In the upcoming US presidential election, the question of who will be the next President of the United States is on kids’ radar. Among our Trendspotters*, the most mentioned person in politics is Donald Trump dominating kids’ awareness. But just because he’s the most mentioned person doesn’t necessarily mean that views are favourable. Opinions on the former President can be as polarising as they are among adults;
"I heard on the news channel about Trump. What angered me is that they said "Trump has many good qualities!!" No he doesn't!" – Adan, 11, US
"Mum told me that Trump got shot in the ear! I know some people don't like him but I don't think he should be shot." – Caylen, 13, UK
In many ways, Trump has created his own brand legacy that cuts through the noise, whether through brand endorsements, bizarre headlines, viral media posts and memes that surround him. He dominates kids’ awareness, unlike other presidential candidates.
"When we were in America all they were talking about was picking a new President. There were even chocolate bars with Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on them" – Rose, 12, UK
It’s important to remember that kids are still kids, and while they’re tapped into the world and exposed to news and misinformation, they don’t always capture the nuances. Celebrities that kids follow have weighed in on presidential endorsements from Taylor Swift to Logan Paul but whether or not it sways youth opinion is another matter. While the US election is on a knife edge, it’s clear that the person who is top of mind for kids is Donald Trump.
"Taylor Swift wrote a whole song about Donald Trump called 'You Need to Calm Down' when he was President last time, she went against him." - Emma, 9, US
*Our Neuron articles are inspired from our qualitative longitudinal panel of Trendspotters kids based in the UK and US (aged 7-12yo) sharing the latest on kid trends and topics of interest.
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