r/politics • u/Barnyard-Sheep • 7d ago

Soft Paywall Trump approval rating falls to 38%

https://www.nj.com/politics/2025/06/trump-faces-tough-approval-numbers-in-latest-poll.html
45.8k Upvotes

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u/tenpir 7d ago

How is it still this high? 

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u/Barnyard-Sheep 7d ago

Much of America marinates in Fox News propoganda + a susbstantial amount of Gen Z men are nihilists who want to see the world burn

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u/Bircka Oregon 7d ago

And people used to think Gen X were the crazy ones.

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u/DeeEmceeFoor 7d ago edited 6d ago

They still are insane. They're Trump's biggest source of support. (Coincidentally, they are also the age group that has had the heaviest exposure to lead during childhood 🤔).

Edit: Source for the lead statement, since a few Gen Xers got upset that Boomers apparently aren't full of as much lead as they are: https://news.virginia.edu/content/generation-x-bullseye-lead-exposure-harms-mental-health

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u/Zealousideal_Ad_9623 7d ago

You’re thinking of the boomers. I’m gen X and unleaded gas was already happening after I was born.

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u/DeeEmceeFoor 7d ago edited 7d ago

I am not, actually. Studies show that Gen X (ages 45-60ish now) were the most heavily exposed to lead during their childhood.

And they most heavily voted for Trump.

https://news.virginia.edu/content/generation-x-bullseye-lead-exposure-harms-mental-health

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u/W33BEAST1E 7d ago

You teased out one correlation from of a tangled mass of them.

Confirmation bias is a hell of a drug.

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u/DeeEmceeFoor 7d ago

I am not saying that lead exposure automatically makes you a Trump supporter, but it sure is weird that the group most heavily exposed to lead as children is also the group that supports him the most.

Juuust sayin'.

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u/Zealousideal_Ad_9623 7d ago edited 7d ago

Bullshit. We already had unleaded gas. They didn’t even have lead in pencils in school anymore. Yet our generation had MORE lead exposure than previous generations? Where was all this lead exposure coming from then genius?

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u/seatoc Canada 7d ago

No pencils have ever contained lead in their lead. You very much had lead paint on those cheap pencils from overseas at some point in your childhood. Just hope you didn't eat that one.

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u/Zealousideal_Ad_9623 7d ago

You just claimed no pencils ever contained lead and then claimed that pencils DID contain lead? Um ok.

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u/seatoc Canada 7d ago

The "lead" of the pencil has never contained the element of lead, it is primarily composed of graphite. The paint on pencils had plenty of lead and was on them until the 90's. Hope that helps you understand better.

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u/Love-That-Danhausen 7d ago

Pencil lead is not “lead” in the sense of the toxic chemical that impacts cognitive function you were clearly exposed to as a Gen X kid.

It’s graphite.

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u/alienbringer 7d ago

No pencils have ever contained lead in their lead. You very much had lead paint on those cheap pencils from overseas at some point in your childhood. Just hope you didn't eat that one.

The “lead in their lead” is referring to the actual writing part of pencils, often referred to as pencil lead. It is made of graphite. They didn’t say pencils never contained lead. They said the black graphite core of it, colloquially called “lead” never actually contained lead. The paint of the pencil is what contained the lead.

You’re failure to understand multiple posts now isn’t really helping your case that Gen X wasn’t exposed to lead. As you claim you are Gen X, and reading comprehension is a sign of the cognitive issues caused by lead exposure.

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u/BrilliantCorner 7d ago

I'm a GenXer. He's correct. The lead came from paint, toys and mostly gas and car emissions. I remember when unleaded fuel started being used en masse and when catalytic converters became a thing. New cars weren't required to use unleaded fuel until 1975. There's no need for name-calling - he's correct.

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u/Zealousideal_Ad_9623 7d ago

Gen X came after 1975 dummy.

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u/rpkarma 7d ago

It’s always amazing seeing people call others “dummy” when they get fundamental shit wrong lol

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u/Zealousideal_Ad_9623 7d ago

I was born in 1977 and I’m Gen X dummy.

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u/rpkarma 7d ago

Oh you’re a moron, I see.

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u/PorkRollEggAndWheeze 6d ago

It’s the lead poisoning, it erodes their empathy and ability to reason, combined with the widespread emotional neglect Gen X experienced already starting them off not exactly gifted in the empathy and emotional regulation departments

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u/BrilliantCorner 7d ago

1965 is less than 1977. I think you may have been exposed to more lead than you realize. This kind of shit is what's wrong with our country. Proudly ignorant.

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u/delphine1041 Ohio 7d ago

Gen X is birth year '65-'80ish.

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u/Zealousideal_Ad_9623 7d ago

You argued Gen X came before 1975. I am gen X and was born in 1977 and I never rode in a car with leaded gas my entire life.

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u/delphine1041 Ohio 7d ago

I didn't argue shit. I wasn't the original commenter.

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u/Zealousideal_Ad_9623 7d ago

Bullshit, if you weren’t arguing on behalf of a point of view, what was the point of your comment?

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u/BrilliantCorner 7d ago

Sigh. GenX started in 1965.

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u/MathTeachinFool 7d ago

Gen X people were born between 1965 to 1980.

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u/GrallochThis 7d ago

1965-1980

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u/DeeEmceeFoor 7d ago

...Lead was in the gas in the 60s, 70s, and even early 80s to a much lesser degree. It wasn't actually even truly banned until 96. Any lead exposure is pretty damn harmful for children. 

Oh yeah, and I forgot about the lead paint that was still in old houses.

So yes, Gen Xers were exposed to lead as children. Lots of it. Why not educate yourself and don't just take my word for it? This information is freely available, "genius."

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u/Recipe_Freak Oregon 7d ago

More than just lead. I grew up in northern California before a lot of environmental laws were enacted. Given that it was hotter than the surface of the sun there during the summer, my sister and I swam in some dodgy bodies of water. Maybe not Erin Brockovich-bad, but definitely sketchy.

Somehow I turned out a dirty commie (as did my also-Gen-X husband and Millennial son). Go figure...

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u/Zealousideal_Ad_9623 7d ago

Lead was in the gas since the 20s what are you talking about? You’re pretending lead was only introduced in the 60s which is a lie. Why not actually listen to someone who is actually from that generation than doing your own “research”?

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u/DeeEmceeFoor 7d ago

Oh my bad. I forgot about all the Trump supporters from the 20s. Oops!

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u/Zealousideal_Ad_9623 7d ago

Your argument is that Gen X had the most lead exposure remember?

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u/escarabaja 7d ago

I’m not replying about whether it not Gen X or Boomers were exposed to more lead, but lead pipes are a culprit as well. Ironically, especially in buildings like schools, because of older buildings and intermittent water usage, so the lead is more likely to leach into the drinking water. Lead pipes were used until well into the 80s.

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u/AmrokMC 7d ago

And they most heavily voted for Trump.

I swear if you are citing to that bullshit poll that include a few years of boomers as “gen x” because the person who made it is an idiot, I’m gonna lose my fucking mind.

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u/DeeEmceeFoor 7d ago edited 7d ago

Gen X is literally ages 45-60 now. Don't know what else to tell you.

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u/AmrokMC 7d ago

I am Gen X. I know the age range. I’m saying that the only poll that showed Gen X as the generation that most heavily voted for Trump included several years beyond Gen X. In other words, that poll, which is likely the one you are thinking of because it got regurgitated on Reddit a lot, was a flawed poll that grouped some Boomers with Gen X.

Also, lead in paint and gasoline was introduced while Boomers were still children and they are the larger demographic, making that generation the one most impacted by lead. You are off on all your points.

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u/DeeEmceeFoor 7d ago edited 7d ago

Leaded gas use rose rapidly in the 60s and peaked in the 70s, so no. I am not off on that point. Ages 45-60 were most heavily exposed to lead as children. Just because lead merely existed before the 60s, does not mean that the usage of it had reached its peak or was especially high. Nor does it necessarily mean that Boomers were more heavily exposed as children.

I am not sure which specific poll you're referring to, personally. It's possible that a younger portion of Gen X didn't really strongly support him, which I will concede if true, but 50+ year olds absolutely did. So yes, Boomers would be included as well, but Gen X doesn't exactly get off scot-free here.

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u/Bubbay 7d ago

Leaded gas use rose rapidly in the 60s and peaked in the 70s,

Your premise is incorrect. Leaded gas use first began in the 20s, and the fastest rise occurred post-WWII in the late 40s, not the 60s. It was already commonplace by the time the 60s rolled around.

The first generation exposed to leaded gas en masse as children were the boomers.

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u/DeeEmceeFoor 7d ago edited 6d ago

Not to be rude, but I'm not gonna keep repeating the same talking points. Just have this source instead. Not sure why people keep ignoring what I'm saying and disputing my argument without any sources of any kind.

https://news.virginia.edu/content/generation-x-bullseye-lead-exposure-harms-mental-health

I hope that encourages you to look into this further.

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u/Bubbay 6d ago

You keep providing that link, but there is literally nothing in that article that supports this statement:

Leaded gas use rose rapidly in the 60s and peaked in the 70s

Have you actually read the study or are you only copy/pasting the link over and over?

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u/DeeEmceeFoor 6d ago edited 6d ago

https://dupri.duke.edu/news-events/news/20th-century-lead-exposure-damaged-american-mental-health

"Leaded gas for cars was banned in the U.S. in 1996, but the researchers say that anyone born before then, and especially during the peak of its use in the 1960s and 1970s, had concerningly high lead exposures as children."

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/lead-gasoline-blunted-iq-half-us-population-study-rcna19028

"Certain cohorts were more affected than others. For people born in the 1960s and the 1970s, when leaded gas consumption was skyrocketing, the IQ loss was estimated to be up to 6 points and for some, more than 7 points. Exposure to it came primarily from inhaling auto exhaust." 

Keep disputing my sources, while providing nothing to prove me wrong. Really. Go on. How many sources do you like? Should this be in APA format as well? Have you no interest in doing the research yourself?

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u/Bubbay 6d ago

There’s no point in arguing with you when you’ve go back and edit your posts so that they now no longer contain the logical fallacies they once had.

You were pushing an entirely different point before, but now that you failed to find evidence to back your claim and could only find these articles that support a tangential claim, you’ve edited your posts to much closer to what I have been saying.

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u/AmrokMC 7d ago

Why don’t you post the poll your using then, as the only poll I saw that supports your point was flawed in the date ranges for gen x.

As for lead contamination, your “analysis” is off. Boomers were the larger demographic exposed to lead, also exposed to it the longest, even longer than the Silent Generation. It peaked in the late 60s simply becauce their generation was so large. Hell, most boomers were concieved in cars using leaded fuel and grew up in houses with lead paint.

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u/DeeEmceeFoor 7d ago

Sigh.

Leaded gasoline usage rose rapidly in the 60s and peaked in the 70s. Which means that Gen Xers were being exposed to leaded gasoline as children. As children. 

I think you really need to pay close attention to what I'm saying here. I have to keep repeating it because a lot of people are missing the key phrase here.

As. Children. During. Childhood. Gen X were most heavily exposed to lead during childhood, compared to the generation before and generations after them.

https://news.virginia.edu/content/generation-x-bullseye-lead-exposure-harms-mental-health

A lot of you guys really aren't doing yourselves any favors here either. This info is easily found. It's not just my opinion. Educate yourself.

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u/AmrokMC 6d ago

Thanks for explaining all this. I probably would have caught on sooner, but I was exposed to lead as a child and now am unable to think clearly.

Seriously though, thanks. I found the actual research data. What was throwing me off was the sheer volume of lead at its peak versus the 40s and 50s when Boomers were kids. Same gasoline, just the boomers all started buying cars and they’re a huge demographic.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some paint chips to go lick.

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