A recent report from Washington Post claims that former President Donald Trump is gaining unprecedented support from Black and Hispanic voters for his potential 2024 presidential bid. The alleged numbers referenced are a stark contrasts to the reality of the political landscape that was much more divided 4 years ago, and possible proof that his recent legal issues may actually be helping him more than hurting him in a political context.
According to the report, across five high-quality polls that were focused on voters who don’t identify as “white”, in the past month Trump is averaging 20 percent of Black voters and 42 percent of Hispanic voters, which is a historic high for a Republican candidate.
This is a remarkable increase from the 2020 election, when Trump only received about 8 percent of the Black vote, and 32 percent of the Hispanic vote, according to exit polls. No Republican presidential candidate in the past 50 years has approached receiving 20 percent of the Black vote. The closest was when Republicans took 18 percent in 1972, and 16 percent in 1976, according to Washington Post.
What are Possible Reasons the Black Community is Supporting Donald Trump More Than Ever?
What explains this shift in voter preferences? Some analysts suggest that President Joe Biden’s lack of awareness on how his policies affect minority communities may be a factor. For example, his stringent vaccine mandates sparked backlash from some Black and Hispanic leaders who argue that they are discriminatory and infringe on personal freedoms. Some stats showed that is actually black people who were impacted the most in terms of losing their jobs due to refusing to take the vaccine, which was ultimately proven to be generally ineffective for the average healthy person.
Additionally, his continuous gaffes on stage, such as confusing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus with the Congressional Black Caucus, have raised questions about his mental acuity and competence. Moreover, his failure to keep his promises about helping people with student loan debt, which disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic borrowers, has disappointed many who expected more relief from his administration.
On the other hand, Trump has been portraying himself as a champion of minority interests, highlighting his economic achievements, criminal justice reforms, and outreach efforts during his presidency. He has also been criticizing Biden’s handling of the border crisis, inflation, foreign policy, and national security, claiming that he would do a better job if he returns to the White House.
Whether Trump’s growing popularity among Black and Hispanic voters will translate into electoral success in 2024 remains to be seen. However, it is clear that he poses a serious challenge to Biden and the Democrats, who cannot afford to lose their traditional base of support.