"The future isn’t looking too promising": Donald Trump turning GenZ off politics

Considering it’s been just over two months and Trump has attacked a US democratic ally and favoured its corrupt enemy, dismantled diversity and environmental programmes, and tried to revoke constitutional rights, the future isn’t looking too promising.

I was in total disbelief after watching Trump and Vance’s vitriolic attack on Zelensky during the meeting at the Oval House. Not only did Trump choose to criticise Zelensky’s clothing but he treated the interaction like it was another one of his reality TV episodes, asking for a “thank you” like a petulant child while Zelensky had left a warzone for diplomatic discussion.

His attack on Zelensky became even more insensitive when he lacerated Zelensky saying “your people are dying”, and turned the conversation into a power play by warning Zelensky he is “not in a good position”.

Dr Ruth Deyermond, Senior Lecturer in Post-Soviet Security at King's Russia Institute, commented on Blue Sky that this was "Oval Office bullying”. Perhaps because he is instead fixated on the “invasion” of illegal immigrants, he also forgot the year the Russian invasion of Ukraine occurred.

It was incredibly difficult to watch, a feeling echoed across social media. Many described the “devastation” felt when watching, with a user on TikTok claiming “He speaks 3 languages, Trump barely speaks one”. I interviewed another teenager this afternoon who said “to watch a man of compassion, rationality, something so rare in the face of war, be so humiliated by two men who should be supporting him” was “truly painful”.

Trump has clearly proven that egotism comes first, and politics second throughout his term so far, something witnessed not only in this interaction with Zelensky. While he used the issue of inflation in his election campaign to garner support, in his inaugural address he didn’t address the issue once. In fact, according to The Conversation he used the words “I”, “me” and “my” 50 times in his 2025 address and also decided to appoint the richest man in the world to the government.

No wonder young people are questioning whether their own interests will be protected. Particularly since key areas of Gen Z concern such as the environment and equality have been belittled. 2024 was the hottest year on record, yet Trump signed the executive order to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and revoked Biden’s goals on electric vehicles. He also issued the executive order curtailing diversity, equity and inclusion programmes.

It is therefore no surprise that Gen Z are disillusioned with the political sphere when world leaders behave in such alarming ways, and constantly take action that rides roughshod over the views and wants of the majority.