In 2024 a stunning wave of enthusiasm for President Donald Trump among men in their 20s helped propel him to the White House. They were a key part of the MAGA coalition he built. But this time, many of them stayed home or, worse, switched sides.

And it could be a harbinger for Republicans, that whoever succeeds Trump will not be able to count on the 'manosphere' next time.

Just a year ago in the presidential race, Trump won male voters between the ages of 18 and 29 over Kamala Harris by a margin of 49 to 48 percent. The race for this demographic was largely won on the issue of the economy, according to pollsters.

It was an extraordinary 12-point shift from four years earlier, the biggest of any demographic group.

But in the Virginia governor race, Democrat Abigail Spanberger won young men by 17 points. In the New Jersey governor race, Democrat Mikie Sherrill did so by 14 points.

In New York, it was an avalanche as Zohran Mamdani won 67 percent of men under 30, compared to his rival Andrew Cuomo's 26 percent. Only five percent voted Republican.

Over in California, 74 percent of young men voted for Proposition 50, a redistricting measure heavily backed by the Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom.

It was a striking turnaround - which some Republicans argued only reflected the fact that Trump himself was not on the ballot.

The decision of many young men in 2024 was to vote for Trump because they felt personally enthused by him.

However, other polling data shows a deeper concern for Republicans, revealing that the slump in the president's own popularity among young men began almost immediately after he took office.

Eight months since his inauguration, the honeymoon looks to be over - and it is traceable largely to one issue: the cost of living.

John Della Volpe, a pollster for SocialSphere and a renowned expert on youth in politics, conducts a monthly survey of independent young men, asking them whether Trump is making their lives better.

In February, shortly after Trump was sworn in, it stood at 50 percent approval and 34 percent disapproval.