Progressive New York Democrats on Capitol Hill are offering a stark warning to young voters, as polls show President Joe Biden’s support from that voting bloc lagging compared to 2020.

They also have advice for the incumbent.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman told Spectrum News NY1 he understands young people's frustration. "I feel much of the same frustration,” he said before invoking Donald Trump. “The former president getting back in will be 10 times, 100 times worse than what we have right now.”

What You Need To Know

  • Progressive Democrats are offering a stark warning to young voters and President Joe Biden alike, as the incumbent sees his support from that voting bloc lag compared to 2020

  • In a Siena College/New York Times poll conducted in late April and early May, Biden beat Trump in a head-to-head matchup by just 4 percentage points among voters aged 18 to 29. In 2020, Biden won that bracket by about 24 points

  • Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman said they want to see Biden heed the concerns of college protesters, while also engaging on issues like the economy, housing and affordability

  • Bowman also warned that if Trump gets back into office, it will be "10 times, 100 times worse than what we have right now”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in an interview, pointed to the legislative stakes in November, such as the future of climate change and affordable housing policy.

“I just don’t personally think we can afford to wait another four years for us to try to tackle these issues,” she said.

In a Siena College/New York Times poll conducted in late April and early May, Biden beat Trump in a head-to-head matchup by just 4 percentage points among voters aged 18 to 29.

That is a significantly smaller margin than 2020. Siena College Research Institute Director Don Levy said Biden won that age bracket by about 24 points. 

According to Levy, part of the reason for the shift is the economy and inflation, which polling shows are the top issue for those voters.

“By 33 points, right now, they trust Trump more than Biden as a steward of the economy,” he said. 

So what should Biden do? 

For starters, after weeks of college protests over the Israel-Hamas war, both New York Squad members urged the president to heed the concerns of progressives and activists and try to bring stability to the region.

But they both were also eager to see the conversation turn back home.

“It's making sure that we end this siege on Gaza and can focus on all the issues that matter to us,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“We have to do something about affordability, childcare, utilities, housing - housing in particular - and that includes holding corporations accountable,” Bowman said.

The progressives also offered some praise for Biden. Bowman noted that the president has been receptive when pushed on policy, citing rent stabilization as an example. 

Ocasio-Cortez argued Biden has been effective on some major policy fronts, such as making historic investments in climate change and expanding the child tax credit. She also said such an observation can be true even if young voters are also concerned about Biden’s foreign policy.

“We can hold both of these things at the same time,” she said.

She urged young voters to think of the big picture, saying November is about more than just one match-up.

“It's about our actual legislative goals, right?” she said. “The only way we can do that is if Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn is Speaker, if Chuck Schumer of Brooklyn is the Senate Majority Leader, and if Joe Biden is President of the United States.”

With summer just around the corner, Biden now has just five and a half months left to turn more young voters around.