Young men are turning away from the right—and the political establishment isn’t ready for what comes next. This conversation explores why younger voters, especially men, are shifting left across recent elections and what that could mean for the country’s populist future.

We look at Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York City, his focus on affordability, childcare, and free transit, and why that message resonated so powerfully. The discussion also touches on the economic lockout facing younger generations—rising housing costs, medical debt, and the loss of real community in modern life—and how that instability threatens democracy itself.

Luke examines what it would take for progressive movements to rebuild trust with young men: not just online rhetoric, but real-world organizing, affordability, and community. What happens when young people are locked out of stability, family, and belonging? And can the left fill that void before reactionary politics does?

Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/

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Chapters

00:00 Why young men are swinging left

01:00 The left’s disconnect from young voters

02:20 Populism and the challenge of governing

03:00 Zohran Mamdani’s unexpected success

04:00 Affordability and the new populist message

05:30 Why home ownership matters for democracy

06:00 Tim Wu and the “Age of Extraction”

07:00 The economic lockout crisis

08:20 Medicare for All as the only solution left

09:00 Building real community again

10:00 Why reconnecting young men is essential