CNN host Jake Tapper recently stirred debate by saying that efforts at progressive “indoctrination” in schools may actually be driving Gen Z toward more conservative views, signaling a generational backlash playing out in politics and culture.
Jake Tapper’s Take on Gen Z Skepticism
Speaking in a podcast interview with Reason magazine editor Nick Gillespie, Tapper reflected on his experiences and observations of Gen Z—teens and young adults born from the late 1990s onward. He suggested that, unlike the millennial generation, which he described as broadly progressive, today’s younger generation is more skeptical of progressive messaging, partly as a reaction to what they perceive as enforced ideology in schools.
Jake Tapper said, “I sense much more skepticism. I think it is a reaction to Gen X-ers and millennials forcing on them progressive views in school.” He anticipates “quite a division” between current thirty- and forty-somethings and the cohort coming up behind them.
Social Media and Activism Shape Attitudes
Jake Tapper noted that Gen Z is the first to fully grow up in the smartphone and social media age, granting them unprecedented access to information and enabling a more questioning stance toward sources of authority, including the media and education system. He observed that many young people have become disillusioned with progressive movements, citing the aftermath and perceived failures of causes like Bernie Sanders’ campaigns, Black Lives Matter, and #MeToo.
He also acknowledged a notable shift seen in the 2024 presidential election, with former President Donald Trump attracting higher support among young voters, a group long seen as reliably liberal, but not winning a majority of them.
The Broader Debate Over Education
The comments come amid broader national debates about the influence of politics in classrooms. The Trump administration has prioritized efforts to curb what it calls radical or partisan content in public and private education, linking funding to changes in campus culture.
A study by the Educational Freedom Institute found that most campaign contributions from educators—especially professors—still go to Democrats, but there is an emerging debate about how today’s students interpret and react to the prevailing ideologies they encounter at school.
Tapper’s perspective adds to a growing conversation about how generational change and media consumption are transforming American politics—and how young voices may redefine both right and left in the years ahead.