WASHINGTON — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has expanded his double-digit lead among Millennials in the Democratic presidential race, but a new USA TODAY/Rock the Vote poll finds a way for Hillary Clinton to solve her generation gap: Donald Trump.
Opposition to Trump nearly unites the rising generation.
In a hypothetical Clinton v. Trump contest in November, voters under 35 would choose Clinton by a crushing 52%-19%, a preference that crosses demographic lines. Among whites, she'd be backed by nearly 2-1, 45%-26%. Among Hispanics, by more than 4-1, 61%-14%. Among Asian Americans, by 5-1, 60%-11%. Among African Americans, by 13-1, 67%-5%.
And the yawning gender gap she has against Sanders would vanish: Clinton would carry young men and women by almost identical margins of more than 2-1.
Nearly one in four Republicans would defect to the Democrats if the GOP nominated Trump against Clinton. Just 7% of Democrats would defect to the GOP.
"Trump would kind of make a mockery out of America," worries Cameron Lee Craig, 25, a stay-at-home mom from Amelia, Ohio, who was among those surveyed. "He's kind of a jerk."
The poll, the second in a series, is part of USA TODAY's One Nation initiative, a series of forums across the country on the most important issues of 2016. The online survey, taken by Ipsos March 3-10, polled 1,541 adults ages 18 to 34.