Emerson Survey: How Young American Voters View Encryption, TikTok Ban

Source: Emerson College; Compiled by: Baishui, Golden Finance

A new national survey from Emerson College found that about one in five voters (19%) has invested in, traded or used cryptocurrency, while 81% have not. Among voters who have used cryptocurrencies, 61% have not used cryptocurrencies for any purchases, while 39% have.

“ Cryptocurrency users are younger and minority groups are larger , highlighting crypto as a growing and diverse constituency of political support,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of the Emerson College Poll: 57% of Cryptocurrency Users Have a Favorable View of Donald Trump ” “Nearly one-third of voters under 40 have used cryptocurrencies, a proportion that declines with age, with 40% of voters in their 40s having a favorable opinion. 28% of voters are in their 50s, 17% are in their 60s 9% of voters are older than 4%, while only 4% of voters in their 70s are cryptocurrency users.”

• Men are twice as likely as women to use cryptocurrencies: 26% of men use cryptocurrencies compared to 13% of women.

• Cryptocurrency users are also more likely to be from minority groups: About one-third of Asian, Hispanic or Black voters are involved in cryptocurrencies, compared with 14% of white voters.

Tariff policy

Regarding the additional tariffs imposed by the United States on Canada, Mexico, and China, a majority of voters believe that such tariffs will harm the U.S. economy : 51% believe that additional tariffs on Canada will harm the U.S. economy, and 50% believe that additional tariffs on Mexico will harm the U.S. economy. U.S. economy, 49% believe additional tariffs on China will harm the U.S. economy. 39% think tariffs on China will help the U.S. economy, 36% think tariffs on Mexico will help the U.S. economy, and 32% think tariffs on Canada will help the U.S. economy.

Kimball said: "Voter attitudes on tariffs are very different from 2024 voting preferences. Among Trump voters, 69% believe that tariffs on China will help the economy, and 17% disagree. Comparatively By comparison, 79% of Harris voters think China’s tariffs will hurt the economy, and 13% think they will be beneficial.”

Should Biden's son be pardoned?

President Joe Biden has an approval rating of 36% and a disapproval rating of 54%. His approval rating mirrored his November numbers, while his disapproval rating rose 2%. Over the past month, President-elect Trump's approval rating has remained steady at 51%, while 45% have an unfavorable view of him.

Voters were asked whether they support or oppose President Biden pardoning his son Hunter. A majority (52%) oppose it, 28% support it, and 19% are unsure. Voters were also asked whether they would support President-elect Trump pardoning those involved in the January 6 incident; 50% opposed it, 34% supported it, and 16% were neutral.

Healthcare CEO assassinated

A majority of voters (68%) believe the actions of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson’s killer were unacceptable. 17% think this behavior is acceptable, while 16% are unsure.

"While 68% of voters overall reject the killer's actions, younger voters and Democrats are even more divided - 41% of voters ages 18-29 find the killer's actions acceptable (24% acceptable, 17% % is completely acceptable), while 40% think it is not Acceptable; 22% of Democrats think it is acceptable and 59% think it is unacceptable, compared with 12% of Republicans and 16% of independents. "Highlights changing social attitudes among the youngest voters and within parties."

Men are more likely than women to think this behavior is acceptable: 19% of men think it is acceptable, compared to 14% of women.

TikTok ban

A majority of American voters (40%) support banning TikTok starting on January 19, while 30% oppose it and 30% are unsure.

“Half of voters under 30 years old oppose a TikTok ban, and 34% support it,” Kimball said. “Support for a ban generally increases with age, with support being highest among voters in their 60s, ”

Candidate favorability survey at the beginning of 2028

Voters were asked whether they had a favorable opinion of several public figures previously mentioned in Emerson's November national poll. Mark Cuban (35% like, 10% have never heard of it), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (29% like, 14% have never heard of it) and Pete Buttigieg ( 34% like, 15% have never heard of) the potential candidate among the highest-profile voters.

Among Democratic voters, Pete Buttigieg (57%), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (54%), Gavin Newsom (50%), Gretchen Whitmer (50%) 46%) and Mark Cuban (44%) are the most popular potential candidates.

"It's worth noting that while Cuban ranks fifth among Democrats, he leads by 33 percent among independents," Kimball said. "Meanwhile, AOC emerged as the most polarizing figure, receiving strong support from Democrats but equally strong opposition from Republicans."

Vice President-elect JD Vance's approval ratings vary: 41% have a favorable view of the future vice president, while 41% view him unfavorably. Elon Musk, the future co-director of Government Effectiveness, also has mixed favorability ratings among voters: 43% have a favorable view of Musk, while 43% have an unfavorable view of him.