Are young voters becoming more pro-Trump, or just more anti-Biden?

OPINION:

More than seven months after Hamas’ atrocious terrorist attack, college students across the country are still upset with Israel for defending itself. The situation has been escalating on Columbia’s campus in particular, with the university canceling its main graduation ceremony as the New York Police Department attempts to maintain order and Jewish students live in fear, with demonstrators shouting statements like “We’re all Hamas.”

These college uprisings are also full of rage against President Biden’s support of Israel. That is one reason a new Harvard poll shows him leading former President Donald Trump by just 8 points among voters under 30. The same poll had Mr. Biden boasting a 23-point lead four years ago.

These voters aren’t turning to Mr. Trump because they prefer his solutions; they are turning to him because they can’t stand Mr. Biden’s actions regarding Israel, the economy and climate change.

From the beginning, many young voters have sided with Hamas. Alarmingly, 60% of voters between the ages of 18 and 24 believe the mass slaughter of Jews on Oct. 7 was justified.

The economy is another issue discouraging voters under 30. Mr. Biden says inflation is improving, but young voters still need smelling salts after seeing what their groceries cost. All those Uber Eats charges on their credit card statements add to record debt.

Mortgage rates also price many young people out of the dream of homeownership. Instead, they pay ever-increasing rent (worsened by progressive policies that suppress new housing) and try to escape the shadow of their student debt.

Dissatisfaction with how Mr. Biden has dealt with the war in the Gaza Strip and the economy may not surprise you.

But widespread discontent over his climate efforts should: The majority of Americans think Mr. Biden has “mostly failed” on climate change. Only 42% trust him to address climate change, a mere 9 points better than Mr. Trump. This problem is even worse for the incumbent among young voters, who care much more about climate change than older voters.

It is unclear what would improve Americans’ view of Mr. Biden’s climate agenda. But I think this is an incredible opportunity for conservatives up and down the ballot to explain how our climate policies are clearly better for U.S. national security, energy security, and lowering global carbon pollution.

That is because conservatives realize instead of coddling China on climate, as Mr. Biden’s former climate envoy John Kerry did as he overlooked their human rights abuses, we must outcompete the Chinese Communist Party. We must dominate every energy technology and win the clean energy arms race with China. The United States can and should lead in producing the next generation of affordable energy technologies and exporting them worldwide. Our economy is three times as carbon efficient as China’s, and we should hold China accountable for its pollution.

Young voters are signaling that they might hold President Biden accountable this November. The numbers could revert to 2020’s results when he won this demographic by 20 points. That happened because people were more against Mr. Trump than for Mr. Biden. For a significant portion of young voters, it appears the opposite might be the case in 2024.

• Chris Johnson is a GOP strategist who organizes the next generation of conservative leaders. He also serves as a senior adviser to the National Federation of College Republicans, focusing on energy issues.