MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Eric Hoover, 9, sat with his mother Monday night considering what would happen after Tuesday's election as lasers lit up an arena here at one of Donald Trump's final rallies of the 2016 campaign.
“If Hillary were president, I feel like it would be harder to live because a lot of people would be sad. It would be easier to get a job if Trump was president,” he told BuzzFeed News.
His mother asked, “Are you worried about getting a job?”
“I'm not worried about getting a job, but I want a better job," he answered.
Eric's mother, Tracy Hoover, was, however, worried that her son wouldn’t be able to find good jobs as he grew up. “I worry about all four of my children fighting illegal immigrants for jobs when they're in high school if Clinton becomes president," she said.
Eric wasn’t the only one among the too-young-to-vote set with concerns about the state of the US economy as voters across the nation prepared to go to the polls Tuesday.
Lauren Graham, also 9, said that her life would be better under a Trump presidency “because I wouldn't have to see so many people so sad. Lots of people are sad that they don't have enough money to get along very well. Donald Trump will help with that.”
She felt that Clinton “wouldn’t do anything right." Lauren and her mother, Kim, both Canadian citizens, won't be voting in this election, but the pair said they attended the rally to bolster the number of women supporting Trump.
Many of the economic worries young Trump supporters expressed centered on college.
Grace Doyle, 15, said she was worried about potential economic fallout from Clinton's policies when she graduated from high school and college. “Isn't [Clinton] planning to make college free?" she asked. "Who’s paying for that? It may be beneficial to us now, but it’ll hurt us down the line when we have to start paying taxes.”
John Riley, 14, said that he was excited for a Trump presidency to create “many more jobs” as he begins to enter the workforce. “I’m in high school now, so if Trump is president while I’m going through college and taxes businesses that leave the USA, there will be more job opportunities when I graduate," he said.
Connor, 15, who declined to provide his last name, was less optimistic. “If I have a huge college debt and taxes are going up, how am I going to raise a family and pay that off at the same time?" he said. "Her views on taxes don't make sense to me.”
Jennifer Ruggiero, attending the rally with her daughter Jordan, said, “A Clinton presidency worries me. With her open border policy, I worry about the safety of my kids in schools.”
Several parents told BuzzFeed News they specifically worry about the safety of their children in the military if Clinton is elected. Monique Miseirvitch, attending the rally with her son (who declined to be identified for this article), said, “[Clinton’s] a liar and has jeopardized our nation’s safety multiple times. If my son has to be drafted, I want him to have protection. I want someone to have his back.”
Tara Godfrey, who plans to vote in 2020 but is too young to do so this year, is more worried about her job prospects.
“There's a much better chance of getting a higher-paying job under a Trump presidency," she said. "Under Clinton, all the jobs would go to different countries and there would be a low chance of getting one in America.”
Her brother Patrick, who is casting his first vote in a presidential election, was also worried about how a Clinton presidency would affect his job prospects. “[Clinton] can't tell the truth," he said. "The possibilities for getting a job would be low under her administration. Her presidency would cut into our freedom and prosperity.”