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As Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House today, young voters are grappling with their hopes and fears for the incoming administration. Following President Joe Biden鈥檚 decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election, the Journal interviewed six first-time voters about their thoughts. Now, with the election behind them, we spoke with them to hear how they felt about the results and their expectations for the new administration.

Isabella Lobaina

For Lobaina, a Vice President Kamala Harris voter and freshman at USC, Trump鈥檚 victory was both expected and disheartening. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not even about how much people liked Kamala, it鈥檚 about Trump鈥檚 ability to lie and manipulate,鈥� she said.

She described the atmosphere on her campus during election night as a feeling of resignation. 鈥淚 watched the results come in with friends, and as disappointing as it was, none of us were really shocked. It felt like we were watching something we already knew would happen,鈥� she said.

Katherine Patton

鈥淚t was so tense on campus. Everyone was on edge, and I felt like I was in a bubble that got popped when the results came in,鈥� said Patton, a Harris voter and sophomore at Occidental College. She also said she was surprised at Trump鈥檚 margin of victory, and expected it to be much closer.

Patton says the reason that she thinks Harris lost is because of a failure to connect with key parts of the population. 鈥淚 think her campaign focused too much on identity politics,鈥� she said, 鈥淭rump, on the other hand, spoke to everyday issues 鈥� high gas prices, expensive groceries 鈥� even if he wasn鈥檛 being serious. That鈥檚 what people wanted to hear.鈥�

Braeden Prunier

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to connect with voters when you鈥檙e not addressing what鈥檚 right in front of them,鈥� said Prunier, a Trump voter and freshman at the University of Chicago. 鈥淜amala鈥檚 campaign felt like it was trying to check boxes, but Trump was talking about things people felt every day, like how much they were spending at the grocery store. Even if he didn鈥檛 have real solutions, it felt like he was paying attention.鈥�

Rakin Faruk

Faruk, a Democrat and UNM graduate, gave sharp critiques of the Democrats鈥� strategy, especially when it came to foreign policy. 鈥淚 100% think that Democrats lost because of their response to the genocide in Palestine,鈥� Faruk said. 鈥淭heir both-sides rhetoric alienated voters who expected a clear stance on human rights. People aren鈥檛 as dumb as they think.鈥� Faruk also expressed frustration with what she said was Harris鈥檚 inconsistent messaging on the issue, depending on the city she was rallying in.

Faruk ultimately decided to vote third-party, saying, 鈥淚 voted for Jill Stein knowing New Mexico would stay blue. It felt like the only way to vote for my values.鈥�

The appointment of Elon Musk to co-head the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency alongside Vivek Ramaswamy also drew concern from Faruk. 鈥淭he fact that billionaires are consolidating power this openly is terrifying,鈥� she said. 鈥淎merica has been an oligarchy for a while, but now it鈥檚 out in the open.鈥�

Patton, however, found a silver lining in some of Trump鈥檚 choices. 鈥淓ven my left-leaning friends are intrigued by his focus on food safety,鈥� she said, referencing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 nomination for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. 鈥淚f he can actually get harmful preservatives out of our food, that鈥檚 a win for everyone.鈥�

Prunier鈥檚 main concern for the future is the deepening partisanship in the country. 鈥淧eople are so angry with each other over politics, it鈥檚 tearing the country apart,鈥� he said. Prunier says the growing distrust between parties is a key obstacle. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like we can鈥檛 even have conversations anymore. Everything is about winning or losing, and that鈥檚 not how we fix things,鈥� he said.

As a student currently in the same city as the LA wildfires, Lobaina has concerns with Trump鈥檚 views on climate change. 鈥淚 live in Los Angeles, people are losing their homes to these fires, I鈥檓 supposed to be wearing a mask because of the toxins outside, and all I can think about is how Trump said science isn鈥檛 real. But it is, it clearly is.鈥�

The quote that Lobaina referred to is from a 2020 briefing during which Trump dismissed the role of climate change in exacerbating wildfires, stating, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think science knows, actually.鈥�

Lobaina is also frustrated by Trump鈥檚 statements that he鈥檇 like to regain control of the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

鈥淗ow is this the thing he wants to change? It鈥檚 like he鈥檚 not focusing on anything that actually matters,鈥� she said.

While Lobaina saw the comments as a concern, Prunier thinks they鈥檙e just meant to create shock value.

鈥淭rump just kind of says things to get people riled up,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 his hallmark, making these outrageous statements to see who he can get angry,鈥� Prunier said, 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure if he鈥檚 really serious about stuff like renaming the Gulf or buying the Panama Canal.鈥�

Prunier has his hopes for the new administration focused on gun legislation. 鈥淥ne of the things I really hope this administration focuses on is reversing some of the unnecessary gun control measures from Trump鈥檚 first term,鈥� Prunier said. He pointed to the bump stock ban passed during Trump鈥檚 previous administration as a policy he disagreed with. The ban was later overturned by the Supreme Court in 2024. 鈥淭hat law felt like a betrayal to Second Amendment supporters. I want to see more consistency from him this time around.鈥�

Prunier also hopes that Trump works towards uniting the country after his inauguration. 鈥淭rump thrives on division, and while that works for elections, it鈥檚 not what the country needs right now.鈥�

Lobaina says that she remains cautiously optimistic of today鈥檚 soon-to-be inaugurated president. 鈥淚 hope I get proven wrong. I truly deep in my heart hope that the Trump administration and the Republican Party, for the next four years, are going to actually boost America.鈥�