President Donald Trump is losing ground with Latino voters at a concerning pace for Republicans. New polling shows his approval ratings have fallen sharply among this key demographic that helped him win the White House.
Recent surveys reveal Trump’s net approval among Hispanic voters dropped from negative 11 points in February to negative 23 points in September. His favorability rating fell from negative 12 to negative 20 points during the same period.
The decline signals potential trouble for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Latino voters were crucial to Trump’s 2024 victory, with his support reaching 43 percent among this group. This marked an eight-point increase from 2020 and represented the highest level for any Republican presidential candidate since tracking began.
Key Demographics Drive the Decline
Latino men are turning away from Trump after being his strongest supporters. Their approval dropped from positive 2 to negative 6 points. Young Latino voters aged 18 to 29 show even steeper falls, sliding from negative 6 to negative 33 points.
Independent Latino voters swung dramatically against Trump, moving from negative 6 in February to negative 36 in September. Latina women also shifted further away, dropping from negative 21 to negative 37 points.
“What began earlier this year with independents and women has really intensified,” said Melissa Morales, president of Somos Votantes. “It has spread to basically every demographic subset of the Latino electorate, including groups that once leaned toward him like Latino men.”
Economic Concerns Drive Opposition
Economic worries appear central to Trump’s declining Latino support. His approval rating on economic issues among Latino men fell from negative 1 in February to negative 10 in September. Just 36 percent of Latino voters approve of Trump’s economic handling overall.
Seventy-one percent of Latino voters say Trump’s tariffs are increasing costs of goods they buy. Forty-two percent report prices rising “a lot” due to these policies. Housing, food, and household expenses top the list of concerns for Latino families.
Twenty-six percent of Latino voters struggle to meet basic living costs, while only 12 percent describe themselves as living comfortably. Sixty-four percent rate the U.S. economy as “poor,” unchanged since May.
Consumer prices rose 2.9 percent in August compared to last year, the steepest annual gain since January. Tariffs alone have increased short-term costs by an estimated 2.3 percent. Housing affordability has deteriorated sharply, with income needed to purchase a median-priced home soaring 70 percent since 2019 to $114,000.
Labor Market Weakens
The job market shows signs of strain that hit Latino workers particularly hard. The U.S. added just 22,000 jobs in August after losing 13,000 in June. Unemployment reached 4.3 percent, the highest level since 2021.
A historic Bureau of Labor Statistics revision cut 911,000 jobs from employment totals dating back to April 2024. These economic shocks land heavily on Hispanics, who work disproportionately in construction, service, and blue-collar sectors sensitive to inflation and policy changes.
Latino households earn just $65,500 in median income compared to $93,900 for white households. This leaves them especially vulnerable to economic pressures despite contributing more than 30 percent of U.S. GDP growth since 2019.
Immigration Enforcement Adds Pressure
Trump’s expanded immigration enforcement creates additional stress in Latino communities. Increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, mass deportation operations, and new detention facilities have been linked to declining consumer confidence in these areas.
A controversial $45 billion program to build large-scale detention camps, including Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz,” has drawn particular concern. These policies suppress spending in Latino communities according to Financial Times reporting.
Priority Disconnect Widens Gap
Polling by CNN and The latest Cygnal survey reveals a fundamental mismatch between Latino priorities and Trump’s focus. Half of Latino respondents want Washington to tackle inflation and cost of living. Thirty-nine percent prioritize jobs and the economy.
However, only 17 percent believe Trump and Republicans focus on inflation. Just 15 percent say they concentrate on jobs. Instead, Latinos overwhelmingly believe Trump’s attention is on tariffs (51 percent) and the U.S.-Mexico border (47 percent).
This disconnect may explain why approval ratings continue sliding despite Trump’s overall numbers remaining relatively stable. Newsweek’s tracker shows 44 percent approve of Trump’s job performance while 53 percent disapprove.
Political Implications for 2026
The polling results could signal broader trouble for Republican candidates in the 2026 midterm elections. Only 27 percent of Latino voters say they would vote for a Republican congressional candidate, down from 45 percent who supported Trump and Harris in 2024.
Twenty-five percent remain uncertain about their 2026 voting intentions. This includes those not sure whom to support (16 percent), those considering other candidates (5 percent), or those who might not vote (4 percent).
Polls showing these shifts have prompted mixed reactions. “Democrats are desperate to spin a false narrative about Hispanic voters,” said Mike Marinella of the National Republican Congressional Committee. He called the Somos Votantes survey a “junk poll.”
But Democratic operatives see opportunity in the shifting numbers. “This won’t automatically translate to support for Democrats,” said Melissa Morales, “but there is a huge opportunity for Democrats to show an alternative.”
The dramatic shift could prove especially important in Texas, where Republicans designed new congressional maps expecting continued Latino support. Three reconfigured districts dominated by Latino voters could determine control of the House.
Trump’s broader approval ratings have also declined recently. His net approval dropped from negative 8 points last week to negative 9 points. Negative economic sentiment continues driving public opinion, with 37 percent of voters citing the economy as their dominant concern.
The 2026 midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, 2026. Republicans currently hold narrow control of the House with 219 seats compared to 213 for Democrats plus three vacant seats.
