ANALYSIS: The Gen Z revival in conservatism

What do military recruits, young tech bros, and Gen Z party-goers have in common? 

A revival in patriotism. 

With a new leader in the Oval Office, young Americans feel a renewed confidence in expressing their conservative values in a variety of sectors. From the tech industry to the military, Gen Zers are feeling a renewal in American values and a duty to serve, whether that’s through software skills, combat, or even grand ole partying. 

The U.S. Army reports that it shattered its recruitment record following Trump’s November election win. The branch reported that December 2024 was its most productive December in 15 years, enlisting nearly 350 soldiers every day that month. 

With over 10,000 new recruits, the message is clear: America’s youth want to serve under a Commander-in-Chief that prioritizes American strength and lethality, not DEI. 

In the tech world, Elon Musk tasked a team of young engineers aged 19-24 to aid the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. They may be too young to buy their own alcohol, but they are helping reshape Washington.

On college campuses, Gen Z conservatives are coming out of the shadows and making their voices heard. The Wall Street Journal reports that conservative organizations at schools like Boston College and Indiana University saw spikes in membership following Trump’s win, according to interviews with students at a dozen schools.

In 2016, you would’ve been canceled for wearing a red hat on campus. In 2025, it’s cool to be MAGA. 

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At a Washington D.C. inauguration soiree, young conservatives made headlines. 

The New York Magazine’s hit piece titled “The Cruel Kids’ Table” painted young conservatives as white privileged, egotistical trust fund babies dressed in black-tie and bright red hats. 

“Almost everyone is white,” the hit piece stated, while cropping black attendees from the cover photo and failing to include any mention of the host of the event, 22-year-old black conservative CJ Pearson. That’s ironic. 

The publication cherry-picked raunchy and politically incorrect statements from attendees and hid any traces of diversity to push a distorted narrative that fits the leftist agenda of what Gen Z conservatism looks like. 

It wasn’t journalism, it was a smear campaign. 

Despite what the leftist media will tell you, the Republican Party has evolved and is no longer just a bunch of old white men. Gen Z conservatives are not defined by their race, identity, or how their parents vote; we are a diverse group united by our commitment to common sense principles…and the Left hates that.  

Campus Reform reported that President Trump gained major ground among young people in the November election. This shift is not just happening among one group; there’s an intersectional shift at play here that reflects a growing diversity among young conservatives. Polling showed strides among all demographics, including Black and Hispanic voters. The appeal of conservatism is reaching a wider audience and the movement is becoming more representative of all backgrounds, especially within Gen Z.

[RELATED: Gen Z Cheers Trump’s Return: WATCH]

Prior to the November election, a poll revealed that nearly half of Gen Z voters admitted to lying to friends and family members about who they voted for. This trend of self-censorship suggests that many young people are likely Trump supporters who were hiding their beliefs out of fear of leftist backlash. 

Today, I expect this statistic to be cut in half. The stigma is lifting and more members of Gen Z are realizing that they can be proud to support President Trump.

Young conservatives faced censorship on their campuses, failing grades from professors, and hateful messages from peers. We faced pandemic lockdowns and canceled proms and graduations. We faced the Black Lives Matter mania and were shunned by our peers if we didn’t post a black square on Instagram and profess our allyship to anti-racist causes.

Gen Z is sick of being told what to do, how to think, and what we’re allowed to say. 

So wake up America, this generation is trading silence for stance and wearing conservative values like a badge of honor.

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Editorials and op-eds reflect the opinion of the authors and not necessarily that of Campus Reform or the Leadership Institute.