Among all the 2016 nostalgia that many have been experiencing and sharing on social media, 2026 marks a decade of Donald Trump being the focal point of American politics.

Trump’s election marked a departure from recent presidential norms with a political outsider winning the presidency. His rise coincided with increased populist rhetoric, continued political polarization and significant changes within the Republican Party (like the rise of MAGA).

For college students, growing up in the last 10 years meant coming-of-age in a unique and challenging political landscape.

Jacob Weissflog, a sophomore studying business management, identified the 2016 election as his introduction to politics.

“The moment I really realized (politics) was the Republican primaries in 2015, where it was Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz. It was those kinds of Republican figureheads coming into the forefront,” Weissflog said.

Weissflog said Trump’s emergence changed how politics felt and how people talked about it.

“I remember Trump coming out, and it was like a weird cultural phenomenon in the South … everyone you knew, if they were conservative, eventually they became big fans of Trump,” Weissflog said. “It was like a weird thing, but I really remember that moment vividly of Jeb Bush dropping out and (Trump’s) probably going to become president at this point.”

What began as a novelty for Weissflog would turn into burnout over the next several years.

A September 2025 study released by the Psychiatry Research Journal found that constant exposure to election-related news is linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety.

Weissflog, over the last several years, began to grow tired of the constant political back-and-forth.

“I don’t really pay attention anymore,” Weissflog. “I’m not saying I’ve lost hope, but it doesn’t really matter to me anymore. I know that, mentally and spiritually, it’s not good for me. I’ll get worked up about it, and it’s tough, to a point where I can’t really make a change. It’s just so negative.”

Echoing this sentiment, a recent national poll conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics found that young people’s trust in institutions is eroding, uncertainty about the future is increasing and dissatisfaction with both parties is high.

“I have less trust in the process of getting stuff done than the promises that are made,” Weissflog said. “I think maybe 10% of what (politicians) say they’ll do, they actually get done. Don’t hold your breath.”

That feeling of hopelessness was shared by another student, Sophia Bernard, a sophomore studying public policy.

“When I was younger, and when I first got into politics, I thought the decision that benefited people would be the decision that’s made,” Bernard said. “But now I see that people don’t make the decision that’s best for everyone. They make a decision that’s best for themselves.”

Bernard, like many young adults her age, became politically aware in the Trump era.

“In 2016, I was in fourth or fifth grade, and I vaguely remember hearing about Donald Trump, and I’m like, ‘Who is this guy?’” Bernard said.

An Associated Press poll found that young people are much more likely than older adults to express apathy or disillusionment with the political system. Bernard responded negatively when asked about her current trust in American political institutions.

“It’s steadily decreased because I feel like we keep making the wrong decisions,” Bernard said.

She finds the constant political news cycle to have an affect on her well-being.

“Very stressed. Very stressed, especially with what’s going on with Greenland,” Bernard said.

Bernard, similar to Weissflog, has considered stepping back from political engagement and monitoring of the news.

“I feel like, for my own mental health, I am actually trying to cut back on the amount of news I do consume,” Bernard said.

The American Psychological Association’s 2024 Stress in America survey found that negative political concerns topped peoples’ list of stressors and that political anxiety could serve as an unique source of chronic stress.

Looking back nearly a decade, both Weissflog and Bernard were asked to describe what today’s political climate would look and feel like to someone in 2015.

“It’s going to get nastier. It’s going to, somehow, get worse,” Weissflog said. “None of the things they’re promising will pass. The problems you have now are going to get much worse.”

Weissflog expressed little optimism about the future of politics.

“I think we’re entering a more dangerous era of politics,” Weissflog said. “The radical sides that are on the left and the right are showing (their) ugly face(s) now. … I think radicalization is reaching the point where it’s being normalized.”

Bernard agreed that describing our political situation to someone 10 years ago would require providing some forewarning.

“Tense,” Bernard said. “I think it’s very tense. You might want to prepare yourself. A lot of s—’s going to go down.”

Her experience in our political system has degraded her belief in the good-faith progress of American institutions.

“My trust in those institutions has decreased heavily because of that, and I feel like I can’t really trust the people in charge to make the decision that benefits me,” Bernard said. “I’ve become a lot more realistic with my ideals toward politics over the last five years.”

For many of today’s college students, the last decade represents the entirety of their political memory. From elementary school through early adulthood, national politics has remained extremely visible and frequently contentious.

National polling of young peoples’ political experiences and beliefs reflect the feelings expressed by both students.

“It makes me feel depressed,” Weissflog said. “It might be a longing for the past, but it just makes me depressed now. It doesn’t make me happy anymore. I don’t check the news anymore because it’s so stressful and depressing. It’s like when someone’s hurt but you can’t do anything about it.”