Millennials' interest in the election has dipped sharply since its peak in March and their lack of enthusiasm could mean many may not vote come Nov. 8, according to a USA Today/Rock the Vote Poll.
That ordinarily would be bad news for Hillary Clinton, had Donald Trump not stumbled so badly recently, since millennials prefer Clinton over Trump by more than 3-1 and because their enthusiasm has tumbled since March when Sen. Bernie Sanders was fighting for the Democratic nomination, said USA Today.
The Rock the Vote Poll, taken by the non-partisan Ipsos Public Affairs, said that while registration level for millennials increased, many have problems with Clinton's trustworthiness.
"Millennials say jobs and the economy is the No. 1 issue followed by education and health care in the second tier and terrorism, civil rights, immigration and gun laws in the third tier," said the Ipsos-created poll. "Most millennials are aware of the debates and Clinton is widely perceived as having come out of them with a better image. She still struggles, however, with the 'trustworthy' image."
USA Today said many millennials have become turned off by what they view are flawed candidates.
"I am very afraid for our country," Richard Devine, 20, a freelance media producer from Bath, New York, told USA Today. "Hillary (has) a lot of scandals on her back. … Trump is a horrible person."
The Ipsos poll said millennials, ages 18 to 34, particularly millennial likely voters, mostly identify themselves as Democrats and Clinton has built her lead with the group, now up to a plus-49 percent advantage.
Some millennials who are voting for Trump, told USA Today that they are doing it grudgingly.
"At first I supported Ben Carson, and when he dropped out, I was supporting Ted Cruz, and I wasn't left with much when he left," said Serena Potter, 19, a student at Purdue University. "If there was a gun to my head, I'd say Trump. ... He is better than Hillary."
The website FiveThirtyEight.com said millennials boosted President Barack Obama in 2012, with voters younger than 25 making up nine percent of the electorate, a slightly larger share than Latinos. The American National Election Studies reported that the group favored Obama over the Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney by 29 percent, noted FiveThirtyEight.com.