A recent poll indicates that Hispanic Republican voters are increasingly critical of President Trump, with a significant number describing his policies as “harmful” to Latinos. This data comes from a Pew Research Center survey involving almost 5,000 Latino adults released on Monday.
The survey suggests that, overall, 78% of Hispanics now view the Trump administration’s policies negatively, a rise from 69% in 2019. Specifically, among Hispanic Republicans, 55% consider Trump’s policies harmful, which marks a notable increase of 17 percentage points from his first term, where only 38% expressed that opinion.
Many Hispanic Republicans are unhappy with Trump’s immigration strategies, which have included higher rates of arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants and enforcement operations at the southern border. Approximately 47% feel that he is “doing too much” in terms of deportations, a notable jump from 28% who felt this way in March.
Although a vast majority of Hispanic Trump supporters still approve of his performance, that approval has dipped from 93% at the start of his second term to 81% now.
In response to the poll, White House press secretary Abigail Jackson highlighted Trump’s achievements during his current term, asserting that the president “continues to serve” the American populace. She mentioned that he has delivered on numerous promises and is committed to ongoing improvements such as securing the border and managing inflation.
Jaime Flores, who oversees Hispanic communications for the Republican National Committee, attributed the president’s declining approval ratings to media portrayals of his immigration policies and the socioeconomic challenges posed by the Biden administration. He argued that the perception of Trump as anti-immigrant is misleading, noting that past administrations, including Obama’s, had high deportation rates.
Flores also acknowledged that, like everyone else, Hispanics are concerned about rising prices but suggested that the president’s economic policies are performing better than what people might expect.
Positively for Trump, a separate Pew Research Center poll from October revealed improved perceptions among Hispanic Republicans regarding the economy. Those who rated the U.S. economy positively surged from 19% to 40% since the previous year. Furthermore, 39% felt that Trump’s policies have positively impacted their financial situations, compared to 31% who thought the opposite and 29% who saw no change.
Despite Trump’s strong support from Hispanics contributing to his victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, this latest poll adds to a concerning trend for the president among Latino voters.
Recently, CNN’s Harry Enten expressed surprise at findings that showed Trump had made significant gains on immigration issues compared to earlier in 2024, but noted that Latino voters seem to have shifted away from him. “No matter what Donald Trump does in office, it’s not going well in the minds of Latinos,” he remarked, underscoring a noticeable turn against the president.
