A new survey of likely student voters produced a stunning result at a major, historic American university this week.

The Irish Rover poll of 705 Notre Dame students shows a preference for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, a result that likely stuns many observers following a summer of left-wing protests at other top universities over Israel’s war against Hamas, among other issues.

Among likely voters, Trump leads Harris by 47.6% to 45.9%. Green Party candidate Jill Stein received 0.6% of the vote, and Libertarian Chase Oliver garnered 0.3%. Additionally, 5.5% of students supported candidates not listed on the ballot.

Conducted between September 15 and September 18, the poll was distributed across various student dorms, nonpartisan clubs, and classes. Results were weighted to ensure a representative sample of the Notre Dame student body, with a margin of error of 3.8% at a 95% confidence level.

If accurate, the survey would represent the first time in twelve years that Notre Dame students have shown a preference for the Republican presidential nominee. It also marks a significant shift toward Trump compared to his previous standing at the university.

In 2020, a Student Government and NDVotes poll found Joe Biden with 66% of the support among Notre Dame students, while Trump received only 29%. Similarly, in 2016, Hillary Clinton led Trump by a substantial margin, 59% to 24%.

When asked for his club’s reaction to the poll, College Republicans President Elliot Anderson told the Rover, “It is amazing to see a college campus stand by President Trump. We hope that the trend of ultra-liberal colleges is finally coming to an end with the increasing youth support for conservative policies.” The university’s newspaper reported that college Democrats refused to comment.

Professor David Campbell, Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy and Director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, commented that the results of the poll “demonstrate that Notre Dame students are a microcosm of the nation as a whole.”

He added: “The student body is closely divided. As we head into the home stretch of this hotly contested presidential election, I hope that the students of Notre Dame can demonstrate to the country that it is possible to disagree politically, but do so agreeably.”