Steve Cortes, president of the League of American Workers, says polling indicates that Generation Z in Illinois is trending toward supporting free speech, cultural conservatism, and a rightward shift in the state.
“The kids are all right,” Cortes said in a post on X. “These young people, they’re fiercely in favor, for example, of free speech. They’re our best hope at rebuilding the American dream. They totally reject cultural radicalism.”
Cortes shared a video summarizing a poll of more than 2,000 Americans aged 18 to 25, saying Gen Z is rejecting institutional narratives while embracing free speech and cultural conservatism. He described the cohort as “young patriots” and called them an emerging force in American politics, shaped by skepticism of foreign interventions, a rejection of cultural radicalism, and renewed spiritual interest. Cortes presented the analysis amid ongoing national debates over youth political trends.
Polling data regarding Generation Z has shown increasing ideological diversity. Several surveys indicate a measurable rightward shift among young men. A 2024 Gallup report found that young men aged 18–29 were 10 points more likely than women in the same age group to identify as conservative, reflecting a growing gender gap in political identity. Economic pressures, distrust of institutions, and dissatisfaction with foreign policy have played significant roles in shaping these attitudes, aligning with themes highlighted by Cortes.
Support for free speech among younger Americans has increased despite campus controversies and institutional speech restrictions. A 2023 Knight Foundation survey found that 84% of college students believed free expression rights were extremely or fundamentally important, with rising concern over social pressures limiting open debate. This trend mirrors Cortes’s emphasis on Gen Z’s strong preference for open discourse and resistance to gatekeeping regarding who is “allowed” to speak or be interviewed in public forums.
Cortes serves as Founder and President of the League of American Workers and is also a senior political advisor to CatholicVote. He previously held roles as a senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance and has been a commentator for Fox News and CNN. Additionally, he regularly publishes documentaries and columns on cortesinvestigates.com.
