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Recent survey results suggest that previous US President Donald Trump is making strides in his favorability amongst Hispanic voters, reducing the current President Joe Biden’s majority in this significant and diverse electoral group.
The survey conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University demonstrates that of the Hispanic voters polled, 39% expressed their preference for Trump, leaving Biden at 34%. This is a noticeable deviation from 2020’s statistics, which showed Biden receiving the nod from 65% of Hispanic voters. The numbers highlight an overarching pattern of dwindling support for Biden, impacting several other pivotal demographic groups, notably younger voters.
According to the survey, Trump has managed to pull ahead within the voter sector aged under 35, acquiring 37% of their support. In contrast, Biden garners 33%, a stark fall from his 24-point advantage within this cohort during 2020.
Interestingly, although these demographic groups show a drop in Biden’s support, they seem to veer more towards third-party candidates instead of gravitating entirely towards Trump. This observation based on the poll conducted from December 26-29 among probable voters indicates a growing pursuit of alternatives to the two primary contenders.
The data revealed that around 20% of Hispanic and African American voters surveyed indicated they would cast their vote for a candidate other than Trump or Biden.
The same was true for 21% of the younger voters, reflecting a potential shift towards third-party candidacies. Another striking find was from a CNBC All-America Economic Survey conducted in December, which reported a significant shift in opinions among Hispanic voters.
Suppose we were to hypothesize a one-on-one competition; Trump now carries a modest five-point lead with Hispanic voters. This has effectively swept away Biden’s prior seven-point advantage from October. The time-specific survey conducted from December 8-12 portrays a downward trend in Biden’s performance amongst Hispanic voters. His approval rating slid from 35% in October down to 28% in December.
Review of past records reveals that Trump seems to fare better with Hispanic voters amidst periods of economic turmoil. Such shifting alignment among this critical voting bloc could pose serious concerns for Democrats regarding their hold over this demographic.
This could be seen as a remarkable facet since Trump’s rhetoric continues to echo the anti-immigrant sentiments that marked his successful campaign for the Republican nomination in 2016.
Trump’s language often recalled that used by far-right dictators, fostering xenophobia and racism. During his campaign, he delineated several measures he would supposedly take to augment his administration’s stringent immigration policies. This includes diverting ‘substantial sects of federal law enforcement to immigration enforcement’ and relocating ‘thousands of troops currently stationed overseas to our own southern border’.
In addition to this domestic reshuffle, Trump proposed to reinstate and expand travel bans he initially implemented in 2017 affect several predominantly Muslim and African nations.
A subsequent Trump administration would also see efforts to round up and place undocumented immigrants already residing in the US in detention facilities, pending their deportation. While these policies might seem controversial to many, they appear to have an appeal within certain voter groups, leading to Trump’s increased popularity.