Former President Donald Trump explained why he thinks Hispanic voters are increasingly leaving the Democratic Party in a Wednesday interview with SiriusXM’s Americano Media obtained by Fox News.
The former president touted his role in Hispanics departing the Democratic Party after decades of Democrats dominating support in the community, Fox News reported. He claimed the departure began during his 2016 presidential run.
“I think we really have a relationship … I think I started it and did very well in 2016,” he told host María Herrera Mellado. “We did much better in almost every way. As you know, I got 12 million more votes in the second election in 2020. But we did really well with the Hispanics.”
He said the surge in Hispanic support in Miami and Texas in 2020 stemmed from their desire for securing the U.S.-Mexico border and their “great energy,” Fox News reported.
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“I did great with the Hispanics. And you know why? Because they’re very incredible people with great energy, and they’re very entrepreneurial. And they also understood the border,” he continued, according to the outlet. “They understand the border better than anybody else. And they want security at the border.” (RELATED: No One Is Sure Who Won The Latino Vote, But It Is Not Looking Good For Democrats)
In 2020, Hispanic voters shifted their support for Trump by 8 points in comparison to 2016, a study found. The former president won Florida after polls showed he improved performance among Hispanic and black voters in the state.
A December Wall Street Journal poll found that Hispanic voters were evenly split in their support for Democrats and Republicans. Voters were also nearly evenly divided about a hypothetical 2024 presidential election between Trump and President Joe Biden, with 43% of respondents backing Trump and 44% expressing support for Biden.
Texas Public Policy Foundation Distinguished Fellow Sherry Sylvester said Trump earned a large portion of the Texas Hispanic vote due to his positions on cultural, energy, business and tax issues. A March 24 analysis by election forecaster Sabato’s Crystal Ball found that Latino voters’ shift to the Republican Party may not be permanent.
A March Axios-Ipsos poll found inflation is a leading factor in Hispanic voters’ partisan shift. Biden’s favorable rating among these voters dropped from 53% to 49% since December, according to the poll.
Sixty-three percent of Hispanic voters expressed disapproval of the economy, and more than half disapproved of Biden’s job performance, the Wall Street Journal reported in December.