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Jesse Arm: Gen Z Republicans and their views

Feb 6, 2026
Jesse Arm, VP of External Affairs at the Manhattan Institute and public opinion researcher, discusses Gen Z Republicans in Nashville. He explores their economic anxiety, entrepreneurial and creator-culture comfort, high religiosity but delayed relationships, appetite for entertaining, reality-TV style politics, influencer power, meme-shaped beliefs, and how social media reshapes political paths.
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INSIGHT

Creator Fluency Shapes Gen Z Politics

  • Gen Z Republicans combine economic anxiety with entrepreneurial confidence and creator fluency.
  • They are comfortable broadcasting themselves and see politics as entertainment.
INSIGHT

Religiosity Without Early Settling

  • Gen Z conservatives in Nashville were deeply religious but far less likely to be married or partnered by their late 20s.
  • That reduced attachment may lower immediate interest in homebuying and settling down.
INSIGHT

Politics As Entertainment

  • Many young conservatives treat politics as entertainment and seek entertaining figures.
  • That helps explain support for high-profile personalities like Trump and Tucker Carlson.
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