Last November, Latino voters played a crucial role in putting Donald Trump back in the White House. But less than a year later, some are already feeling deep regret.
A recent focus group organized by The Bulwark revealed a striking consensus: all seven Latino participants said they now regret voting for Trump.
Of those, six gave the president a “D” for his performance so far, while one didn’t hold back and graded him an “F.”
“I think people have just gotten meaner,” said Kandy, a participant from Colorado. “It’s like folks feel more comfortable being openly hateful, like they see it so much around them that being respectful or understanding doesn’t even matter anymore.”
She added that many now seem to feel emboldened to share prejudices and stereotypes because they see leaders doing the same and getting away with it.
These feelings aren’t isolated. National polling also shows Trump’s support among Latino voters may be slipping.
Brendan McDermid/REUTERS
Trump made major inroads with Latino voters in 2024, winning an impressive 48 percent of the vote, according to the Pew Research Center. This marked a huge leap compared to the widespread rejection he faced from the community in both 2016 and 2020.
But now, early signs point to that support beginning to crack.
For many in the group, two key issues are driving their frustration: the state of the economy and Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, especially mass deportations.
Interestingly, several participants said they originally liked Trump’s hardline stance on immigration, until they saw what that actually looked like in real life.
“You see families being torn apart,” said Reed from Nevada. “I didn’t expect it to be that harsh. I didn’t think it would hit this close to home.”
Janella from California shared how recent ICE raids have shaken her community. Just a week before the focus group, she said someone in her neighborhood was picked up by immigration agents.
“My kids go to school here. Their friends are scared. It’s not okay for kids to worry that their parents might not be home when they get back,” she told The Bulwark.
The focus group featured Latino voters from states across the U.S., including Nevada, California, Florida, New Jersey, and Virginia. All participants chose to remain anonymous by withholding their last names.
Other data backs up what the focus group is signaling. According to a Somos Votantes poll obtained by POLITICO, Trump’s favorability among Latino voters has dropped by 20 points.
Among Latino men, support slid from 52 percent in May to 47 percent in September. For younger Latino voters, once a reliable base for Trump, approval fell sharply, dropping from 43 percent to just 33 percent in the same timeframe.
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