How the Latino vote helped propel Trump to victory
A big swing toward Trump among Latino voters, particularly men, helped him win the presidency.
Bloomberg – Quicktake
A majority of Latino voters said they believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, according to a new survey conducted as President Donald Trump marks his first 100 days in office of his second term.
The poll, released on April 28, found 60% of Latino voters think the country is on the wrong track, and 70% of that group hold Trump and his administration accountable. The survey, from UnidosUS, Voces Unidos and LULAC, three of the largest Latino organizations in the country, included 1,002 Latino voters.
Thirty-seven percent of survey respondents said they approved of Trump’s presidency. The poll also found that 19% think the economy is “better,” compared to 2024, and 29% believe current economic policies will make them better off.
The poll also found the economy and the cost of living are among the chief concerns from the nation’s second-largest voting bloc, as well as the administration’s crackdown on immigration and deportation policies.
“Latino voters are frustrated that their economic priorities are being ignored and that a key promise made by President Trump during the election is not being kept,” UnidosUS President Janet Murguía said in a statement. “Economic discontent was the most potent driver in the 2024 election, helping President Trump increase support among Latinos.”
That’s not all. In another poll released April 28 – conducted by advocacy groups the Latino Community Foundation (LCF) and Voto Latino Foundation – 60% of Latino voters said they’re worried about the country’s direction under the Trump administration.
“What we’re hearing is deep concern about the cost of living and the lack of real solutions. Economic relief was promised, and our community is still waiting,” Julián Castro, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, said in a statement. “The Latino vote is not a blank check.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the White House for comment. Both polls mirror other recent national surveys. The Washington Post over the weekend reported that Trump has the lowest approval rating for any president at their 100-day mark, dating back to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s third term.
A Pew Research poll released April 23 showed Trump’s approval rating among Hispanics at 27%, lower than the 40% of Americans polled overall. Hispanic and Latino markers don’t always refer to exactly the same populations.
Trump showing with Latino voters contrasts with election surge
The polls of Latino Americans come after Trump made key inroads with the bloc in capturing his second presidency. Trump won 46% of Latinos’ vote in November’s election, 14 points higher than in 2020, according to Edison Research exit polls.
But the economy is Latino voters’ number one priority in both surveys released this week. The cost of living, jobs, housing and health care remain among their top concerns.
In the UnidosUS, Voces Unidos and LULAC poll, 60% said they think Trump and his fellow Republicans aren’t focusing enough on bringing down the costs of everyday goods.
Sixty-six percent believe tariffs, a key component of Trump’s agenda, will limit their economic security by raising prices. The Trump administration has argued that tariffs will raise revenue and boost manufacturing within the U.S.
Voters weigh in on Trump’s deportation, immigration policies
Trump’s immigration priorities have also taken center stage in the first 100 days of his second term, intensifying a dramatic decline in illegal border crossings and fueling a spike in immigrant arrests in cities and towns nationwide.
Flying immigrants to a mega prison in El Salvador and attempting to cancel birthright citizenship have been two of his major moves so far. Still, Trump previously told “Meet the Press” he hopes Democrats and Republicans can find a deal to allow the so-called Dreamers, people who were brought into the country illegally as children, to stay.
The majority of Latinos polled in the the UnidosUS, Voces Unidos and LULAC poll, 66%, support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States for an extended period, or who were brought into the country as kids.
Seventy-eight percent said they believe it’s important to deport people convicted of crimes but “Trump and congressional Republicans should not target long-residing undocumented immigrants without criminal records.”
In the Latino Community Foundation and Voto Latino poll, around 63% of Latino voters surveyed believe the Trump administration has “gone too far” in trying to stop illegal immigration and deporting undocumented migrants. Also, about 45% of those polled are worried that someone close to them will be deported.
Both the UnidosUS, Voces Unidos and LULAC poll and the Latino Community Foundation and Voto Latino poll have a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.
Contributing: Jessica Guynn, Bailey Schulz, Lauren Villagran and Sarah D. Wire; USA TODAY