Susan Page and Jenny Ung

USA TODAY and Arizona State University

WASHINGTON — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has expanded his double-digit lead among Millennials in the Democratic presidential race, but a new USA TODAY/Rock the Vote poll finds a way for Hillary Clinton to solve her generation gap: Donald Trump.

Opposition to Trump nearly unites the rising generation.

In a hypothetical Clinton v. Trump contest in November, voters under 35 would choose Clinton by a crushing 52%-19%, a preference that crosses demographic lines. Among whites, she'd be backed by nearly 2-1, 45%-26%. Among Hispanics, by more than 4-1, 61%-14%. Among Asian Americans, by 5-1, 60%-11%. Among African Americans, by 13-1, 67%-5%.

And the yawning gender gap she has against Sanders would vanish: Clinton would carry young men and women by almost identical margins of more than 2-1.

Nearly one in four Republicans would defect to the Democrats if the GOP nominated Trump against Clinton. Just 7% of Democrats would defect to the GOP.

"Trump would kind of make a mockery out of America," worries Cameron Lee Craig, 25, a stay-at-home mom from Amelia, Ohio, who was among those surveyed. "He's kind of a jerk."

The poll, the second in a series, is part of USA TODAY's One Nation initiative, a series of forums across the country on the most important issues of 2016. The online survey, taken by Ipsos March 3-10, polled 1,541 adults ages 18 to 34.

Sanders now leads Clinton among younger voters by 54%-37%, an even bigger advantage than the 11-point edge he held in January's survey. Millennial women now back Sanders by a jaw-dropping 61%-30% while the divide among Millennial men is much closer, 48%-44%.

"He's a people-person and will bring a freshness to the country," Tracy Wanjiku, 21, a caregiver from Alameda, Calif., says in explaining her support for Sanders. But in a Clinton-Trump stand-off in November, she says, "I would vote for Hillary — not that I'm in much favor of her, but I think Donald Trump ... his idea of politics is way too over-the-top. It's scary, to be honest."







In the Republican primary race, Trump continues to lead the field but he has hit a ceiling in his support among Millennials. In January's poll and the new one, he was supported by 26% of Republicans and independents. He hasn't gained from the exit of seven rivals since the start of the year. Meanwhile, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's support has doubled to 18% and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's support has nearly doubled, to 14%. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who withdrew after the survey had gone in the field, was backed by 14%.

Clinton is much more broadly acceptable in her party than Trump is in his. One in five Republicans in the survey say they would stay home in a Clinton-Trump election, compared with one in 10 Democrats.

Millennial voters were a key part of the electoral coalition that elected Barack Obama in 2008. In surveys of voters as they left polling places that November, Obama carried voters under 30 over Republican John McCain by a lopsided 66%-32%. Clinton hasn't generated enthusiasm among young voters — Sanders has — but Trump's support significantly lags even McCain.

In the new poll, one in five Millennials say they would just stay home on Election Day. That's a signal that, if she wins the nomination, Clinton may well need Sanders' help to energize younger voters.



Among Sanders' supporters, 65% say they would turn out for Clinton in the general election, 9% would back Trump, and 20% would sit it out. The 74-year-old senator's success, including his upset victory in the Michigan primary last week, has been fueled by his appeal to younger voters, who so far have resisted Clinton's efforts to reach out to them through targeted TV ads and an increased focus on issues such as student debt.





Only among Asian Americans does Clinton pull even, 46%-46%.

The poll surveyed an over-sample of members of minority groups — including 197 African Americans, 243 Hispanics and 173 Asian Americans — to allow a more reliable analysis of the findings by race and ethnicity. The overall poll results then were weighted to reflect the makeup of the nation's population. For the full sample, the credibility interval, akin to the margin of error, is plus or minus 4.6 percentage points. For the subgroups, it is +/- 7.9.

Millennial voters who back different candidates tend to cite different priorities. Sanders supporters are much more likely than Clinton supporters to say the ideal president would be "authentic" and would "share my values." Clinton supporters are more likely to value strong experience in government.



Maree Miller, of Cairo, Ga., reacts to Donald Trump as he speaks to supporters during a rally at Valdosta State University on Feb. 29, 2016 in Valdosta, Ga. (Photo: Mark Wallheiser, Getty Images)





"If he were put in office, he would be able to straighten out the economy and climate change and fix global warming," Ashley Yago, 33, of Greeley, Colo., said of Trump in a follow-up interview.

But Tanner Marroquin, 20, of Lawrence, Kan., would vote for Clinton over Trump. "I don't like having stubborn people in places of power," he says. The next president should be "more community-based rather than a monarch."

"I'm leaning toward Bernie Sanders" in the Democratic primaries, says Olga Figueroa, 27, of Silver Spring, Md. "I am a little more trusting of him." But in a Clinton-Trump race, she would vote for Clinton. "Hillary may have been a little inconsistent throughout her political career, but at least she has a very straightforward and clear platform if she gets into the White House."

Trump, she says, "is a little extreme."



This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.