Economic concerns now dominate as a warning sign for Republicans heading into the midterm elections. A new poll shows Latino voters increasingly favor Democrats on the issues that helped Donald Trump make major inroads with the group in 2024.
Donald Trump’s approval falls to 27% among Latino voters in NBC News/Telemundo poll
As per the NBC News/Telemundo poll, Donald Trump receives a 27% approval rating from Latino registered voters, while 69% disapprove. His economic numbers look even weaker. 74% reject his handling of the economy, and 78% disapprove of his approach to cost-of-living pressures. 65% also say his policies have damaged economic conditions.
That frustration has reshaped the congressional matchup. Fifty-nine percent of Latino voters support a Democratic-controlled Congress, compared with 35% who want Republicans in charge. The 24-point Democratic advantage is twice the margin recorded in the poll’s September 2024 edition.
The CBS News/YouGov numbers also reveal where Hispanic likely voters are landing on the congressional ballot. Six in 10 respondents said they would choose a Democratic House candidate, compared with 39% who preferred the Republican option.
Their biggest worries, however, center less on party labels and more on pocketbook issues. Inflation and the cost of living led the list, with 33% identifying them as the nation’s top concern. Government corruption trailed at 22%, while 10% pointed to jobs and the broader economy.
Trump’s gains with Latino voters in 2024 changed the political math for Republicans. A Politico review of the results found that his share of the vote jumped by an average of more than 6 percentage points in counties where Hispanics make up a majority, compared with his 2020 numbers.
Republicans have since factored that shift into their House strategy. In Texas, four of the five districts identified as potential GOP pickups under the proposed redistricting map had majority-Hispanic populations (via Politico).
Immigration, meanwhile, could put that progress under the microscope. The NBC/Telemundo poll shows 67% of Latino voters don’t believe in Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, while just 22% approve of the approach. That criticism has even surfaced within Trump’s own party. Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., said some Hispanic voters who backed Trump now feel “betrayed” by the administration’s crackdown.
