A year after Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the 2024 presidential election, cracks are beginning to show in his once-solid support among Latino voters. While Trump managed to secure a higher percentage of the Latino vote than any other Republican in US history, new polling suggests his approval ratings within this crucial voting bloc have taken a significant hit, particularly when it comes to his handling of the economy.
According to a recent CBS News/BBC poll, Trump’s approval rating among Latino voters has fallen from a high of 49% in early February to just 38% currently. This dramatic decline appears to be driven primarily by growing concerns over the state of the economy, with 61% of Latino respondents disapproving of Trump’s economic stewardship and 69% disapproving of his handling of inflation.
“The Latino shift right was more a function of Latinos leaving the Democratic Party [due to the economy] than it was a function of being compelled by the Republican Party,” said Republican strategist Mike Madrid, a prominent observer of Latino politics. “A lot of people around here voted for Trump this go-around, because nothing was happening with Biden. But things are still getting tight… people who are low-income are definitely feeling the impact of the prices.”
This sentiment was echoed by several Latino Trump supporters interviewed for the article, including 74-year-old realtor John Acevedo, who said, “The economy is not doing well. The prices are up. He promised they would come down. They haven’t.”
While the White House has pointed to factors like lower gas prices, tariff revenue, and foreign investment as signs of economic success, polls indicate a broad spectrum of Americans remain concerned by a slowing job market, high prices, and affordability issues. Inflation, for example, remained at 2.7% in December, well above the Federal Reserve’s target, driven primarily by rising food and housing costs.
Trump, for his part, has repeatedly blamed any lingering economic woes on the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden. However, this argument appears to be resonating with at least some of his Latino supporters, like Lydia Dominguez, a Mexico-born Air Force veteran, who believes the current administration has been “very productive in getting companies to come and have factories here in the US.”
The president’s immigration enforcement policies have also created mixed feelings among Latino voters, with 70% disapproving of his handling of the issue, according to the CBS/BBC poll. While some Latino Trump supporters, like Sam Negron, a Pennsylvania constable, expressed support for the administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, others, such as Rebeca Perez, a restaurant worker in California, said the raids have had a detrimental impact on their communities.
As the 2024 midterm elections loom, the Trump White House will likely face an uphill battle in trying to regain the confidence of Latino voters, a diverse and influential voting bloc that could play a crucial role in determining the outcome of key races. According to political strategist Mike Madrid, “We [Latinos] have the weakest partisan anchor of any group and can reject both parties when they fail them or just aren’t honest with them. Both parties can be culpable of that.”
