President Trump’s Latino support is holding strong in the lead up to the 2020 election.
Thirty percent of Hispanic voters support Trump, and 23% approve strongly, according to a study by Pew Research Center.
Exit polls in 2016 showed about 28% of Latino voters voted for Trump.
“These voters no longer align their cultural identity with immigrants, and immigration as an issue is less important to them,” Kristian Ramos, the former spokesman for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, wrote in the Atlantic. “The vitriol the White House directs at immigrants does not move those who support Trump.”
One explanation for Trump’s show of support among Latinos could be related to the economy.
The jobless rate for Latinos hit a record low in September when it fell to 3.9%.
“A YouTube/Economist poll detailed that only 20% of Hispanics support the ‘catch and release’ of families crossing our borders illegally,” RealClearPolitics reported.
“The Irish, Italians and Jews all have people in their community who don’t identify with their heritage or who think they’re better than others in their tribe, when they’re really just better off,” wrote Ruben Navarrette Jr., an opinion columnist at USA Today. “These are the folks who were born on third base but tell themselves they hit a triple.”
“Now some Latinos have found their way to Trump. Good for them. But make no mistake. In a larger sense, they’re lost,” he added.
Trump has made immigration reform and beefing up security along the U.S. southern border with Mexico top priorities for his administration.
