The ‘lesser of two evils’: BYU students on Harris or Trump

With the 2024 presidential election only two months away, college students — many of them first-time voters — are faced with the choice of Republican nominee Donald Trump, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, someone else, or none of the above.

The Deseret News spoke to several students at Brigham Young University to ask them how they feel about the race, who they support, and why.

BYU is a cultural outlier in higher education, with a student body that’s a lot more politically diverse than other campuses because of the higher number of conservative students.

While university students typically are more progressive than the general population, a 2022 survey found that BYU has more conservative students than the norm, with 32% of its student body identifying as liberal, 20% as moderate and 48% as conservative.

Many of the BYU students who spoke up said they believe there isn’t a decent a candidate in the 2024 race. Others said they can ignore their candidate’s glaring problems in order to focus on the issues that matter most to them, whether economic or social.

In other words, most agreed they aren’t happy with their options. There is only, as was said verbatim several times, the choice of “the lesser of two evils.” While some students said they are willing to vote for a candidate they wouldn’t otherwise support, others said they won’t make that choice. As sophomore Caleb Johnson put it, he believes voting for the lesser of two evils “is still voting for evil.”

Among the six BYU students interviewed — three men, three women, all Latter-day Saints and one person of color — two said they would vote for Trump, two for Harris and two said they would vote third party. One of the students is married, one is from Utah and one is from Idaho, while the rest are single and come from different parts of the United States.

Who are you voting for and why?

Brandon Waits (Ohio, 22, applied math): “In the upcoming election I’ll be voting for Donald Trump because I believe he embodies conservative values (and) I believe the liberal candidates running do not uphold American values.”

Caleb Johnson (Illinois, 21, mechanical engineering): “I will probably write in. I don’t have anyone specific right now, and the person that I write in probably won’t be running. … I don’t agree with the two-party system.”

Audrey Moessing (California, 22, economics): “I’m planning on voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, primarily because I don’t want to vote for Trump … she’s the lesser of two evils. I respect her as a person (and I like her) tax policy.”

Jessica Martin (Wisconsin, 21, accounting): “I don’t know who I’m voting for. I’m not voting for Trump. I will probably not vote for Kamala … so I’m looking at third-party, but what I think will happen is that I’ll probably just pick a politician that I actually like. … I refuse to do the lesser of two evils.”

Andres Chavez (Texas, 23, exercise science): “I’m voting for, most likely, Kamala Harris. She is the most representative of me. The values that she carries are more in line with my point of view and my beliefs than the other candidates, (though) I don’t necessarily know if anyone in politics is a net positive person.”

Camryn Fillmore (Idaho, 23, communications): “I’m going to vote for Donald Trump. He’s put it all out there on his campaign, and as much as I think he’s obnoxious, I think he’d be a good leader and has overall good relations with other leaders. … I think he is the better of the two evils.”

What policies matter most to you?

Fillmore : “I really am just worried about the economy. … I’d like to afford to live. I like that (Donald Trump) is a businessman and I think we need a businessman in office.”

Johnson : “I want to see a … federal government that can take care of foreign threats, not just to us but threats against democracy. Examples that come to mind, issues in Russia but also issues in Venezuela.”

Do you feel like your faith impacts your politics?

Waits : “Yes, but … on an issue-by-issue basis. For example, issues with the nuclear family, abortion, welfare policies … because of my faith I have a more clear understanding of what I should believe.”

Moessing : “My faith affects how I view our responsibility towards other people. I feel like one of the core things that Christ taught was you care for other people (and) you respect other people. … Going out of your way to help other people is important in our religion and should be important in our governing system.”

How are the candidates doing at appealing to young voters?

Martin : “Different sides are addressing different concerns. (One thing for Republicans) is that my demographic doesn’t want to get into a war right now, which the Republicans vibe with. (On the other hand) Democrats support putting anti-trust laws against companies buying up single-family houses. But neither side is addressing all of the main things for us.”

Chavez : “I don’t think either candidate is doing an adequate job when it comes to addressing young voters. It feels like they’re more focused on playing to the crowd to secure votes rather than genuinely solving the problems that matter to young people … like student debt, economic inequality and job insecurity. I think candidates could do better by being more genuine and focusing on real solutions instead of just making promises to win votes. They should … involve young people in the process and build trust through transparency and follow-through.”

Do you think your vote matters?

Johnson : “My vote is most important to me, and not necessarily to the nation or to this state. … I believe that voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil (and I want) to know that I voted in a way that makes my conscience happy.”

Moessing : “Voting always matters, but I think your vote matters more in some cases. (If there was a candidate I preferred) I would still vote for one of the larger, name-brand candidates.”

If there was a candidate who represented you better, would you vote for them?

Chavez : “That’s a tough one. … Let’s just say — Trump has a pretty strong chance of winning, but I feel like Kamala has made some really good strides, so I think she stands a fighting chance against something that I really don’t want. … I think that she’s possibly the lesser of evils… If (someone I preferred) was available, I probably would not vote for them still, just because in this race, which is close, I want her to win.”

Fillmore : “Yeah, I would. Every vote matters, but Donald Trump is going to win Utah. (Personally) I would vote for someone that aligns best with me.”

How do you feel about today’s political climate?

Waits : “I think people overexaggerate the polarization that is seen in America. … Challenging political times have always been a part of American history. I’m more concerned about the unwillingness of people to communicate about their political views in a respectful and civil manner.”

Martin : “I’m looking for consistency — a set of consistent rules to play by. Donald Trump is a man who will tell you he did not say something that he was on national television saying. I want to be able to agree on the facts of the case and debate on effectiveness and values.”