IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Millennials reject Donald Trump in new poll

Though Trump is riding high in national polls among primary Republican voters, he's not getting the same type of love from young people.
Republican U.S. presidential candidate and businessman Donald Trump speaks to the media in the spin room following the U.S. Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 15, 2015. (Photo by David Becker/Reuters)
Republican U.S. presidential candidate and businessman Donald Trump speaks to the media in the spin room following the U.S. Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 15, 2015.

Donald Trump may be riding high in national polls among primary Republican voters, but he's not getting the same type of love from young people.

According to a new poll released by Monmouth College, just under half of young adults surveyed said they have an unfavorable opinion of Trump. Only 17.5% said they viewed him favorably. 

The disparity is even more pronounced when when isolating Independents. Of the young Independents polled, 62% had poor opinions of Trump, compared to 14% who viewed him in a  positive light. Registered Republicans, meanwhile, approved of Trump by a 34.8% to 13% margin.

Even if Trump prevails in becoming the Republican presidential nominee, the stacked odds against the celebrity real estate mogul would continue. In a hypothetical general election match-up, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton would trounce Trump's support among millennials, claiming 37.7% compared to Trump's 24.9%. Notably, an equally sizable share of respondents, 22.5%, said they would prefer to not cast a vote entirely. 

One explanation behind Trump's poor standing with first-time voters suggests that they're turned off by the candidate's proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S. Nearly half, or 46.4%, of young adults polled said they would oppose the plan; 32.2% said they would support it. Another 49.4% said the anti-Muslim proposal would make them less likely to vote Trump into the Oval Office. Only 17.5% said Trump's plan would make them more likely to support him. 

The poll of 300 young adults aged 18-24 was conducted Dec. 12 to Dec. 13.