Bernie Sanders Surges With College Students, But Trump Isn't Far Away

A new poll showed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) surging in popularity among college students, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) fell behind. Just as significantly, President Donald Trump’s polling among this group has remained steady, placing him second behind Sanders.

The survey, conducted by College Reaction/Axios in the first week of December, shows how Sanders has swiftly gained further support from college students since late September, rising seven points to 22.5 percent to the top of the poll. His popularity could be attributed to his cornerstone campaign issues, including Medicare For All and college loan waiver for all Americans. The latter policy may be especially appealing for college students who are finding themselves increasingly burdened by massive debt.

Similarly, Warren’s 3.6 percent decline among college students, which mirrors a nationwide decline, is likely linked to her proposed means of funding her version of Medicare For All. In an announcement made last month, the presidential hopeful laid out her plan to push legislation that would provide free healthcare access for low-income Americans and children. However, Warren’s plan also explained that she would not seek true Medicare For All policy until her third year in the White House – a move that has soured her for some voters.

President Trump’s steady second place polling among college students since September – currently 17 percent – is somewhat surprising in light of the House’s plans to vote on filing articles of impeachment over his dealings with Ukraine. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday announced she is ready to move ahead with the impeachment process against President Donald Trump.

Sitting at fourth place among polled college students, former Vice President Joe Biden is claiming 12.3 percent support, a very slight decline since September. In fifth and sixth places are businessman Andrew Yang and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, respectively, with the latter being the only Democratic nominee candidate other than Sanders to experience meaningful poll growth. Buttigieg has also been making steady forward strides in nationwide polls.