Republican College Students Turning on Trump?

Young conservatives are starting to turn their backs on the MAGA movement—and they’re not alone.

Donald Trump is facing a sharp erosion of support from one of his most critical constituencies: Republican college students. According to a new Newsweek/College Pulse poll conducted between April 9 and 15, just 69% of Republican undergrads now approve of Trump’s job performance—a stunning 23-point drop from January, when nearly 92%backed him.

The collapse comes at a pivotal moment—Trump’s first 100 days back in office during a second term already mired in controversy, division, and economic tension.

A Youth Rebellion Inside the GOP

While Trump once made inroads with younger Republicans, many of those gains are unraveling fast. The president’s latest policies, from aggressive immigration crackdowns to threats against student protesters, are alienating students across party lines.

“Even Republican students are growing tired of Trump,” said Jake Brody, lead researcher at College Pulse. “The data clearly shows a generational shift—young conservatives are rethinking what it means to support this president.”

Among all college students, Trump’s approval rating stands at a bleak 19%, with support among Democrats virtually nonexistent (just 4%) and independents barely higher (19%).

More than one in three college Republicans (32%) now say they support Trump less than they did in January. Just 18%say their support has grown.

Why It’s Happening

Analysts point to a series of unpopular moves that have shaken students’ confidence:

• Free speech hypocrisy: Despite branding himself a defender of free speech, Trump has threatened to strip federal funding from colleges over their handling of pro-Palestinian protests. Critics say the threats are authoritarian and hypocritical.
• Immigration extremism: His renewed push for mass deportations and family separation policies have drawn outrage, even from students who once favored tighter border controls.
• Student debt rollback: Trump’s move to resume aggressive student loan collection—reversing Biden-era protections—has hit Gen Z particularly hard.

“Students value freedom of expression,” said College Pulse associate researcher Julia Sasine. “Trump’s hardline stance against campus dissent is backfiring, even among his traditional base.”

Meanwhile, Harvard has had $2.2 billion in federal grant money frozen, part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to punish schools perceived as hostile to his agenda.

The Broader Picture

Trump’s youth problem could spell serious trouble for Republicans in 2026. Midterms often hinge on turnout, and Gen Z’s rising political engagement has leaned blue in recent cycles. If young Republicans sit out—or flip—the damage could extend far beyond the White House.

Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, explains: “Gen Z voters are deeply anxious about the economy, student debt, and the future. Trump’s policies just don’t resonate with their lived reality.”

Trump’s Response? Denial and Deflection

As usual, Trump isn’t taking the numbers well. On Truth Social, he dismissed the polls entirely:

“They are negative criminals who apologize to their subscribers and readers after I win elections big, much bigger than their polls showed I would win… go on cheating and lying for the next cycle, only worse.”

The president is expected to speak in Michigan on Tuesday, where he will mark his 100th day in office with a rally aimed at energizing his base. But if this poll is any indication, even some of that base is starting to drift.

What’s Next

With Trump already gearing up for a tough legislative fight and a critical election cycle ahead, his ability to hold together the Republican coalition—especially its younger flank—could determine whether his comeback survives or stalls.

For a president once hailed as a populist disruptor, the generational backlash brewing on college campuses might be his biggest disruption yet.