Trump Faces Major Latino Backlash as Approval Ratings Plummet
CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten revealed Wednesday that recent polling data indicates a massive backlash has developed against former President Donald Trump within the Latino voting community. The numbers paint a stark picture of declining support that has accelerated significantly in recent months.
From Modest Disapproval to Steep Decline
Enten noted that at the beginning of Trump's second term, his approval rating among Latino voters stood at negative 5 percentage points. While this represented disapproval, Enten observed that "a lot of Republicans would really like" such a number given historical voting patterns.
However, that modest disapproval has since transformed into a dramatic plunge. Trump's current approval rating with Latino voters has dropped to negative 28 percentage points, representing a decline of 23 points. Enten emphasized this drop is significantly steeper than the decline observed among the overall electorate during the same period.
Immigration Agenda Drives the Freefall
The data analyst attributed much of this precipitous decline to Trump's aggressive anti-immigration agenda and expanded deportation program. While Trump was polling evenly on deportations when he returned to office, he now stands at negative 34 percentage points on the issue specifically.
"Latinos do not like what Trump is doing on his deportation program," Enten stated unequivocally. He added that the Latino community's response can be summarized as: "'No, no, no,' is what the Latino community is saying."
Broader Political Implications
The polling data reveals several significant political implications:
- Trump's net approval among Latino voters has declined by over 20 percentage points from a year ago
- His net approval specifically on deportation policy has dropped by over 30 percentage points during the same period
- Looking toward upcoming elections, congressional Democrats are performing approximately 15 percentage points better with Latino voters than Vice President Harris did in previous polling
This substantial shift in Latino voter sentiment could have profound consequences for electoral politics, particularly in states with significant Latino populations where voting margins are often narrow. The data suggests Trump's immigration policies have alienated a demographic that both parties have increasingly sought to engage in recent election cycles.
