JD Vance weighs in on how GOP can win back young men feeling ‘hostility’ from MAGA

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance tackled the issue of the Republican Party losing ground with young male voters during an interview on Air Force Two.

Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec wanted to know why the party’s support among young men has become shaky over the past couple of years and pointed out that some people in the wider MAGA movement seem almost “hostile” when young men talk about economic struggles. He pushed Vance for answers on how the GOP can address that frustration and still earn back those votes. 

Vance was clear: he wants his party to "listen to people who are upset with the state of the economy."

JD Vance understands the frustration, says Republicans are 'trying to fix what was broken over 40 years'

“We see the numbers among young men,” Posobiec noted in the interview that aired Thursday, October 1, on ‘Real America’s Voice’. “It seems like the support there has gotten a bit tenuous from where it was two years ago.”

“Yep,” the vice president agreed.

“It seems like there are members of our own movement that seem almost hostile to young men when they bring up some of these issues,” continued Posobiec. “How do we account for that, number one? And then number two, how do you go and get that group to come out and vote for you when they’re feeling this hostility?”

Vance argued that the administration is working to reverse economic conditions shaped by roughly four decades of policy decisions, not just those made under former President Joe Biden.

“First of all, you just have to be honest with people, right?” Vance started, before adding, “We inherited 40 years, not just [former President] Joe Biden, as much as I don’t like Joe Biden, but 40 years of presidents, with the exception of [President] Donald Trump, who were offshoring jobs, offshoring jobs, importing cheap foreign labor.”

“Like, I just think you have to level with people that if you’re trying to undo 40 years of bad policy, of globalization, of shipping American jobs overseas, it’s gonna take a little bit of time to fix that,” he added. 

Vance said he believes the administration has made meaningful progress but cautioned against expecting an immediate turnaround: “I think we just have to be honest with people that, look, we’re trying to fix what was broken over 40 years. Everything is not gonna be fixed in 18 months.”

JD Vance pushes back on dismissive Republicans

The vice president separated himself from Republicans who brush off these worries. He made it clear: ignoring the economic frustrations young men feel isn’t just a mistake, it alienates them further.

“But you can’t ignore people’s concerns, and so, on the one hand, you have the president talking about all the great building that’s happening; you have me sort of acknowledging that it’s gonna take a long time to rebuild the American middle class; and on the other hand, you have a few tone-deaf Republicans who say, 'Shut up if you’re pi**ed off about a $22 burrito,'” he said. 

"Well, my response to those people is, 'No. Listen to people who are upset with the state of the economy.' If we don't listen to people, we will turn into the very thing that we hate, the very thing that we ran against, the very thing that we beat," Vance stressed. 

Vance spoke plainly about this just as Republicans gear up for the November midterms, trying to lock in support from different groups. Younger men matter a lot this time around, with the economy weighing on everyone’s minds and influencing how the whole political landscape feels right now.