Former President Donald Trump is seeing a noteworthy increase in support from Latino voters, higher than in his previous two presidential campaigns. In fact, we are observing a considerable jump from the support he garnered during his 2016 run. Given that 36.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the upcoming November election, the second-largest voter group after white voters, this is quite significant.
Additionally, the Latino vote is crucial in determining the winner in key Southwestern swing states including Arizona and Nevada. Currently, Trump is leading his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, by one point in Arizona, 47.9 to 46.9 percent. While the lead may fluctuate slightly, Trump’s stance on key issues aligns favorably with the interests of several Latino voters.
In contrast, in Nevada, Kamala Harris currently has a lead over Trump by a small margin of 1.5 points. But don’t be fooled by the numbers, the predictions could change in favor of Trump as the elections approach. A noteworthy fact here is that despite Harris’s marginal lead, Trump is attracting more Latino voters than in his 2016 and 2020 presidential runs.
A recent national survey conducted by NBC News, Telemundo, and CNBC between September 16 and 23 provides interesting insights. The poll found that 54 percent of Latino voters would support Harris, while a promising 40 percent would vote for Trump. While some might find this surprising, it is important to remember that there is a strong diversity of political thought within the Latino community, and the support for Trump’s policies and leadership is growing continuously.
This notable figure is a substantial improvement from Trump’s Latino voter support during his initial run for president. Only 19 percent of Latino voters supported Trump in 2016, according to NBC News polling data from that election cycle. It seems that Trump’s consistent focus on issues important to the Latino community has seen him increase his share of the Latino vote, and current signs point to an even stronger performance this time around.
Trump’s numbers among Latino voters are also better than in his 2020 run, with the backing of 27 percent of the Latino community. This progressive gain of support from Latino groups not only shows that he has connected with this population, but also indicates a shift in voting preferences among Latinos that could be a potential game-changer.
Contributing to Trump’s improved standing is an apparent decline in Latino support for the Democratic presidential candidates. In 2016, Hillary Clinton had 69 percent of the Latino vote. In 2020, Joe Biden managed just 63 percent. These figures reveal a clear trend – while the support for Trump kept on increasing, the Democrats saw their grip on the Latino voters slipping away.
While it might appear that Harris has an edge over Trump among Latino voters at the moment, her advantage is actually not as secure as it might seem. Trump’s numbers represent a significant improvement from Biden’s level of support before he dropped out of the race at the end of July.
When surveyed about their perspectives on specific issues, Latinos indicated a preference for Trump’s positions on some key points. Trump was favored over Harris in maintaining the security of the U.S.-Mexico border and controlling immigration. Latinos also approved of Trump’s skills in dealing with inflation and living costs, and managing the economy.
The numbers say it all: Trump is preferred by 47 percent of Latino voters when it comes to controlling immigration as compared to Harris’s 34 percent. Similarly, on handling the economy, 46 percent of Latinos back Trump as compared to 37 percent for Harris.
Further, in terms of dealing with crucial issues like inflation and cost of living, Trump again holds the upper hand with 45 percent of the Latino vote as compared to Harris’s 41 percent. This demonstrates that Latino citizens hold high faith in Trump’s economic plans and his ability to boost the American economy.
In contrast, Harris leads in advocating for immigrant rights and ensuring their humane treatment, with 57 percent Latino support versus Trump’s 18 percent. She also receives more Latino support in addressing issues like abortion and issues particularly significant to the Hispanic community. Yet, these areas of support do not obscure the major strengths Trump has in the eyes of Latino voters.
On personal values such as trustworthiness and mental and physical capacity to be president, Harris leads as well. However, these elements are not seen as detracting significantly from Trump given his effective policies and leadership, which have broad appeal among many quarters in the Latino community.
While it’s clear that the race for the Latino vote is competitive, Trump’s rising popularity among Latinos and his competency on critical issues point to a potential surprise. The statistics show that the Latino community’s confidence in Trump is surging and may play a decisive factor in giving him an edge in the upcoming elections.
All these factors combine to paint a picture of increasing Latino support for Trump. While critics attempt to portray a different scenario, the facts speak for themselves. Trump’s commitment to important policy areas resonates with a broad section of Latino voters and has created a steady momentum that might prove influential in the forthcoming election.