still a potent and popular narrative. Whilst it is easy to dismiss the Republican mantra for the nonsensical dribble that it is, it is important to recognise the value that their certainty and security offer to young male voters, a group they welcome with open arms.
The Democrat Uncertainty
By contrast, the Democrats appear to be flailing with this group. Mike Nellis, an organiser of White Dudes for Harris, called for men’s mental health, in particular, to be more openly discussed. “You have the isolation and loneliness and suicidal ideation and these deaths of despair that are plaguing particularly the white men community. And I can’t imagine another group of people having [problems] like that where it wouldn’t be talked about all the time.”
America has one of the worst suicide rates in the world, with 23.9 out of 100,000 men taking their own lives in 2021, compared to 5.9 women (Statista, 2021). Yet male mental health, arguably the biggest issue faced by American men, is so rarely discussed in their country. Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men said: “the neglect of the issues of men, especially young men, has really been going on for a while now, and it’s going to take some serious work to persuade young men that we really do have their backs, and whoever’s in power is going to have to take on that task.”
“Trump – and perhaps even to a greater degree, Vance – have learned that when men fall to pieces, they’re easily manipulated and their sharp edges can be used as a powerful weapon.”
Ja’han Jones
These men, and many others, are positive advocates for young men, but this remains an area where Harris, in particular, seems uncomfortable. Naturally, she is a strong role model and symbol for women; receiving a 150% surge in Gen Z women of Latin American descent and a 175% surge in black women of the same age since her nomination. She is a passionate spokeswoman for women’s rights, appearing on the Call Her Daddy podcast, with a 70% female listenership. Inevitably, as a woman, Harris can only be a figurehead for men’s rights to a certain extent, but I would love to see her take a bolder approach and champion some of these issues. Otherwise, there is a risk some young men will feel the male-dominated Republican echo chamber is their only real representation.
What the Democrats are doing
Having criticised their approach, it is important to notice the work that the Democrats are doing to reach out to young men. Their recent ‘Athletes for Harris’ campaign, featuring 15 players from the NFL Hall of Fame, is a good example of this. The campaign’s press release made this clear, stating “athletes are among the most trusted voices for key voting blocs, especially young men”. Harris also made an appearance on the NBA podcast All the Smoke, again targeting this specific group.
Her choice of Tim Walz – a representative of old-fashioned but positive masculinity – as running mate, must also be part of this strategy. Walz loves talking about the high school American football team he used to coach, and his time in the army, both characteristics aimed at a male audience. Walz’s role as a counterpoint to Harris’ more woman-based focus is a clearly hugely important part of the Democrat’s appeal to young male voters.
The question of gender lies at the heart of this election
But I think that the best example of positive masculinity in the Harris campaign is Doug Emhoff, Harris’ husband. As the first Second Gentleman and potentially the first First Gentleman he is breaking new ground too. Having given up his partnership at a law firm when Harris became Vice President he took a role teaching at Georgetown Law, although he was still present in his role as Second Gentleman and an important fundraiser during the 2022 midterm elections. Once Harris gained the Presidential nomination, he gave up his teaching position too and he is an active presence on her campaign trail.
Emhoff is important because he subverts the traditional marriage dynamic. 16% of married couples now have a woman as the main breadwinner, three times more than in the 1970s but still a huge minority (again Pew Research Centre, 2024). Emhoff’s pride in playing a supporting role to his wife is an important and visible gesture. It can hopefully start to overturn the long-standing power imbalance that is often central to outdated tropes around a woman’s role in a marriage, but also in wider society.
He often opens “let me brag about my wife a little”, repeatedly joking about an awkward voicemail he sent Harris before their first date. This willingness to be a bit humble is the polar opposite of the Republican party’s theatrical machoism. Emhoff’s discussion about his mental health issues when struggling to conceive with his first wife is the exact openness that Nellis and Reeves called for. It is exactly what has been missing from mainstream discussions in America, and he can be the advocate that young men and the Democrat party need.
Whilst Emhoff and Walz are important and positive figures, it is still a shortcoming that Harris is not a bolder advocate for young men. As a candidate she should do this to win votes, and as President (which she hopefully will become), she must do it for the sake of uniting the country. There is a great quote from an MSNBC article written by Ja’han Jones that “Trump – and perhaps even to a greater degree, Vance – have learned that when men fall to pieces, they’re easily manipulated and their sharp edges can be used as a powerful weapon.” Harris has a responsibility to combat this weaponization of uncertain masculinity by encouraging more positive, open-minded discussion.
Harris promises to be a ‘President for all Americans’ but if she is really going to be that then she must reach out to all groups, including young men. And she must do this sooner rather than later, or risk losing more young men to the right-wing rhetoric.