Gen Z Commentator Predicts Democratic Party’s Demise, Credits Trump’s Youth Outreach
Brilyn Hollyhand, an 18-year-old Gen Z political commentator, is making waves with his bold predictions about the future of the Democratic Party. According to Hollyhand, the party is on a path to self-destruction, likening it to the Titanic sinking to the bottom of the ocean by 2028. He attributes this impending doom to the Democrats’ perceived embrace of radical ideologies and their inability to connect with young voters.
Hollyhand, who serves as chair of the RNC’s Youth Advisory Council, believes that President Donald Trump made significant strides in gaining the support of the youth vote in 2024, and he is determined to continue building on that momentum. He criticizes the Democratic Party for elevating figures like Jasmine Crockett, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), and Bernie Sanders to leadership positions, arguing that these individuals are not inspiring Gen Z and are instead driving the party towards a more radical stance.
"They’ve actually put up figures like Jasmine Crockett and AOC and Bernie Sanders as their leaders. None of those people are inspiring Gen Z. None of those people are bringing more voters into the party. It’s just making this weird, radical wing of the party be the vocal voices," Hollyhand told Fox News Digital in an exclusive Zoom interview.
He suggests that the Democrats’ move towards what he considers a more radical position is a strategic misstep that will ultimately benefit Republicans in the upcoming midterms and the 2028 presidential election. "It’s a really weird position that they’ve taken to go more radical than Kamala Harris. And that’s why Kamala lost, because she was too radical," he said.
Hollyhand recently had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Trump in Alabama, where the former president delivered the University of Alabama’s commencement speech. During their discussion, they explored strategies for maintaining momentum among young voters following the 2024 election. Hollyhand noted that Trump had successfully courted young people through platforms like TikTok and podcasts, effectively challenging the Democratic Party’s long-held dominance over the youth vote.
The young activist, who is set to graduate high school later this month, has met with Trump on five separate occasions. He shared that he and Trump discussed ways to further expand on the strides made with young people, including a suggestion to tweak former President Ronald Reagan’s famous 1980 campaign question, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
Hollyhand recounted his conversation with Trump, saying, "A comment I made to him was, ‘Mr. President, I’m a huge history nerd. And so I loved when you talked about that famous Reagan quote of, ‘Are you better off than you were four years ago?’" He proposed tweaking the question to resonate more with Gen Z, suggesting, "Well, now all you have to do is walk out on that stage and ask Gen Z, ‘Are you better off then you were 100 days ago?’"
Hollyhand believes that the answer to this question would be overwhelmingly positive, citing factors such as lower gas prices, a more secure border, and Trump’s efforts to revive the American dream. "The resounding answer every single time is going to be, ‘Yes.’ I mean, gas is cheaper, the borders secure, and the president performed CPR on the American dream. So, I think everybody in my generation can agree, whether you love Trump or hate Trump, he is improving the nation and making life better for us," he added.
In addition to the updated Reagan quote, Hollyhand suggested that Trump consider holding a 2025 version of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats to directly engage with voters in a virtual setting. He also revealed that Trump possesses a "secret weapon" that could be utilized in the 2026 midterms.
"I said, ‘Mr. President, you’re doing this crazy novel concept in politics called actually doing what the people elected you to do in office and actually keeping your promises. I know we never see politicians doing that, but you’re doing that and Gen Z loves it,’" Hollyhand explained.
He contrasts Trump’s approach with that of the Democrats, who he claims are dangling promises of free college and cheaper costs of living while simultaneously comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler and Elon Musk to a king. While he acknowledges that such messaging may sway some young people, he believes that many Gen Zers are able to recognize the "false bill of goods from the Democrats."
Hollyhand argues that the Democratic Party is currently facing an identity crisis as it grapples with issues such as transgender ideology, immigration, and the economy. He attributes the surge in support for Trump and his policies in 2024 to a rejection of left-wing policies. He further notes that high-profile Democrats like Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders have been amplifying their positions within the party, raising speculation about potential Senate or presidential runs.
Hollyhand believes that Trump’s "secret weapon" lies in his ability to present a clear and concise list of his accomplishments, which he argues will be difficult for Democrats to campaign against.
"I think that’s going to be a really hard thing to campaign against come the midterms. I think it’s going to be super hard to campaign against this list of accomplishments come 2028," he said. "Where the Democrats are trying to scare Gen Z with these emotions and dangle free things in front of them and say, oh, well, they’re Nazis and they’re Hitler and Elon Musk is trying to be a king. And then we come out and just say, ‘Hey, here’s a bullet point list of the things we’ve accomplished in the first 100 days.’ That’s a really hard thing to campaign against."
Hollyhand emphasized that his meeting with Trump was relaxed and genuine, contradicting the media’s often negative portrayal of the former president. "This guy is genuine. Like the first thing he said was, ‘You’ve been killing it.’ He took the time to say, ‘Hey, I actually watched your hit on Fox News this morning,’" Hollyhand said. "That shows just the testament of who the guy is. And it wasn’t like a serious back and forth. We were laughing, we were cutting it up."
