Outrage Overload

A Connors Institute podcast

Outrage Bonus – What’s Pulling Young Men to the Right?

Aired Sep 10, 2025

Gen Z’s gender gap is widening. Young women are leaning left, while young men are drifting right. It’s not just politics—it’s about belonging, identity, and the future of our democracy.

In this episode, we look at the cultural and economic forces pulling young men toward the “manosphere,” where plurality and diversity are treated like bad words—and at how the left’s own missteps have pushed some men away.

Why It Matters
The widening political gender gap is more than just numbers—it’s about how young men see their place in the world. Many are growing up under conflicting pressures: to be both the “violent warrior” ready to defend and dominate, and the sole provider responsible for their family’s survival. These roles are deeply rooted in old ideas of masculinity, yet they collide with modern realities where those expectations are harder—and sometimes impossible—to meet.

When the only spaces offering belonging reinforce these rigid roles, it can push young men toward anger, resentment, and exclusionary worldviews. That’s not just harmful to them—it erodes trust, fuels division, and destabilizes democratic society. We need better options: places where young men can find purpose, identity, and connection without being trapped in outdated scripts about strength and worth.

Rev. Angela Denker is an award-winning author, ELCA Lutheran pastor, and veteran journalist. She writes on faith, politics, and culture, with work in the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, and FORTUNE. Her books include Red State Christians and Disciples of White Jesus, examining Christian Nationalism and American cultural divides.

Mark Sutton, MBA, is an author, gender expert, and media producer focused on male well-being and economic justice. A longtime Democrat, he has produced for NPR and Air America, consulted for male-supportive nonprofits, and authored How Democrats Can Win Back Men. He writes the Substack blog Men and the 2024 Election.

Eric Kaufmann is Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham and Director of the Centre for Heterodox Social Science. Author of The Third Awokening, Whiteshift, and other books, he studies cultural conflict, immigration, and political demography. His work appears in major publications and he advises think tanks internationally.

Episodes in the Series:

🧩 Part 1: The Crunchy to Radical Pipeline — how “tradwife” culture and wellness spaces sometimes slide into conspiracy and control.
🧠 Part 2 (this episode): What’s Pulling Young Men to the Right? — exploring Gen Z’s growing gender gap and the search for belonging.
💥 Part 3: Inside the Manosphere — where all those frustrations find a home in online communities like incels, MGTOW, MRAs, and pick-up artists.

Transcript