Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) acknowledged on Sunday that the current state of politics in the United States has made it “very hard” for younger voters to be motivated ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The independent senator’s comment stems from President Joe Biden’s support of Israel in the midst of its war with the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza. Sanders did predict that the president would ultimately win over voters in the general election in November, especially if the Republican Party nominates former President Donald Trump as its candidate.
“But there is no question, it is very hard for young people — I think for most Americans, to be excited about what is going on right now,” Sander said on CNN’s State of the Union. “President has got to change course.”
Sanders went on to state that the United States cannot give “billions of dollars” to a country that “ignores your wishes.” Because of this, he suggested that Biden tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. will withhold funding from Israel unless it changes its tactics in its war with Hamas in order to lower civilian casualties in Gaza.
The younger voting demographic in the U.S., which consists of those under the age of 35, has expressed disappointment with Biden’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. Trump currently has a lead among younger voters with 37% of support compared to Biden’s 33%, according to recent polling data.
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The 2020 presidential election saw the largest voter turnout of the 21st century, and young voters were a key group that helped deliver Biden to the White House. In that election, the turnout among voters under 35 was 57%, an increase of about 8 points from the same group in 2016, according to the Census Bureau.
The Iowa caucuses will begin on Monday, potentially being a key point in the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential primary race. Trump is currently leading the primary against his opponents, meaning the 2024 election could end up being a rematch between him and Biden.
