OPINION
(Editor's note: The following opinion column has been authored by a non-clinician, and does not represent an endorsement for any political party or candidate on the part of Newsmax.)
Last week, President Biden addressed the nation, via a press conference, in an attempt to regain the confidence of millions of Americans. After a damning report from Special Prosecutor Robert Hur questioning Biden’s mental capacity, Democrats are in quite the electoral predicament.
New polling suggests that 86% of Americans think Biden is too old to serve another term.
Do they nominate the 81-year-old geriatric whose own Justice Department believes is too incompetent to stand trial, or do they ditch him and go in a different direction?
This press conference was more than a communications failure by Biden --- it was a complete breakdown of an administration that suffers blunder after blunder.
Biden’s age is distracting voters and quickly forcing Democrats to go on defense instead of focusing on the issues at hand. It is also causing their largest voting bloc to leave the Democrat party and look elsewhere for leadership.
For those 18-35-year-old voters who are concerned about our geriatric president, last week’s press conference did much more harm than good.
With Democrats hemorrhaging young voters, there is an opportunity for Republicans to win over a group they have previously written off.
Historically, the Republican Party has faced challenges in engaging and retaining the youth vote, often being perceived as less aligned with the values and priorities of younger generations.
Challenging economic conditions, rising crime rates, and chaos on our southern border are driving forces behind young voters abandoning the Democratic Party.
And this is where Republicans have the opportunity to seize a portion of their vote.
A key plank in Biden’s 2020 platform, for instance, was providing debt relief to millions of student loan borrowers.
In his first term, Biden not only failed to deliver on this promise, he failed to get members of his own party to stand beside him and fight.
Now, those student loan borrowers are graduating from college saddled with crippling debt in an economy defined by record-high inflation and interest rates — not to mention a rental market that continues to get worse and mortgage rates that prevent home ownership.
As a recent Gen-Z college graduate, I understand these issues.
We are moving to new cities and starting new careers, and many of us can barely afford groceries and utilities — not to mention increased crime in the communities with affordable rent and housing prices.
Young voters are hostile to Biden because his policies are hostile to us.
Biden’s age and cognitive abilities — though extremely concerning — are only the most recent dominoes to fall in what is becoming a constant distraction from the issues facing our country.
By actively reaching out to younger voters, listening to their concerns, and addressing the issues impacting us, the GOP can bolster its appeal and broaden its support base.
Republicans should not walk away thinking they have this election in the bag because of young voters.
Their vote will have to be earned — this can only be done by talking about the issues that matter most to them: the economy and public safety being key influences.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Republican Party to earn support from a group of voters that have traditionally stayed far away from us.
The youth vote is up for grabs.
Win-or-lose, their vote will dramatically impact the outcome of November’s election.
Jake Matthews is director of media services and communications for JLK Political Strategies.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.