Jason,
Last night, President Trump gave his State of the Union.
I'm sure you've seen by now that he said a lot of crazy stuff. That's not surprising. That's not what this email is about, either. I want to talk about what he left unsaid.
Last night was a clear demonstration that our government is painfully out of step with young people. Politicians like Donald Trump don't understand the issues we're facing. They don't even pretend to care about solutions to those problems.
What I didn't hear in last night's speech was how the government is going to work for young people — the ones who are going to inherit the mess being made in Washington.
I want everyone to know what it's really like for young people in this country today.
So here's the Young People's State of the Union:
We grew up practicing active shooter drills before we learned algebra.
School shootings have increased dramatically in the last decade, with more school shooting incidents in recent years than any previous generation experienced in K-12. The average member of Congress did not grow up in an era where school shooting drills were routine. Columbine happened in 1999 — many current lawmakers were already adults.
We scroll past climate disasters like they're weather updates.
The U.S. now experiences an average of 20+ billion-dollar climate disasters per year — compared to fewer than 5 annually in the 1980s. Gen Z will live through significantly more extreme heat waves and climate disasters than previous generations, even under moderate warming scenarios.
We work full-time and still can't afford rent — let alone a home.
In 1980, the median home cost about 2–3x the median household income. Today, it's closer to 5–6x in many markets. Homeownership rates for young adults today are significantly lower than they were for Baby Boomers and Gen X at the same age. A full-time minimum wage worker cannot afford a two-bedroom rental anywhere in the United States at fair market rent.
We're drowning in student debt for degrees we were told we had to get.
Outstanding student loan debt now exceeds $1.7 trillion. The average borrower leaves school with tens of thousands in debt — far more (adjusted for inflation) than previous generations. In the 1970s, tuition at public universities was a fraction of today's cost relative to income. AND even when young people graduate college they now face over 40% unemployment for recent graduates.
Our mental health is in crisis.
Rates of anxiety and depression among young adults have surged over the last decade. Suicide is now one of the leading causes of death for young people. Young people report significantly higher rates of loneliness and hopelessness than previous generations at the same age.
We're navigating an internet that shapes our lives faster than it can be regulated.
Nearly half of teens report being online "almost constantly." Social media use is strongly correlated with increased mental health challenges among adolescents, especially young women. Lawmakers crafting tech policy largely did not grow up in the digital ecosystem they're regulating.
Even when we do everything "right," finding a good-paying job feels out of reach.
Young workers' wages have not kept pace with housing, healthcare, and education costs. Entry-level jobs increasingly require degrees and experience that previous generations weren't expected to have. Many Gen Z workers report feeling financially worse off than their parents were at the same age.
I've had enough, Jason. It's time for leaders who are actually on our side. That's what we're doing here at Leaders We Deserve — electing a new generation that understands what's at stake and refuses to back down from fighting for our future. We know that what young voters care about far more than Party ID is lived experience and feeling like those in power actually understand what they are going through. There is no better way of doing that than electing young people who, for example, unlike most members of Congress, have actually paid rent in the 21st century.
Jason, our candidates learned active shooter drills. They are paying off student loans. They know what it's like to apply for 100 jobs and not hear back from any.
These are the kinds of leaders we need in power. But we have to be honest: This system wasn't built for them. It was built for people with money and connections.
That's why it's so vital that we invest in these races and uplift these young leaders. Often, we are the biggest contributors to their campaigns. Our support can mean the difference between a victory and a loss in a tight race. We've seen it happen.
We've already elected 3 candidates this cycle. With one of them winning by just 153 votes to become the youngest lawmaker in Georgia's history. We're supporting more than a dozen more, with more endorsements on the way. We aren't slowing down.
But that means we need your support more than ever. We can't do this alone.
If you can, will you make a $5 donation to power this movement?
The real State of the Union for young people is complicated. It's frustrating.
But it's also full of potential — if we're willing to organize for it and invest in it.
Let's build the future we deserve.
Thank you,
David Hogg
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